Husson University

Dr. Victor M. Brown, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, focuses on higher education, curriculum development and student success, with an emphasis on thoughtfully integrating technology. He blends his approach with critical thinking, human judgment and creativity to build meaningful connections between students, faculty and employers.

AI as a Tool, Not the Decision Maker

AI is transforming how people work, communicate and solve problems. Higher education is no exception. For universities, the challenge is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to use it responsibly, while ensuring students continue to develop human skills.

I believe understanding the current education environment, the needs of students and faculty and what employers are looking for is highly important. Universities must continually examine whether curricula prepare students for the world they will enter after graduation.

At the institutional level, we need clear guidelines for AI use while giving faculty the academic freedom to determine how it fits within their disciplines.

AI can handle routine tasks such as transcribing meetings. However, we must double-check the information AI is producing for accuracy.

For students preparing for professional careers, technological skills alone are insufficient. They need the judgment to understand when AI is appropriate.

The idea is simple: AI can assist with the work, but it should not become the ultimate decision-maker.

Protecting What Makes Education Human

As AI takes on more routine intellectual tasks, critical thinking becomes even more important.

Creativity, problem-solving, personal interaction and independent judgment remain central to our education system. AI may help us organize ideas or identify grammatical errors, but the creative and intellectual process cannot be replaced by AI.

Education is therefore not simply about transferring information. It is about developing judgment.

Making Education More Personal

One of AI's greatest opportunities is personalization. Technology can help universities identify students who are struggling, highlight areas where additional support is needed and help advisers intervene earlier.

“The goal is not simply to prepare students to use technology, but to prepare them to think, question, create and make responsible decisions in a changing world.”

Tutoring and academic support can similarly become more individualized. AI can help us understand where students need to strengthen their understanding.

AI should strengthen human interaction rather than replace it.

Connecting Classrooms with Industry

Employer expectations keep changing with technology. Academic programs accordingly need continuous engagement with the professional world.

Faculty can stay informed through relationships with industry leaders, professional conferences and ongoing conversations with employers. This can reveal emerging technologies, changing practices and skills graduates will need.

Industry input should also inform curriculum without replacing academic judgment. Universities must continually determine which programs should be maintained, modified or newly developed as student and workforce needs evolve.

A More Nimble Future

Over the next five to ten months, higher education could become more personalized, data-informed and responsive. Routine administrative work may become increasingly automated, while advising and tutoring could become more proactive and tailored.

Universities will also need to become more agile. Academic programs must evolve alongside rapidly changing industries and scientific developments.

At Husson, we have sent a contingent of faculty and leadership to two national AI trainings—the Council of Independent Colleges – AI Ready Initiative and the AAC&U Institute on AI – Pedagogy and Curriculum. Both are part of our institutional commitment to proactively begin work using AI as a tool both as a component of education and as an efficiency at the university level.

Academic institutions, faculty and staff need to be more nimble to incorporate some of these technologies into what we do to ensure that our students are being prepared in a more efficient manner. It is a partnership in which technology handles appropriate tasks while students and educators retain responsibility for thinking, interpreting and deciding.

Technology can help students track their progress, which is important for retention, while personalized advising and instruction can help institutions identify needs and respond earlier.

As AI becomes more capable, distinctly human qualities like curiosity, creativity, judgment, empathy and collaboration become even more valuable.

The same changes will extend into STEM, where biotech, pharmacogenomics and pharmacokinetics show how technology can support personalized medication and inform classroom learning.

The goal is not simply to prepare students to use technology, but to prepare them to think, question, create and make responsible decisions in a changing world.