Challenge 5

Press Challenge – “Letter to the Editor: Regulating AI Use in Higher Education”

Letter to the Editor: 

Biggest Takeaway: 

Writing this letter helped me see how public advocacy connects classroom ideas to real-world action. It forced me to articulate concrete recommendations for AI regulation rather than only discussing ethics in theory. I learned that accessibility must be part of AI governance from the start, not added later as an afterthought. I also realized how public media, even at the campus level, can shape administrative awareness of issues like digital equity and responsible technology use.

Reflection Prompts:

• What did you learn about your issue from this challenge?
I learned that AI policy on campus is still scattered and unclear. When I tried to write the letter, I realized how many groups are affected in different ways, especially students who rely on assistive technology or language support. The issue isn’t just about cheating. It’s about fairness and access, and most students don’t know where the boundaries are.

• What was successful or least successful? Why?
The most successful part was putting my concerns into a direct message that students and administrators can understand. Writing it in a public format forced me to get to the point. The least successful part was trying to find existing policy language from the university. There isn’t much, which made the gap even clearer.

• What might you do differently?
I might talk to more students before writing the letter, especially students with disabilities or international students. Hearing their experiences would add more depth and show how the lack of AI guidance affects people differently.

• How will this challenge help you moving forward?
It showed me how public writing can push policy conversations forward. I’m usually quiet about these things, but this challenge made me practice speaking up in a structured way. It also made me more aware of how important clarity and accessibility are in any AI policy I help design in the future.

• What questions do you have after completing this challenge?
I’m still unsure how universities plan to update AI rules as tools evolve. I also wonder how they will balance academic integrity with accessibility and fairness. And I’m not sure who actually leads these decisions on campus. Could it be faculty, administration, or IT? Those are things I want to understand better.