At the Fall 2026 Tech Tactics in Education conference, keynote speaker Derek Garrison, principal at Heritage High School in Vancouver, WA, reminded us that educators are entering the age of AI from very different starting lines — curious, cautious, resistant, overwhelmed, or already experimenting. For leaders, the challenge is helping people move from where they actually are. In this episode of the Campus Technology Insider podcast, we present the recording of Garrison's keynote address. He shares how he launched a small AI pilot group grounded in a Kaizen (incremental improvement) mindset, supported by a small grant, and structured around monthly "stories from the road."
00:00 Welcome and Setup
01:09 Keynote Begins
02:07 77 Starting Lines
03:01 Robot Race Metaphor
07:28 Complex Change Matrix
11:07 Mapping Teacher Mindsets
13:39 Kaizen Motorcycle Club
14:53 Stories from the Road
17:09 Mad Libs and PD Design
20:12 Big Three Connection
24:56 Protected Risk Leadership
27:34 Vision and Pivoting
29:22 Shared Language Handles
31:47 Closing Thanks
32:55 Podcast Sign Off
Resource links:
Music: Mixkit
Duration: 34 minutes
Transcript (coming soon)
In this episode of the Campus Technology Insider podcast, Rhea Kelly, editor-in-chief of Campus Technology, chats with Rob Coyle, product manager for digital credentials at 1EdTech, about his organization's recent reports on the digital credential ecosystem, including employer data needs and technical transport workflows into hiring systems. Coyle defines digital credentials as standardized, metadata-rich packages that make learning and employment data trusted, verifiable, and interoperable, distinguishing them from micro-credentials. He describes K–12 use cases for staff development and early workforce pipelines, and highlights barriers to adoption such as limited awareness, inconsistent data placement, and challenges moving credential data into HR and applicant tracking systems. The discussion covers AI's dual impact: helping analyze curriculum and define pathways while also increasing résumé noise, making verifiable credentials more valuable. Coyle urges higher education IT leaders to lead cross-stakeholder planning, start small with pilots, credential co-curricular learning, and avoid assumptions about how learners will use credentials over time.
00:00 Welcome and Introductions
00:37 What 1EdTech Does
01:38 Digital Credentials Explained
05:29 K12 Workforce Pipeline
07:03 Inside the New Reports
08:04 Employer Data Needs
11:05 Credential Transport Workflows
12:19 Barriers to Adoption
14:49 Consistency and Standards
17:08 AI Changes Hiring Signals
21:30 AI Skills And Literacy
23:33 IT Leaders Lead Strategy
28:09 Quick Wins for Learners
30:26 Design for Lifelong Use
31:47 Closing and Where to Listen
Resource links:
Music: Mixkit
Duration: 32 minutes
Transcript
In this episode of the Campus Technology Insider podcast, Rhea Kelly, editor-in-chief of Campus Technology, interviews Adam Dowrie, associate director of organization and planning at California State University, Sacramento, about how AI is affecting student housing operations. Dowery describes shifting enrollment patterns and Sacramento State’s upcoming live-on requirement starting fall 2026, which is prompting real-time planning for capacity and demand. He explains how Sacramento State is using AI to improve writing quality in e-mails and notes, surface student information quickly, reduce time spent navigating the system, and potentially automate tasks like check-ins, check-outs, packages, and visitor connections. Adoption is optional, success is currently focused on staff comfort and efficiency, and the goal is freeing time for more student-facing work.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:30 Adam’s Role at Sac State
01:48 Housing Challenges and Live-On Policy
04:16 AI Tools in Housing Ops
07:40 StarRez and AI Rollout
09:22 Workflow Changes with AI
12:08 AI Analytics and Forecasting
14:06 Change Management and Adoption
16:24 Measuring Success and Student Impact
19:34 Final Advice and Wrap Up
Music: Mixkit
Duration: 22 minutes
Transcript
In this episode of the Campus Technology Insider Podcast, we present the keynote from Jay James, cybersecurity operations manager at Auburn University, delivered at the May 2026 Tech Tactics in Education Conference. James argues that a widening gap in AI literacy is leaving students and workers unprepared as AI adoption accelerates, citing data on low training rates, rapid growth in AI-required roles, and major economic and cybersecurity impacts. He illustrates how Auburn's student-staffed Security Operations Center builds real AI-embedded experience through authentic tools, mentorship, failure tolerance, and consequential outcomes, highlighting a student project that improved phishing visibility and influenced leadership decisions. James outlines institutional readiness levels and calls for starting with practical use cases, building faculty development, and creating sustained industry feedback loops to produce AI-ready graduates.
00:00 Podcast Introduction
01:00 Keynote Roadmap
02:18 George Story Setup
04:22 Why Readiness Matters
06:12 Workforce Data Reality
10:12 AI Fluency Surge
14:55 Opportunity and Equity
17:10 Cybersecurity Skills Gap
20:22 Auburn SOC Model
22:32 George Phishing Dashboard
24:54 Five Ingredients for Success
29:08 Scaling Beyond Cybersecurity
30:58 Policy and National Strategy
33:24 Campus AI Versus Teaching
35:54 Readiness Levels Framework
37:37 Four Move Playbook
41:46 Closing Call to Action
46:00 Podcast Outro
Resource links:
Music: Mixkit
Duration: 47 minutes
Transcript
In this episode of the Campus Technology Insider podcast, Rhea Kelly, editor-in-chief of Campus Technology, speaks with Tirumala Rao Chimpiri, senior programmer analyst for enterprise applications & integrations at Stony Brook University, about CAIP-HE, a platform-agnostic reference framework for connecting insight, decision-making, and execution across enterprise environments. Chimpiri explains that organizations often invest in ERP, analytics, automation, integration, personalization, and AI, yet still struggle to turn insights into timely, coordinated action because these capabilities remain siloed and decision ownership and workflows are unclear. CAIP-HE focuses on four interdependent dimensions — cognitive automation, advanced analytics, integration and interoperability, and personalization — and is positioned as a leadership lens rather than a product or methodology. He recommends starting with a few high-impact scenarios, mapping the end-to-end flow from insight to execution, and addressing gaps through clearer governance, ownership, integration, and workflow design, noting that AI alone does not resolve decision flow or accountability.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:30 Tirumala Background and Motivation
02:23 What CAIP-HE Means
05:38 The Insight to Action Gap
07:06 How to Apply CAIP-HE
08:58 Why AI Alone Is Not Enough
10:44 Governance and Decision Rights
12:34 Common Modernization Mistakes
14:22 Key Takeaways for CIOs
15:54 Closing and Where to Listen
Resource links:
Music: Mixkit
Duration: 17 minutes
Transcript
In this episode of the Campus Technology Insider Podcast, Campus Technology Editor-in-Chief Rhea Kelly hosts Ed Skoudis, president of the SANS Technology Institute, to discuss how AI is reshaping cybersecurity and what it means for higher education. Skoudis says AI is now driving all five top emerging attack trends highlighted in SANS's RSAC keynote: increased zero-day exploits, expanded supply-chain risk, growing complexity in operational technology attacks, risks of irresponsible AI use in digital forensics and incident response, and the need to use AI defensively to keep pace with attackers' speed. He explains why higher ed is harder to defend due to diverse, open, cutting-edge environments and constrained budgets, and he recommends accelerated patching, AI-assisted incident response, rapid decision-making teams, frequent tabletop exercises, threat intelligence monitoring, and flexible AI workflows that can swap models as tools change.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:29 Ed Skoudis Background
01:00 Steampunk Office Tour
02:24 Antiques Meet IoT
03:25 AI Drives Attack Trends
05:01 Higher Ed Under Fire
05:49 Five AI Shaped Attacks
09:51 Lessons from Finance
12:05 Speeding Up Response
15:32 Training for AI Defense
18:00 AI Toolkit and Model Flexibility
22:01 Budget Priorities Patching First
25:39 Crystal Ball Rough Years Ahead
29:53 Zero Vulnerabilities Vision
31:22 Prepare with AI Strategy
34:16 Closing and Where to Listen
Resource links:
Music: Mixkit
Duration: 35 minutes
Transcript