Using AI to Reimagine Pedagogy and the Educational Experience

To build that strategy, Rubin says Syracuse approaches AI and data-driven decision-making through a three-layer approach: connectivity, data, and AI. “Oftentimes, to collect the right data, you need the right connectivity. And to do anything with AI, you need the data. Back in 2021, when I first started with the Chancellor, I helped build a partnership with a local company, JMA Wireless, and we created the nation’s largest private wireless network in higher education, arguably one of the largest private networks anywhere in the U.S. We weren’t exactly sure of all the use cases at the time, but we wanted Syracuse to be the most connected campus, and that connectivity can’t just be measured by the number of Wi-Fi access points or proximity to cell towers. With private wireless, we control the connectivity in ways that open up entirely new possibilities.

“Once we had all this connectivity, we asked, what can we do with it? One of the Chancellor and CFO’s priorities was space and occupancy. Syracuse has over nine million square feet of space, including offices, classrooms, and conference rooms, and we didn’t have a way to measure how it was being used. So, we took both a macro and micro approach. On the macro side, we use our 5,000-plus Juniper Wi-Fi access points and a cloud-to-cloud solution with a vendor called Lambent Technologies. They take all the device data from the Wi-Fi network and create dashboards where I can look at any building and see occupancy trends. We began to identify areas on campus that were completely underutilized, similar to how Disney tracks visitor paths in their parks to make operational decisions.

“For offices and conference rooms, where Wi-Fi coverage isn’t always present, we use thermal sensors. I have four in my own office, and they detect bodies, fully anonymized, and allow us to get granular data on who’s actually using the space. In a hotel-style office with six desks, we can see with about 95% accuracy if someone is sitting at a particular desk at any moment. That kind of detail gives us the ability to make informed decisions about how our campus space is used and optimized.”

Beyond building the infrastructure, Rubin says translating connectivity and data into actionable insights is important for improving operations, efficiency, and the student experience. “As we think about planning, design, and construction, we can answer questions like: Do we need more offices, more conference rooms, more classrooms? Are we using the space effectively? Second, we’re working on tying this data into our energy management system so we can heat and cool rooms based on occupancy or trends, rather than just turning everything on at 7:00 a.m. and off at 9:00 p.m. That saves money and energy. Third, there’s custodial work. We can now give actionable reports on what rooms actually need cleaning based on how many people were in them, rather than treating every occupied room the same.

“Fourth, there’s a safety component. Knowing where people are in buildings, whether in the middle of the night or the middle of the day, helps during incidents. And beyond that, we can see how people flow across campus, which can help optimize course scheduling. For example, we can make sure students aren’t ping-ponging across different parts of campus between classes. There’s so much usefulness in this data, and that’s just one real-world example. At EdgeCon, another CIO told me their president was also looking at space and occupancy. They had created an Excel sheet of all the rooms, hired a set of students, and had them check each room at different times of the day, marking occupancy manually in the sheet. That’s a lot of effort for data you can now capture automatically and in real time.”

Translating AI into Measurable Outcomes

To translate AI into practical, measurable outcomes, institutions must start with defining the “why” behind each initiative. “Institutions must begin by asking, why are we doing this?” says Rubin. “Everyone has a pet project, but what is the goal? That impact could be measured in a number of ways, by revenue, by reduced expenses, or by retention rates. Retention rates are huge in higher ed. Increasing retention by even 1% can mean millions of dollars of revenue. Then it’s a matter of taking a project, putting it into a strategy and execution plan, and making sure we’re measuring and achieving those goals. And if we’re not, we need to know when to move on.

“For example, course registration is a digital process, but it can be cumbersome. Students log into an interface, navigate thousands of courses, and may meet with an academic advisor, but no human can remember every course, requirement, or each student’s unique career goals. AI excels at managing that complexity. We can also better manage expectations. Parents and students often get frustrated when a student doesn’t get into a desired course, even though we already have the data to predict the likelihood of enrollment. By presenting this information day by day, almost like a gamified experience, students can see their probability of getting into each course, which reduces frustration by setting clear expectations.”

To personalize course registration, Rubin envisions a Netflix-style recommendation engine for course selection. “After students log in, the system knows who they are, what internships they’ve had, their career goals, what classes they’ve taken, and what they need to take. It recommends courses in a way similar to how Netflix suggests shows. Then a human advisor can have a conversation about choices, rather than doing all the transactional work. That's a measurable impact and could lower frustration and parent complaints, increase retention, and create efficiencies. This technology could even help reduce the number of advisors needed for transactional advising so they can focus on career and relational guidance.”

Integrating AI Across Campus

Syracuse recently announced a campuswide partnership to provide students, faculty, and staff with access to Claude for Education, a generative AI tool that integrates AI into teaching, learning, and campus administration. “A little over a year ago, we set a goal to be a leader in AI,” shares Rubin. “I felt it was important for us to have an enterprise license to give to every faculty, staff, and student on campus. There were a few reasons for this. From the faculty and staff standpoint, I was concerned about what people might be uploading to large language models, like budget files, HR data, or sensitive information that could pose risks. At the same time, some students were using multiple premium AI subscriptions, while others couldn’t afford any access. We wanted to create equitable access to technology.

“We also wanted to show that AI is going to be as important as Microsoft Office or the operating system itself. Some schools are still hesitant, saying they won’t allow AI or large language models. We wanted to take a different stance and embrace this technology. Initially, most AI providers quoted enterprise licenses that were prohibitively expensive. After careful negotiation, we identified a partner that fit our needs: Anthropic. We structured a one-year deal, which felt prudent given how fast this space is evolving. We weren’t just looking for a vendor, we were looking for a partner aligned with our mission, someone interested in reimagining pedagogy through AI. That alignment was crucial for us.”

After launching October 2025, week-over-week usage continues to increase across students, faculty, and staff. “About three-quarters of interactions include document analysis, not just text queries, showing real engagement,” notes Rubin. “It’s remarkable to see how AI is becoming part of our workflow. Claude is like my unpaid intern sitting beside me, helping us rethink how we work. Of course, this also requires education. Our students are generally adept, but faculty and staff need guidance on how to integrate AI responsibly and effectively into their workflows. Providing access is just the first step; building understanding and capability across the community is equally important.”