Co-Creating AI Strategy in Higher Education
A design thinking approach to help institutions move from AI uncertainty to shared clarity, alignment, and action.
This work grew from our EDUCAUSE 2025 session and continues as an evolving model for campus leaders who want to build AI strategy collaboratively not in isolation.
What This Lab Is
Most institutions don’t struggle because they lack AI tools.
They struggle because they lack shared understanding.
This Lab is a structured, human-centered approach to building AI strategy through design thinking principles: empathy, iteration, prototyping, and testing. Instead of producing another static plan, participants build tangible tools, prototypes, and governance-ready ideas grounded in real campus realities.
This is strategy as a living process, not a document.
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Strategic Systems Thinking
Build data and decision-making structures that enable clarity, momentum, and sustainable change.
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Human-Centered AI
Design AI strategy that supports learners and educators starting with mission, not machinery.
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Design Thinking in Practice
Prototype. Test. Learn. Refine.
Move from debate to actionable solutions.
The Co-Creation Model
At the center of the work is a repeatable framework designed to scale. Institutions can engage through multiple formats depending on time, readiness, and desired outcomes.
The Hub
Co-Creating AI Strategy Lab
A facilitated experience that helps campus leaders align stakeholders, surface hidden tensions, and build actionable AI strategy prototypes rooted in empathy and mission.
The Co-Creation Model
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The Briefing (Webinar)
A high-impact session designed to introduce the model, build urgency, and share practical tools.
Typical format: 60–90 minutes
Best for: awareness + leadership alignment -
The Sprint (Half-Day Session)
A facilitated strategy sprint that moves teams from stakeholder tension to prioritized AI strategy opportunities.
Typical format: 3–4 hours
Best for: cabinet teams + cross-functional groups -
The Studio (Full-Day Workshop)
A full immersive experience based on the EDUCAUSE workshop model, including empathy mapping, ideation, prototyping, and testing.
Typical format: 6–8 hours
Best for: campus-wide momentum + tangible outputs -
The Cohort (Hybrid Program)
An asynchronous + synchronous lead-up to an in-person capstone. Designed for deeper engagement and implementation readiness.
Typical format: 2–4 weeks
Best for: institutions ready to operationalize strategy
What Participants Experience
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1. Grounding
Participants begin with a real institutional AI crisis scenario that surfaces tensions, assumptions, and competing priorities.
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2. Empathy Mapping
Teams generate nuanced stakeholder perspectives, including AI adopters and AI-resistant voices, to understand what’s really at stake.
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3. Ideation
Groups brainstorm strategic opportunities, then expand ideas using AI as a structured thinking partner.
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4. Prototyping
Instead of writing abstract strategy statements, participants build tangible tools and prototypes designed for real users.
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5. Testing & Refinement
Participants test prototypes through peer feedback and AI persona critique, then refine toward implementation-ready ideas.
What Participants Leave With
A shared definition of AI success aligned to institutional mission
Stakeholder-informed insights and pain points
A prioritized set of AI strategy opportunities
Prototype tools that can be tested immediately
Governance-ready discussion starters
A practical implementation roadmap and next-step commitments
Want to bring this to your campus?
We facilitate design thinking–based AI strategy sessions for cabinet teams, faculty groups, and cross-functional campus stakeholders. If your institution is navigating governance, adoption, or AI uncertainty, this process is designed to move you forward quickly and responsibly.
The Lab Team
Amy Tiberio
