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Student Defense Launches New Initiative to Develop Best Practices for AI in Higher Education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2025

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press@defendstudents.org
303-646-7816

 Student Defense Launches New Initiative to Develop Best Practices for AI in Higher Education

Washington, D.C. — The National Student Legal Defense Network (Student Defense) today launched the “Safeguarding Higher-Ed through AI Practices & Ethics (SHAPE) AI Initiative” to provide strategic guidance, policy recommendations, and educational resources that promote ethical, responsible, student-friendly, and transparent uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education.

Student Defense will convene an Advisory Committee of higher education leaders and experts on AI to develop guidance and best practices that can serve as resources for institutions across the country. The SHAPE AI Initiative will work to:

  • Develop Oversight Guidance: Analyze institutional governance structures for AI oversight across different universities.
  • Promote Access and Opportunity for All Learners: Ensure AI implementations do not exacerbate existing inequalities, and advocate for inclusive design and deployment practices impacting learners.
  • Encourage Transparency and Literacy: Offer guidance on how AI decisions can be made transparent and support building digital literacy around AI tools.
  • Propose Policies for Use of AI in Student Success Initiatives: Develop principles and best practices for AI use in recruitment, advising, and student support practices.

A kickoff for the initiative will be held in late October, where stakeholders will provide input and guidance on developing the content. The group will then develop a series of materials and policy guidance on how higher education institutions can best serve and protect students while utilizing AI for student recruitment, admissions, college success, access to benefits and basic needs, mental health services, and building AI literacy. 

AI adoption by higher education professionals doubled between October 2023 and 2024. Similarly, 86% of students who participated in a global survey by the Digital Education Council said they already use AI in their studies. Higher education institutions are already incorporating AI into financial aid and academic advising practices. The technology has also helped improve accessibility for students with disabilities, and assists teachers with grading and scheduling. 

“AI is already starting to play a transformative role in higher education. There will be plenty of opportunities to use it in positive ways, like expanding access to colleges and universities and ensuring students graduate on time. But there are also significant ethical concerns, particularly surrounding recruitment and enrollment, academic integrity, privacy, and discrimination,” said Student Defense President Aaron Ament. “The SHAPE AI Initiative will address these challenges head-on, and will tap into top experts to advise on how to best deploy responsible uses of AI in colleges and universities across the country.” 

The SHAPE AI Initiative’s advisory committee will consist of:

  • Mohamed Abdel-Kader: Founder & Principal, Radial Global Advisory; Former Chief Innovation Officer, USAID

  • Saanvi Arora: Executive Director, Youth Power Project; Governance Council Member, U.S. Student Association

  • Alvaro Bedoya: Former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission 

  • Jessie Brown: Executive Vice President, American Council on Education

  • Indivar Dutta-Gupta: CEO and Founder of Blue Lotus Strategies

  • Kemi Jona: Vice Provost for Online Education and Digital Innovation; University of Virginia

  • Mairead Jones-Kennelly: Senior Counsel; State University of New York and the AI Legal Institute at SUNY (ALIS)

  • James Kvaal: Former Undersecretary, U.S. Department of Education

  • Michael Meotti: Executive Director, Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)

  • Hironao Okahana: Managing Researcher and Chief of Planning and Impact, American Council on Education

  • Joy Silvern: Former Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Education 

  • Joya Wheatfall-Melvin: Student, Master of Science in Data Science for Public Policy, McCourt School of Public Policy

  • Sarah Zearfoss: Dean of Admissions; University of Michigan Law School

Advisors are participating in their individual expert capacity and not as official representatives of their employers.

About Student Defense

The National Student Legal Defense Network (Student Defense) is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that works to advance students’ rights to educational opportunity and ensure that higher education provides a launching point for economic mobility.