Most of the conversation around AI in higher education is focused on the classroom. But that’s not where the real impact is happening.
In this episode of Transformed, Higher Digital Co-founder and CEO Wayne Bovier sits down with Damian Clarke, VP of Technology at Alabama State University, to unpack where AI is actually creating value—and why so many institutions are looking in the wrong place.
With experience spanning CIO and Chief Data Officer roles, Damian brings a practical, inside-the-system view of how universities operate—and where things quietly break down.
This conversation centers on a simple shift: AI isn’t just a tool for teaching. It’s an operational force that exposes how institutions really function.
Damian walks through:
Why AI is driving the most value in operations—not academics
How siloed structures limit progress—even with the right tools in place
Why most prioritization models are reactive—and what that breaks over time
What it actually takes to move from experimentation to execution
Why small, targeted use cases outperform large-scale AI rollouts
How data alignment becomes the foundation for anything to work
What it means for CIOs to translate complexity into decisions leaders can act on
This episode reframes the conversation: the challenge isn’t adopting AI—it’s understanding where it fits, and whether the institution is structured to support it.
If you're working inside higher education and trying to make sense of where AI actually matters, this conversation will sharpen how you think about it.
Subscribe to Transformed for more conversations on how institutions are navigating real change—not just talking about it.
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