From Exploration to Transformation: Institutional Leaders on AI Governance, Adoption, and Impact

As generative AI moves from experimentation to enterprise deployment, higher education leaders face a critical challenge: how to build and execute an approach that delivers measurable value for teaching and learning, with buy-in and trust from leadership, faculty and students. This session features institutional leaders who are guiding AI initiatives from evaluation and pilot phases to campuswide adoption. Designed for CIOs, CTOs, presidents, provosts, faculty leaders, and IT decision-makers, the discussion will focus on the governance, procurement, and change-management practices that turn AI interest into institutional impact. Panelists will share how their institutions identified high-value use cases, evaluated vendors and platforms, and developed governance frameworks that support innovation while addressing privacy, security, accessibility, intellectual property, and responsible AI considerations. Attendees will learn the key questions to ask when assessing AI solutions, designing pilots, and making enterprise investment decisions. The conversation will also explore strategies for scaling adoption, engaging and securing the support of faculty and staff, measuring usage and outcomes, and demonstrating ROI. Speakers will candidly discuss lessons learned, common pitfalls, and what they would do differently if starting their AI journeys today.