Blog
August 20, 2026
AI is changing how colleges and universities teach, support students, and govern technology. In this VOICES conversation, Attain Partners Executive in Residence Jason Belland speaks with Anand Padmanabhan, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Fordham University, about keeping human judgment, dignity, and mission at the center of adoption.
Padmanabhan describes AI as a way to extend care, personalize learning, and create more room for human attention. At Fordham, the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, or care for the whole person, guides decisions about student support, mental health, belonging, and the experiences that still require trust and conversation.
Padmanabhan also explains why academic and administrative uses of AI require distinct strategies. Teaching and assessment raise different questions than service delivery, staffing, risk, and governance. Across both areas, he emphasizes shared governance, community dialogue, and institutional learning as colleges and universities reconsider authorship, expertise, student support, and their relationships with learners over time.
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