An instrument for spotting the next edtech opportunity — generated ideas, each traced to the real-world signals behind it.
The evidence library — the raw signals the pipeline is watching across the education ecosystem. Every idea is built from these.
Deepfakes have become a serious security and trust problem for colleges and universities, blurring the line between cyberattacks, fraud, misinformation and student harm. Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated voice clones and fabricated media are used to impersonate university leaders, manipulate employees into transferring funds and steal credentials through increasingly convincing social engineering attacks. Students and faculty are confronting a growing wave of manipulated audio, images and video used for harassment, reputational damage and disinformation. Click the banner below to…
Students increasingly judge institutions by the quality and feel of their learning environment: Do they feel innovative, aspirational, collaborative, modern and high-tech? Increasingly, IT leaders are asking questions akin to those of admissions offices more often now than they did even two years ago: does our campus environment look like the future our students are trying to get to? These questions used to be about residence halls and dining. Now they’re about the classroom and learning spaces. And the answers are having a direct impact on whether students choose to enroll, whether…
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how businesses operate, how students learn and how communities solve complex problems. From predictive analytics to generative design and autonomous systems, AI is becoming foundational to innovation across industries. What was once a competitive advantage is quickly becoming a baseline expectation. Recognizing this shift, the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Charleston created the AI Innovation Challenge to empower students to leverage AI in tackling real-world societal issues. This momentum is especially powerful among younger…
It’s not a matter of if, but when. This cybersecurity maxim is true for almost any organization, but it is especially true for higher education institutions. They are continuing to experience a significant uptick in attacks, numbering about 4,200 per week in 2026 across higher education institutions, according to Randy Rose, vice president of security operations and intelligence at the Center for Internet Security (CIS). “We’re holding steady for 2026, but that’s not necessarily a good thing,” says Rose. “Depending on who’s measuring it, higher education saw anywhere from a 20% to 40%…
Every board wants to know the AI plan, but AI readiness starts with a question most institutions haven't answered: is your data ready? Simply put, AI readiness starts with data readiness. You don’t build a house without a solid foundation. The stronger your data as your foundation is, the greater opportunity that you have to build, and we are all building right. Our goal is not to be static. Our goal is to help our organizations grow, be more effective for our students and achieve the outcomes that higher ed is there to provide. Click the below banner to explore building data governance…
In addition to CIOs establishing themselves as leaders when it comes to a unified data strategy and university leadership understanding that data governance is the foundation of AI readiness, there is a growing understanding that data governance is a required discipline, essential to data-centric transformation on campuses. However, there are other data considerations to be mindful of, as well. Click the banner below to explore how to build a foundation for scalable AI at your higher ed institution.
Earlier this year, an agentic artificial intelligence tool called Einstein caused an uproar in higher education. Einstein offered to log autonomously into the learning management system Canvas every day, watch lectures, write papers and submit homework on students’ behalf — without their professors knowing. Einstein exposed a core problem in higher education IT: There’s no reliable way to distinguish students from AI agents acting in their place on any major LMS. “The Einstein tool was a big wake-up call,” says Josh Callahan, CISO for California State University. “It echoes the…
Artificial intelligence promises big gains for faculty in higher education, including greater efficiencies and elevated learning outcomes. To realize the wins, professors need to get up to speed on the tools. While many are experimenting on their own, some institutions are taking steps to accelerate that learning. At Ventura College, a California community college, leaders recently stood up communities of practice around AI use. A CoP brings together individuals with a shared interest in a topic or technology; in this case, AI. The group then works together to learn more about the topic or…
“The premise that cybersecurity is a back-office or administrative expense and that something might not happen — that needs to be changed,” says Fadi Fadhil, field CIO and director of field strategy at Palo Alto Networks. “CISOs and CIOs can steer that change by engaging in simplified conversations with university leadership. It’s a strategic effort, helping them understand how the investment reduces institutional risk.” When it comes to budgeting for their cybersecurity programs, higher education CISOs must overcome some unique hurdles, ranging from the federated nature of university IT…
On any given Tuesday afternoon, a dean at Morgan State University can pull live enrollment trend data without submitting a ticket, waiting for a report or following up with the IT department. At most higher education institutions, that same request can take about three weeks. The difference isn’t the data platform, however. It’s how the historically Black college is prioritizing data literacy. Timothy Summers, vice president of IT and CIO at the Baltimore-based institution, is betting the university’s artificial intelligence strategy on employees’ ability to effectively interpret, question…
The landscape for specialized colleges and universities such as art schools is shifting as higher education continues to evolve to fit emerging job markets and student interest. Founded in 1882, Cleveland Institute of Art continuously challenges itself to stay modern and relevant. Years ago, the school’s leadership had the vision to partner with the city to revitalize an area due for reinvigoration. The result was the Interactive Media Lab, which brings together the university, the city and private industry into a satellite campus that gives students and the community a space to…