AI@ACC Panel 3: AI@Work: Faculty and Industry Perspectives
AI@ACC Panel 3 featured Beth Vaughn, Gwen Holford, Lani Dame, and Jennifer Houlihan in a lively conversation about how AI is reshaping workforce expectations and the skills our students need next. Mentimeter responses highlighted critical thinking, adaptability, and communication as key strengths.
What AI@Work Means for the Classroom: Takeaways from Panel 3
At a recent AI@ACC panel, colleagues from across the college — workforce training, healthcare partnerships, instructional technology, and career development — sat down to talk honestly about AI and work. The conversation was candid, sometimes surprising, and really useful for anyone who teaches or supports learners here.
Here are some takeaways (and you can watch the whole panel here).
Employers aren’t waiting for us to catch up
Panelists Jennifer Houlihan, Beth Vaughn, Gwen Holford, and Lani Dame were consistent on one point: AI fluency is already an expectation in many workplaces. Organizations aren’t debating whether AI will change jobs — they’re actively redesigning workflows and looking for employees who can navigate that shift. Tasks like documentation, summarization, and research are changing fast. The human stuff like judgment, communication, and relationship-building isn’t going anywhere.
For those of us designing courses and learning experiences, that’s a meaningful signal.
Our colleagues are already using AI, too
A live Mentimeter poll during the session confirmed what many of us probably already suspected: most participants are already using AI tools regularly — for course development, lesson planning, writing, and pulling together information. This isn’t a future-tense issue. It’s happening in our offices and classrooms right now.
What should we prioritize? The audience was clear.
When participants were asked what higher education should focus on as AI reshapes work, the responses landed in a familiar place:
- Critical thinking and reasoning — ranked highest
- Ethical decision-making — a close second
- Technical AI skills — important, but not the whole picture
- Communication, adaptability, collaboration, and lifelong learning — still very much on the list
One framing from that I think is importatnt: the goal is AI-augmented people, not people replaced by AI. Students need to become strong communicators, sound decision-makers, and adaptable thinkers who can work alongside both human and AI collaborators.
The concerns are real, and worth designing around
Participants also shared genuine worries — and I think these deserve space in how we approach course design:
- Over-reliance on AI tools at the expense of real thinking
- Students outsourcing judgment rather than developing it
- Declining critical thinking and interpersonal skills
- Implementing AI without a clear sense of the problem it’s solving
- Bias and fairness in AI systems
These aren’t abstract concerns. They’re design challenges. How do we build learning experiences that use AI intentionally, while still helping students develop the thinking and judgment that AI can’t replace?
The skills haven’t changed — the stakes have
When the panel closed with a question about what will help students thrive, the room answered with: critical thinking, adaptability, communication, curiosity, resilience, and open-mindedness.
Sound familiar? These are the outcomes we’ve always cared about. AI is changing the tools and the context, but it hasn’t changed what it means to be a capable, thoughtful human being in the world.
That’s actually encouraging. It means the work we’re already doing matters — and we have a real opportunity to do it even more intentionally as AI becomes part of everyday learning and work.
View the session summary or watch the session recording to dive in deeper!
AI@ACC Panel Series is a four-part, cross-disciplinary, dialog-based conversation series developed through Austin Community College’s (ACC) participation in the AAC&U Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum. Grounded in national research, the series explores how artificial intelligence is shaping teaching, learning, assessment, and the future of work in higher education across teaching, support, and workforce roles.
Designed as a low-pressure entry point, this series centers real questions, lived experience, and diverse perspectives rather than tools, mandates, or hype. Ethical concerns, including bias, labor, environmental impact, and academic integrity, are acknowledged and respected throughout. No prior AI experience is expected. Questions and uncertainty are welcomed.
AI@ACC is a space for inquiry, not compliance. The series is exploratory and reflective rather than directive. While AI raises serious concerns, disengagement does not ultimately protect students. These conversations focus on helping educators and staff thoughtfully support students as they navigate evolving academic and workplace norms.