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Irma Becerra is president of Marymount University, a comprehensive doctoral-granting university known for its innovative curriculum.
A 2025 survey found that more than 75 percent of students who responded are using AI tools to assist with their homework, with 24 percent doing so daily, signaling a major shift in academic practices. For higher education leaders, this isn’t just hype—it’s a wake-up call. As AI becomes common on campus, institutions face a crossroads—embrace its potential or risk falling behind.
The Organizational Challenge: Bridging The AI Divide
One of the biggest challenges universities face today is balancing excitement for AI with worries about its effects. These tensions often occur along disciplinary lines. For instance, I’ve seen faculty in computer science and engineering redesign curricula to take advantage of AI’s capabilities. I remember my own experience as an engineering student, painstakingly coding microprocessor programs in hexadecimal—a full day’s work just to display “Hello World.” Today, generative AI can generate complex code in seconds, changing what we teach and how we teach it.
Conversely, I’ve seen faculty in the humanities worry about academic integrity. Some have gone back to handwritten Blue Book exams to stop students from using AI to cheat.
If these opposing forces cancel each other out, institutions risk paralysis. The solution? I believe institutions can develop a clear, student-centered approach to AI that aims to boost learning, engagement and career readiness. Without a clear AI strategy, opposing forces can hinder progress and cause institutions to fall behind.
How Educators Can Use AI To Help Students
How Students Learn
AI has the potential to democratize education by reducing disparities in academic preparation. Although high school curricula are standardized, students enter college with different levels of readiness. Nationwide, roughly 62 percent of college students graduate within six years—a statistic that I believe highlights the need for targeted support.
Educational institutions can consider using AI-powered tools to assist students in understanding complex ideas, improve language clarity and support learning outside the classroom. These tools shouldn’t be used to replace teachers. Instead, use them to enable educators to concentrate on mentoring, providing feedback and fostering higher-order thinking skills. More importantly, consider how AI may prompt us to rethink assessment—not just what students know, but how they use judgment in an AI-enhanced environment.
How Students Engage
AI can foster a shift from rote memorization to reflective, applied and analytical coursework. Instead of assignments that simply reward memorization, educators can create projects that teach students to use AI responsibly, such as evaluating outputs, spotting bias and enhancing their own work. In my view, this method would meet students where they are academically while still maintaining rigor and integrity.
By helping to eliminate some obstacles in learning, I believe AI can help students concentrate on critical thinking and problem-solving. This impact is especially significant for those facing language barriers or gaps in previous knowledge. In short, AI doesn’t have to lower standards—it can be used to help elevate the level of intellectual engagement.
Career Readiness
The potential value of AI can go beyond the classroom and into career preparation. Internships are now essential for landing a job after graduation, and AI is increasingly integrated into professional settings across health care, cybersecurity, business and communications.
Institutions can encourage applied research, internships and workforce-aligned programs that allow students to gain hands-on experience with AI in real-world situations. This exposure could help ensure graduates leave not only with knowledge but also confidence and practical fluency in intelligent technologies, a key advantage in any industry. AI fluency is becoming a competitive advantage in seemingly every profession.
Where To Start: Governance And Leadership
When it comes to AI, however, institutions must act intentionally. In my view, establishing a presidential AI task force is a crucial initial step. This group should guarantee responsible, fair implementation that promotes student success. It can help universities transition from isolated experiments to large-scale, systemic impact while maintaining trust among faculty and students.
Another excellent place to start is conducting a survey to understand current student, faculty and staff perceptions of AI and how it helps their work. An audit of how AI is currently being used across the organization is essential to set and achieve strategic goals around enrollment, fundraising, procurement and operational efficiencies. This audit can also help you establish an organizational roadmap for AI adoption and use that meets both faculty and student needs.
Ultimately, I believe AI can present a remarkable opportunity in higher education. By leveraging AI to improve learning, engagement and career readiness, universities can fulfill their mission of empowering students to succeed in a quickly changing world. However, it must be approached responsibly, strategically and with a constant focus on student success. Intentional leadership is the key to responsible, equitable AI adoption.
