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Risepoint is an education technology company who partners with universities to develop, launch and grow their high-quality, affordable, workforce-relevant online programs so that more students can access education, advance their careers, and meet employer and community needs.

Topics and Insights

Participants engaged in several collaborative planning activities focused around two critical topics:

Online Course Quality

Participants delved into the topic of Online Course Quality extensively, and identified over 100 elements of online course quality, centered on four themes: clear and aligned course design, strong teaching presence, engaging and applied learning, and academic rigor.

The key message from academic leadership was that quality is a shared responsibility.

The activity surfaced an unevenness between faculty responsibilities and other stakeholders, which could open the door for more conversation about how CITL and other stakeholder groups can better support faculty and help them save valuable time.

AI in Every Program

Through a structured activity, participants generated over 140 insights. Opportunities include efficiency, enhanced learning, curriculum innovation, and workforce alignment, while key challenges focus on faculty readiness, academic integrity, and lack of clear guidance. The discussion highlighted that AI adoption is primarily a change management challenge with faculty, not just a technology one.

Program leadership is generally on board with the AI in Every Program initiative, but will require future support from administration and CITL in change conversations with their faculty members, establishing discipline specific guidance, and training their faculty on the how, what, and why of AI.

Online Course Quality

During the session, participants first reflected individually on what defines a high-quality online course, then collaborated in small groups to organize those elements into “swim lanes” of ownership. The activity surfaced shared priorities and areas of ambiguity, helping clarify how different roles contribute to course quality.

Across the activity, participants identified over 100 distinct elements that contribute to a high-quality online course. This level of detail shared reflects both the complexity of course quality and ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ’s shared commitment to delivering strong student experiences. 

So what does "online course quality" mean to ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ?

Who "owns" online course quality at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ?

Through small group discussion, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ leaders identified areas of ownership when it comes to quality. Through discussion, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ leadership identified that quality is not owned by any one role, it is the result of coordinated efforts across the entire organization.

Faculty

CITL

Chairs & Deans

Administration

What’s next for online course quality?

One of the most valuable outcomes of this exercise is identifying where ownership is not yet clear. As a next step, we encourage participants to reflect on where ownership felt unclear during the activity.

Where did responsibilities overlap? Where did it feel like “it depends”?

These moments of friction are often where course quality becomes inconsistent. Identifying these moments and discussing them with colleagues and leadership is a critical step toward building clearer ownership and more consistent student experiences. 

AI in Every Program

During the session, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ leadership engaged in a structured “Rose, Thorn, Bud” activity to explore the implications of integrating AI into every program.

Individually, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ participants identified:

• Thorns: potential challenges or points of friction if AI is implemented without thoughtful support
• Roses: areas where AI aligns with existing changes in their discipline
• Buds: opportunities to integrate AI into programs moving forward

Participants then shared and discussed their ideas in small groups, which were later clustered into themes to highlight zones of alignment, risk, and opportunity.

What did we hear?

Across the activity, participants identified over 140 roses, thorns, and buds, highlighting the complexity of thoughtful AI integration. 

Key Opportunities/Successes (Roses & Buds)

• Efficiency & productivity (time savings, automation, faster analysis)
• Enhanced learning (personalization, engagement, applied experiences)
• Curriculum innovation (new programs, course redesign, discipline integration)
• Workforce alignment (AI fluency, market readiness)
• Faculty support (content creation, teaching support, new pedagogy) 

Key Friction Areas (Thorns)

• Faculty readiness & buy-in (resistance, lack of training, unclear role)
• Academic integrity (cheating, misuse)
• Student learning risks (reduced critical thinking, overreliance on AI)
• Ethics & reputation (accuracy, privacy, professional impact)
• Confusion on where to start (policies, implementation guidance) 

What's next for AI in Every Program

As with our Online Course Quality activities, this exercise has shown us that clarity regarding expectations is critical.

Attendees should prioritize exploring how AI is shaping the careers within their subject matter and identify ways to enhance (not replace) critical thinking with AI, as well as engaging in conversations to clarify expectations, surface concerns, and share emerging practices.

In contrast, the CITL and Administration should provide guardrails to support faculty by defining expectations, assisting academic leadership in navigating difficult conversations with faculty, and addressing academic integrity, ethics, and appropriate use of AI.

It's integral that faculty are provided training, resources, and examples of effective practice. We must create a space for experimentation and identify early adopters and pilot opportunities to pressure test and inspire.