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Leadership guide/Boards & trustees

Boards & trustees

Ask for assurance that means something.

Focus oversight on institutional purpose, accountable decisions and evidence that safeguards work. Use the institution’s governing authority and established reporting arrangements.

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In this guideYour responsibilitiesTen oversight questionsRelated decisionsDownload PDF→

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The work to lead.

The board’s work

Set expectations for responsible institutional direction. Ask management to account for consequential uses, risks, learning outcomes and the resources needed to meet commitments. Confirm what requires board approval under institutional and system rules. Leave operational approval with the properly authorized people.

The assurance to request

Request a short account of significant deployments, their owners and purpose; unresolved risks and incidents; evidence of effective human review and access; and the decisions, resources or policy changes requiring board attention. Avoid a presentation that substitutes the number of tools or training participants for evidence of responsible use.

A productive board discussion

Begin with one consequential campus case. Ask who decides, what information is involved, how a person can challenge the outcome and what would cause leadership to stop the use. Then examine whether the institution’s governance arrangements can answer those questions consistently.

For the next board discussion

Ten questions worth asking.

What institutional purpose are we advancing?

1. Ask for a clear connection to learning, student opportunity, service quality or another mission outcome. Explore the decision.

Who is accountable for significant uses?

1. Expect named executive and service owners, with a clear distinction between recommendations and approvals. Explore the decision.

Where does AI influence consequential decisions?

1. Ask which uses affect access, academic standing, financial support, employment or comparable interests. Explore the decision.

What protects the information entrusted to us?

1. Expect assurance about approved information flows, vendor arrangements, access and incident response. Explore the decision.

Can a person obtain an explanation or correction?

1. Ask leadership to demonstrate a usable human route, including for difficult and exceptional cases. Explore the decision.

Are we preserving and improving learning?

1. Look for evidence of student understanding and performance, including independent capabilities. Explore the decision.

Who could be excluded or disadvantaged?

1. Ask about accessibility, costs, support, language and patterns of unequal outcomes. Explore the decision.

Are people prepared for their responsibilities?

1. Expect preparation and evidence of readiness matched to the work, not just training attendance. Explore the decision.

What remains unresolved?

1. Request an honest account of significant uncertainties, incidents, limitations and decisions needing attention. Explore the decision.

What will cause us to change course?

1. Expect monitoring, review triggers, time-limited exceptions and authority to restrict or retire a use. Explore the decision.

Take the next decision.

Purpose & institutional valueWhat should AI help your institution accomplish?→Governance & institutional authorityWho recommends, who decides and who remains accountable?→Human judgment & automated actionWhen may AI assist, recommend or act?→Monitoring & policy renewalWhat should trigger a new decision?→