2026 Next-Generation Strategy Development Challenge

Scenario

Brightheart College (BC) is a small liberal arts college outside a large urban center. BC has a current and relatively stable enrollment of 3,000 students, with 90% of those being undergraduates and the remaining in a handful of masters programs. International students, both visiting and degree-seeking, represent about 5% of the total student population; most international students are degree-seeking as BC has only a few active exchange programs. Approximately 25% of domestic BC students study abroad, with most students going abroad through third-party providers or faculty-led programs. The BC Global Engagement Office (GEO) team has staff and faculty representing all facets of international education (all 5 NAFSA knowledge communities):

• Mobility programs for students and scholars, both inbound and outbound
• Intensive English Institute (includes adjunct academic staff)
• International Student Services
• Global Learning Across the (Co)Curriculum
• Cross-cultural and community integration programs

[Participants will act as the GEO team for the challenge.]

BC’s Board of Directors and executive leadership have recognized the potential and risks of AI and have tasked all units to draft a plan for how AI may be integrated into their work. The ultimate goal of this exercise is to discover actionable areas where AI may be successfully implemented; identify areas of risk and potential negative impacts to students, faculty, and staff; and create policies and procedures that ensure that AI will be ethically and equitably employed throughout BC. The Board and executive leadership have flagged that any adoption of AI must 1) clearly protect student data and 2) interact ethically with all users.

The Board are interested in a number of issues that will guide BC's adoption of AI. Some considerations they have identified for units:

• How might AI affect student learning?
• What impacts is AI expected to have on the work of faculty and staff?
• What are reasonable parameters for the appropriate use of AI?
• What protections exist for data privacy and the ethical use of AI?
• How can departments ensure programs are unique to BC, even when sourcing or reframing ideas or content through AI?

In addition to the Board and executive leadership’s charge, the Vice President for Academic Affairs has subsequently emphasized that AI’s inclusion in any Academic Affairs unit programming must demonstrate a clear potential to 1) positively affect student learning, 2) enhance student services, and 3) improve staff efficiency and morale. The Vice President has stressed that AI should not, at this early stage, be used to eliminate current staffing positions but rather be used to advance these three goals and, by so doing, allow each unit’s administration and leadership to focus on more significant strategic priorities to advance BC’s overarching mission.

Team Task: 10-minute Group Presentation to the Board

As a GEO team, prepare and give a 10-minute group PowerPoint presentation to the Board that includes:

• Perspectives that span the multiple domains of international education—education abroad, leadership, recruitment and enrollment, international student and scholar services, research, and teaching and learning
• A brief analysis of how you envision AI being used by the GEO team and in the international education arena.
• A set of guidelines or principles that could comprise an AI use statement for GEO
• Detailed protocol for determining success for all planned initiatives

Teams should consider what information will best serve to make the case and gain support from the Board.

Read the full scenario.

• The winning team will be recognized at the conference by the judging panel and the TLS KC.
• The TLS KC will also hold an open virtual event in the summer/autumn of 2026 to highlight the winning team.