Presidential summit recap: The disruption of higher education is here

FIU convened leaders of higher education, government and industry for an extraordinary discussion around the greatest challenges and opportunities facing post-secondary institutions today.

At the Horizon Summit, university presidents from around the country, federal officials and technology experts addressed the value of collaborations across sectors and how to harness venture capital to commercialize university innovations. But it was their conversations around thriving in an era of rapid technological transformation that caught fire.

“Change isn’t coming. It's already here,” President Jeanette M. Nuñez said in a room full of individuals she personally invited to the table, each of whom has a unique perspective on the central catalyst of much of that change: AI.

“It will completely disrupt every element of humanity more than any other technology or innovation in human history,” FIU trustee Fred Voccola told those in attendance. The founder of two technology firms and the author of a recent book on AI made clear that anyone who does not embrace it will go the way of the dinosaur.

“AI allows a human being to become about a hundred to a hundred-and-fifty percent more productive within six weeks,” he said. “That's never happened before. Ever.”

Over several hours on two days, speakers shared opinions, experiences and data that made clear how the tech is altering what we know of 21^st-century work, life and education and how universities, in particular, will have to adapt.

Collaboration with industry

As recent graduates can attest, the struggle is real. Machines and AI are rapidly taking over traditional work, even in the white-collar arena. Panelists argued that the issue isn’t widespread job loss but, rather, job dislocation.

In the field of software engineering, for example, engineers are increasingly directing AI systems to write code rather than doing it themselves.

“That skill set has changed,” said Kevin Connell, an executive with OpenAI, “and so we need to update curriculum accordingly.” The competencies employers expect are different than even those of a year ago, and universities must respond quickly, he continued. “Folks need to learn how to apply these skills in ways that are going to help get them a job.”

That urgency to get future workers primed for an evolving workplace framed a conversation about partnerships among higher education and industry to ensure that students have the ability to use AI tools to solve problems.

The aim for universities, speakers suggested, should be to connect classroom learning directly to workforce demands, in real time, by adjusting the knowledge and skills being taught to better reflect what industry needs.

While the concept itself is not new – FIU for years has relied on “real-world” advisors to help shape responsive curricula – the speed required to keep up with what business requires is dizzying. Institutions that cannot or will not adjust to the changing atmosphere risk being left behind.

Some are already experimenting with new models. Arizona State University and the California State University system are embedding AI tools into coursework while working closely with employers to define the skills those employers are currently recruiting for.

Integration across the board

Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. is the president of The Ohio State University. His institution has embraced the AI revolution with a $1.5 billion investment over the next 10 years. The example there sets a high bar for universities looking to turn out resilient, 21st-century professionals.

“Every single student at Ohio State, starting with the incoming freshman class that we have right now, will be AI fluent in their academic discipline by the time they graduate,” Carter said. “That doesn't mean [only] computer scientists or engineers. I'm talking about doctors, dentists, artists, musicians, teachers, ag tech, agriculturalists, every academic discipline.”

And it doesn’t stop there. “When I say comprehensive, this isn't just about teaching students,” he said. “It's getting every faculty member up and leading in their academic disciplines.

“This is a major initiative. We have almost 9,000 faculty at Ohio State, the largest faculty of any major university in the country. They are willingly embracing this, and over 1,800 of them have already been qualified as AI experts.”

Informing university operations

Beyond the classroom, panelists emphasized that AI can transform the way universities operate. The nation’s nearly 6,000 higher education institutions face financial pressures that require greater efficiency. Administrators are beginning to deploy AI in registrar offices, business operations and student services to streamline processes and reduce costs, savings that could ultimately benefit students and families.

Government leaders gave examples of their own use of AI in support of accountability and productivity to suggest how higher education institutions might do the same. Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent reported that within the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid, which distributes more than $130 billion annually in grants and loans, AI tools are being used to detect waste and abuse.

Research from a partnership between the state of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon University offered another glimpse of AI’s impact: State employees taught to use AI tools saw significant time savings and productivity gains.

Retaining traditional skills

AI will have universities pivoting at a breathtaking rate and scale, agreed those in attendance. Yet several speakers held up the values of higher education that have typically helped young people succeed in the workplace, among them critical thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology Future Jeffrey Singleton emphasized that the study of humanities and liberal arts must continue to promote “understanding ideas from other cultures and other places in the world, because it makes us stronger overall.”

Jonathan G.S. Koppell, president of Montclair State University, said, “In addition to putting AI literacy in our core curriculum, the question is, ‘How do you teach somebody to be creative and harness it?’ I think that's the fundamental question for universities. That’s the essential human thing.” 

“I want to thank Florida International University’s leadership, specifically President Nunez and the rest of the event’s organizers, for inviting me and my team.

“Through collaboration, debate and thoughtful discussion, we can push the boundaries of innovation in higher education, bringing new possibilities into clear view beyond what was once ever imagined.”

—Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent