Building AI in Higher Ed With HBCU Students, Not Around Them

UNITE, AI, and the Opportunity Ahead

Recently, I found myself in back-to-back moments that captured just how quickly the AI conversation is accelerating in higher ed, and how urgent it is to ensure the process includes and reflects the needs of all students.

The first was at UNCF UNITE 2025, where I joined leaders who believe that supporting HBCUs is essential to advancing higher education for all and co-led the session Empowering Student Success with AI: Insights, Innovation, and Equity. The second came on the same day as my presentation, when the U.S. Department of Education released a Dear Colleague Letter, signaling federal support for using AI to improve student outcomes.

These two moments, one grounded in student voice and the other in federal policy, connected powerfully. The message was clear: AI isn’t coming. It’s here. And we can’t afford to build around Black learners. We have to build with them.

What HBCU Students Are Telling Us

In our session, we shared findings from two key reports:

• The Shift Ahead Report, a collaboration between Ellucian, UNCF, and Huston-Tillotson University, explores how students at HBCUs are engaging with AI (Coming Soon)
  
  
• The Ellucian Student Voice Report, a national survey of more than 1,500 learners, including high schoolers, college students, stop-outs, and opt-outs

One thing was clear in the data. HBCU students are already using AI to brainstorm, write, research, and organize their academic lives. They're not questioning whether AI belongs in higher education. They need institutions to move faster to support their use of it.

In fact, 98% of HBCU students surveyed say they’re already using AI tools, but many lack institutional infrastructure, guidance, or instruction on how to use them responsibly and effectively.

An Impactful Moment

One of the most powerful moments of the session came when a student from Tougaloo College chimed in on the conversation. She thoughtfully affirmed some of the findings in the data but also pushed back in a meaningful way.

She reminded the room that while many students are curious about AI, they also worry it could diminish opportunities for critical thinking. She emphasized that students want to engage deeply, not just efficiently, and that AI must be introduced in ways that empower, not replace, intellectual exploration.

Her perspective sparked a dialogue that continued well after the session, particularly around how HBCUs can integrate AI into coursework in a way that sharpens critical thought rather than shortcuts it. It was a needed reminder that true innovation isn’t just about expanding access to tools. It is just as much about how we design, teach, and implement them with care and intention.

Policy Meets Practice

The Dear Colleague Letter on Artificial Intelligence, released during UNITE, felt especially timely. It encourages institutions to use federal funds to:

• Develop adaptive AI-powered learning tools
  
  
• Expand access to personalized, high-quality content
  
  
• Build AI-enhanced tutoring and advising platforms
  
  
• Simplify complex processes like financial aid and course planning

This letter signals a shift. Innovation and student success can and must move forward together.

Taking Action

At Ellucian, we’re partnering with HBCUs and other mission-driven institutions to put AI to work for students in ways that are responsible and student-centered. That includes:

• Identifying and re-engaging students at risk of stopping out
  
  
• Supporting AI-powered degree planning
  
  
• Using predictive analytics to guide student outreach
  
  
• Automating complex workflows like registration and financial aid

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside HBCUs to apply AI in ways that directly support student success.

Let’s Not Miss This Moment

We have the data, the tools, and now the funding.

If you're ready to learn more about how HBCU students are engaging with AI and what they need next, join the waitlist to receive The Shift Ahead Report.

Let’s ensure HBCUs are not just included but leading.