Through this article, Upchurch emphasizes the urgent need for higher education to adapt to the disruptive impact of generative AI by integrating it into curricula, leveraging its administrative efficiencies and embracing a proactive strategy to remain relevant and competitive.

Years ago, I read the book "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne. I was intrigued by rethinking higher education through a completely different paradigm. Over the past 35 years, we have witnessed numerous paradigm shifts in higher education, some of which have been quite disruptive. However, I believe that none will compare to the challenges posed by the introduction of generative AI. Generative AI refers to a class of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that can create new content, including text, images, music and more, based on input data and patterns it has learned. By leveraging vast amounts of information, generative AI systems can produce outputs that mimic human creativity and reasoning, making them powerful tools for enhancing various aspects of education or subverting the educational process by using them to complete assignments.

The Impact of Generative AI

Generative AI represents a significant disruption that won’t be easily categorized or contained. This transformative technology is also evolving rapidly, making it difficult for institutions to keep pace and grasp the full effect it is having and will have on higher education.

I’m a big fan of John Kotter’s work on change. One of the factors he cites as important for effective change to occur is urgency. Urgency is the understanding that the resulting inaction will have negative consequences unless a change is made. I believe that we are approaching that point. The intersection of Blue Ocean Strategy and John Kotter's work on urgency, particularly in his book "Our Iceberg Is Melting," highlights the need for immediate action in the face of such change.

For higher education, our “iceberg” is melting and here is how Gen AI contributes. It provides personalized and adaptive learning experiences that contrast with traditional education's one-size-fits-all approach. It allows for automating routine administrative tasks, which can reduce the workload of faculty and staff. It can create more accessible educational resources, making education more affordable and available. It challenges traditional assessment models and encourages a more holistic approach to evaluation. It is creating new career paths. It is calling into question academic integrity. It frees faculty to be more active in student education by freeing time from academic administration.

However, there is hope that just as much as generative AI contributes to the “melting” of our existing paradigm for higher education, it also opens doors for a new paradigm.

Challenges in Higher Education Leadership

Leading institutions of higher education are becoming increasingly complicated. Traditional factors affecting administrators and university presidents are already daunting. In a society increasingly suspicious of the value of higher education, rising costs and the looming enrolment cliff, the disruptive influence of generative AI is now compounding everything.

“Every course should include a competency (objective) about how Gen AI affects that subject, an additional competency about purposeful critical thinking and an additional competency related to ethical considerations.”

Chat GPT was first introduced in November of 2022. My initial thought was that it couldn't be true, immediately followed by the thought that if it were true, then the way we were doing higher education would no longer work. That has proven to be true as more and more students use generative AI to complete their assignments. Higher education has focused a lot of energy on finding ways to catch those using Gen AI to punish them. This is a failing model from almost any perspective.

On the side of student learning, generative AI offers the potential to deliver more personalized and individualized learning experiences. This allows faculty to build stronger relationships with their students rather than being bogged down by the mechanics of pedagogy—an area in which many educators may not be particularly adept. However, one of Gen AI's greatest weaknesses is the inclination of those who use it to become too accepting of what it offers without employing critical thinking.

To combat that weakness and broaden our students’ knowledge of Gen AI, I recommend that institutions adopt a three-part model to equip their students. Every course should include a competency (objective) about how Gen AI affects that subject, an additional competency about purposeful critical thinking and an additional competency related to ethical considerations. This will broaden students' perspectives and allow them to become familiar with understanding and using Gen AI in practical ways.

Undergraduate and graduate concentrations (minors) be offered in every major specifically focused on deeper applications of Gen AI. These concentrations will enable interested students to specialize in information about AI directly related to their field of study.

Specific degrees must be offered in Gen AI. I wouldn’t restrict these to graduate degrees. Degree options at every level should be considered. Recent research has shown an increase in AI usage of over 600 percent in the corporate world, which will only increase. Our students must know how to perform in a job market where AI is increasingly present.

The effect of Gen AI, however, is greater than that of the classroom, particularly in terms of how it could facilitate administrative and academic tasks. Gen AI can potentially increase efficiencies, impacting marketing, enrollment, staffing, resource management, data analysis, accreditation reporting, outcomes assessment, etc. This is low-hanging fruit that should be capitalized on as soon as possible to maintain financial viability. Institutions that do not sense the urgency in these areas will soon find themselves drifting further and further behind competitors, taking advantage of what Gen AI offers.

The emergence of generative AI represents both a profound challenge and a unique opportunity for higher education. As we navigate this rapidly changing landscape, institutions must adopt a proactive approach that prioritizes understanding and integrating generative AI into their educational frameworks, administratively and academically. By recognizing the urgency of this moment and responding with targeted strategies—such as incorporating generative AI competencies in every course, offering specialized concentrations and developing dedicated degrees— higher education can not only adapt to but also thrive in this new paradigm, essentially charting a course into the deep blue ocean.