Leading Through the AI Shift: Strategies for Higher Education

The rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping classrooms, administrative workflows, and institutional decision-making. For higher education leaders, the challenge isn't just understanding the technology; it's navigating the human questions it raises: How do we support faculty and staff through uncertainty while sustaining momentum? How do we ensure technology serves our institutional mission? And how do we lead with intention when the landscape keeps changing?

Drawing on T3 Advisory’s national research on AI adoption across higher education and on Every Learner Everywhere’s expertise in best practices for using AI on campuses, this session highlights a consistent barrier: many institutions aren’t stalling because of bad technology or bad intentions, but because the people responsible for leading the day-to-day work—department leaders, functional managers, and student services directors—have been left out of strategy and change efforts. Through real-world examples and guided reflection, participants will explore what responsible AI implementation can look like on their campuses and leave with actionable strategies to lead through the shift.

Join Geneva Dampare (T3) at UNCF’s UNITE Summit during the AI Pre-Conference Workshop, in Atlanta, GA on July 20, 2026.

Participants will be introduced to the AI Adoption Rubric, a strategic assessment framework designed to help institutions evaluate their current level of AI maturity across key areas including adoption coordination, leadership support, policy development, resource commitment, and technology deployment.

Attendees will explore how the rubric can be used to identify strengths, uncover gaps, prioritize investments, and develop an actionable roadmap for responsible AI implementation.

Join Geneva Dampare (T3 Advisory) for Collaboration Cafe Conversation during AASCU 2026 Summer Meeting for Academic and Student Affairs Leaders, July 15, 1:35 PM – 2:45 PM in New Orleans.

Most campuses sit somewhere between individual experimentation and institution-wide AI strategy, and few leaders know where they actually stand relative to peers. Drawing on a national study of AI adoption across institutions, this conversation invites academic and student affairs leaders to locate their campus on the adoption journey, compare notes with colleagues facing similar questions, and leave with one concrete next move for their institution.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026
2:00-3:00 PM Eastern

When institutional leaders discuss AI adoption, the conversation often starts with licensing fees. But the real story is broader: adopting AI at scale requires both visible financial investments and hidden resource commitments in time, people, and culture. Our research found that institutions must also navigate a rapidly expanding vendor market, with AI features rolling out faster than governance can address. This session provides a clear framework for understanding the full spectrum of costs, real and hidden, and the governance foundations that must be in place before scaling.

This session is designed for Presidents, CFOs, CIOs, budget officers, procurement leads, and compliance officers who control resources and risk.

Speakers:
Dr. Audrey Ellis, Founder & Principal, T3 Advisory

Norman Palmer, Director of Technology & Innovation, Complete College America

Photo by Allison Shelley/Complete College Photo Library

Tuesday, April 21, 2026
2:00-3:00 PM Eastern

Professional development for AI is both uneven and underdeveloped across higher education. Our research found that faculty often receive more structured training opportunities than staff, and many institutions lack a clear strategy for who delivers training, what content is prioritized, and how training connects to institutional goals. This session explores four emerging training roles—faculty/peer trainers, administrators, students, and external partners—and offers a framework for building sustainable AI capacity that reaches everyone, not just those who opt in. This session is designed for Senior leaders of Academic and Student Affairs, HR leaders, teaching and learning center directors, faculty development coordinators, and department chairs responsible for professional development.

Panel Moderator:

Dr. Audrey Ellis, Founder & Principal, T3 Advisory

Panelists:

• Dr. Jennifer Gebelein, Director of AI Integration and Faculty Success, Florida International University

• Dr. Greg Morris, Senior Vice Provost, Dallas College

• Melissa Vito, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation, University of Texas San Antonio

Photo by Allison Shelley/Complete College Photo Library

Centering Student Voice in AI Planning for Student Success

Seattle, Washington

Dr. Audrey Ellis will be presenting at AACC Annual with Dr. Linda García (Executive Director, Center for Community College Student Engagement—CCCSE, UT Austin).
This session is focused on what it looks like to put student perspectives at the center of AI decisions—especially as AI expands across advising, enrollment, and teaching.

The session will share practical approaches colleges can use immediately to engage students in governance, feedback loops, and communication, so AI adoption strengthens equity, trust, and student outcomes.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026
2:00-3:00 PM Eastern

Our research revealed a persistent gap: institutions know they need to engage with AI, but many lack a clear picture of where they actually stand. This session introduces T3's AI Adoption Rubric and Survey Suite: practical tools designed to help you move from assumptions to evidence. You'll learn how to assess across five dimensions (adoption coordination, leadership support, policy development, resource commitment, and technology deployment), deploy surveys to faculty, staff, students, and leadership, and translate findings into action. This session is designed for presidents, CAOs, institutional researchers, and assessment directors who will lead readiness efforts on their campuses.

Speakers:

• Dr. Audrey Ellis, Founder & Principal, T3 Advisory

• Mohammad Obiedat, Deputy CIO - ERP & AI, Alabama Community College System
  
  Photo by Allison Shelley/Complete College Photo Library

Austin, TX

Audrey Ellis will be at SXSW EDU in Austin for a panel, “Making AI Work for Higher Ed: A Leadership Conversation,” alongside Tykeia Robinson (Gates Foundation) and Laura DaVinci (Every Learner Everywhere). Together, they’ll ground the AI conversation in real institutional examples and guided reflection—exploring what responsible implementation looks like in practice as AI reshapes how higher ed leaders work, teach, and support students.

When: March 11, 2026 | 9:00–9:45 AM CT

Where: Austin Marriott Downtown, Waterloo Ballroom 4