Moving beyond broad AI trends, four presenters will share real-world campus implementations and the practical results achieved. They will discuss the challenges addressed, solutions implemented, resources required, outcomes achieved, and adjustments made along the way. The closing discussion will explore how institutions can determine whether an AI initiative should be expanded, redesigned, or discontinued. Attendees will leave with useful evaluation criteria they can apply to their own AI pilots.

As shadow AI tools become more common across campus, institutions need clear and practical processes for managing their use. Working through a realistic scenario, participants will address tool approval, data access, identity and security requirements, vendor and contract reviews, ongoing monitoring, and policy enforcement. Tables will assign decision-making responsibilities across IT, academic affairs, legal, procurement, research, and institutional leadership before establishing an approval and escalation process. Each group will develop a concise campus AI decision framework that can be adapted for use at its institution.

Students are among the most active users of AI, yet their perspectives are often missing from institutional conversations. Representing different institutions and disciplines, student panelists will speak candidly about how they use AI, whether campus tools and guidance meet their needs, and their concerns about privacy, appropriate use, and institutional policies. They will also share how AI is shaping the skills needed after graduation and how colleges can better prepare them. Attendees will hear directly from students about what institutions should start, stop, and continue doing.

Higher education institutions must protect open, highly connected environments while preparing for the reality that a cyber incident may still occur. This panel will explore identity and access controls, third-party and SaaS risk, incident response, executive communications, and maintain essential campus operations during recovery. Panelists will share practical lessons involving ransomware, compromised credentials, vendor outages, and sensitive research or health data. The discussion will also address AI as both an emerging threat and a tool for improving detection and security operations. Attendees will leave with clear priorities for strengthening prevention, response, and operational continuity.

As institutions work to strengthen digital accessibility, this panel will focus on three immediate implementation needs: establishing ownership across IT and campus departments, prioritizing content for review and remediation, and creating a practical process for correcting and tracking accessibility issues. Panelists will discuss how responsibilities are being divided across websites, course materials, documents, social media, procurement, and third-party platforms. In this session, plan to walk away with practical actions ready to implement immediately.

This fireside chat will focus on three immediate accessibility implementation needs: establishing ownership across IT and campus departments, prioritizing content for review and remediation, and creating a practical process for correcting and tracking accessibility issues. Speakers will discuss how responsibilities are being divided across websites, course materials, documents, social media, procurement, and third-party platforms. Attendees will leave with three practical actions they can begin implementing immediately.

Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.