Date of Conferral

8-5-2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Cassandra Woolard

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study was that faculty and administrators in higher education are not prepared to address the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) innovations in institutional policies and practices. The pace of advancement of GAI in higher education (HE) left institutions to determine policies and practices without industry best practices or guidelines established by accreditors or regulatory bodies. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of faculty and administrators at an online HE institution on how to respond to the emergence of GAI through institutional policies and practices. The theory supporting the study was Roger’s diffusion of innovations theory which applies to the adoption process of technology innovations. A basic qualitative design was employed using semistructured interviews with five faculty and five administrators from one online HE institution. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) the need for AI literacy training for students and faculty; (b) clear institutional policies describing expectations for the use of AI at the institution and in the research process; (c) the need for detailed academic integrity policy describing AI misconduct, plagiarism prevention, sanctions, and role responsibility; (4) the need to update assessment models to responsibly incorporate AI competencies and tools; and (5) implement practices to encourage the adoption of AI in HE. The study contributes to positive social change by recommending policies and practices that educate institutional stakeholders on the benefits, limitations, and ethics of using GAI, therefore preparing faculty to teach students to be ethical and responsible users of AI in the workplace.

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