Higher Ed Pulse

2024 Hall of Fame: Claire Brady

Episode Summary

Today's inductee into the 2024 Enrollify Hall of Fame is Claire Brady. With over two decades of experience in higher education, Claire is a trailblazer in helping institutions embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to improve teaching, learning, and student success. This episode revisits Claire’s appearances on Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO and AI for You, where she dives into AI’s transformative potential in higher education. From addressing AI literacy to breaking down misconceptions about its applications, Claire’s insights provide a clear roadmap for navigating this revolutionary technology.

Episode Notes

Today's inductee into the 2024 Enrollify Hall of Fame is Claire Brady. With over two decades of experience in higher education, Claire is a trailblazer in helping institutions embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to improve teaching, learning, and student success.

This episode revisits Claire’s appearances on Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO and AI for You, where she dives into AI’s transformative potential in higher education. From addressing AI literacy to breaking down misconceptions about its applications, Claire’s insights provide a clear roadmap for navigating this revolutionary technology.

Check out the full episodes Claire appeared on: 

• AI For U - Episode 9 
• Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO - Episode 58

Key Takeaways

• AI Adoption is Essential: AI adoption in higher education is as critical as embracing the internet was years ago. Institutions must start now to stay competitive.
• Practical First Steps: Begin by consolidating institutional data, drafting AI policies, and improving online resources like Wikipedia pages that AI tools often pull from.
• AI Literacy is Key: Faculty, staff, and student affairs teams must understand how AI tools work, their origins, and their implications for privacy and equity.
• AI Can Improve Equity: By offering personalized, accessible communication—like translated and simplified information—AI can make higher education processes more inclusive.
• AI Frees Up Human Capital: Automation of repetitive tasks allows educators and staff to focus on higher-value, student-centric activities.

Why Higher Ed is Slower to Adopt AI 
Claire explains that higher ed’s slow adoption of AI stems from a combination of bandwidth constraints, systemic inertia, and concerns about misuse, such as cheating. However, she notes that other sectors, like healthcare, have overcome similar challenges, and higher ed can do the same.

Key barriers include:

• Competing Priorities: Post-pandemic recovery and political/social unrest have stretched resources thin.
• Lack of AI Literacy: Many institutional leaders and staff lack foundational knowledge about how AI tools operate and their potential applications.
• Overemphasis on Risks: Conversations around AI cheating have overshadowed its benefits, delaying adoption.

Where to Start with AI 
Claire emphasizes starting small and building gradually:

1. Consolidate Data: Even if data isn’t clean, putting it in one place is the first step to leveraging AI effectively.
2. Audit Online Presence: AI tools like ChatGPT pull data from online sources, so institutions should update and improve Wikipedia pages and websites.
3. Draft and Test Policies: Write initial policies on AI use and iterate based on outcomes.

By focusing on these manageable steps, institutions can begin to unlock AI’s potential without feeling overwhelmed.

AI in Action: Nashville State Community College 
Claire highlights her work with Nashville State Community College, which secured a state grant for AI innovation. Over the next year, Claire will conduct training sessions with various stakeholder groups, including faculty, staff, and students. The goal is to integrate AI tools into campus operations and share lessons learned with other Tennessee institutions.

Unlocking Potential: AI for Equity and Efficiency 
Claire sees AI as a game-changer for higher education, particularly for under-resourced institutions like community colleges and regional universities.

AI Improves Equity

• Enables personalized communication in students’ native languages and reading levels.
• Simplifies processes, making them more accessible to diverse student populations.

AI Frees Staff for Meaningful Work

• Automates repetitive tasks like email communication and document editing.
• Allows academic advisors and other staff to spend more time engaging directly with students.

Claire offers a compelling analogy: Imagine healthcare without patient-focused tools like translated instructions. AI can provide similar transformative benefits in higher education, such as improving communication with students about financial aid or academic standing.

Final Thoughts  
Claire Brady’s vision for AI in higher education is both inspiring and practical. She challenges institutions to view AI not as a threat but as a tool to advance their missions of equity, access, and student success.