About the Alma Mater University Institute

The institutions and individuals behind eUniv shared a common bond: extensive experience in the creation and management of university centers, as well as in innovating teaching methodologies and developing technologies for higher education. This motivated the strategic creation of the IUAM: to establish an academic center dedicated to promoting research on the university institution from all social sciences disciplines. This initiative fills a historical gap across Catalan-speaking universities. The Layret Foundation, which sponsors eUniv, supports and finances IUAM’s activities.

About Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra

Sant Julià de Lòria is the southernmost parish of the Principality of Andorra, bordering Andorra la Vella to the north and Spain to the south.

It stands as Andorra’s first university city, offering a unique and enriching academic experience. Surrounded by majestic mountains, this vibrant community fosters an ideal environment for academic activities.

AI Challenges in Higher Education: Addressing Faculty Concerns

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education, opening new opportunities but also presenting major challenges for faculty. Effective implementation requires in-depth analysis of educators’ concerns—particularly regarding job security, evolving roles, and the need to acquire new skills.

This forum, titled “Challenges of AI in Higher Education: Addressing Faculty Concerns”, aims to provide a space for reflection and dialogue on how institutions can proactively address these challenges. Discussions will focus on investing in targeted training programs for educators and integrating AI into teaching without compromising pedagogical value or the vital role of faculty.

Among the key concerns facing faculty and academic institutions are the following: 

• Job security and redefinition of the teaching role: The integration of AI into education may create uncertainty about the future of teaching staff, particularly regarding their traditional roles and the need to acquire new technological competencies. It is essential to examine how AI can complement the work of faculty without dehumanizing the educational process.
• Faculty training and adaptation: Many instructors lack adequate training to effectively use AI in their teaching. A lack of digital skills and resistance to change may hinder the adoption of these technologies. Specific training programs are needed to enable faculty to integrate AI with confidence and sound pedagogical judgment.
• Ethics and responsible use of AI: The increasing availability of AI tools raises concerns about academic plagiarism, transparency in assessment, and the potential overreliance on such technologies by students. Clear regulations must be established to govern AI use and promote a culture of responsible implementation.
• Digital divide and unequal access: Not all students and faculty have equal access to the necessary technology and training to utilize AI. This can lead to inequalities in the educational experience and make large-scale implementation more difficult.
• Data protection and privacy: The use of AI tools involves collecting and analyzing large volumes of student data, raising concerns about privacy and security. Mechanisms must be established to ensure the ethical and legal use of personal information.
• Impact on learning quality: While AI can support education, there is a risk of losing human interaction and hindering the development of essential skills such as critical thinking and creativity. It is crucial to strike a balance between AI use and the active presence of teachers in the educational process.

Research Forum Format

• Hybrid format: The forum will be held in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation. This ensures maximum accessibility and inclusion for researchers worldwide.

• Languages: Communications will be accepted in Catalan, Spanish, and English. This multilingual approach will foster broader participation and encourage intercultural exchange.

• Presentation and discussion: Presenters will have exactly 15 minutes to present their research findings. Each presentation will be followed by a 15-minute Q&A session to facilitate discussion among participants.

• Conference proceedings: All papers accepted for presentation at the forum will be published in the conference proceedings. This will ensure wide dissemination and accessibility of the research within the academic community.

• Schedule: The forum presentation schedule will be published well in advance to allow for proper planning.

Call for Papers

This research forum invites submissions from scholars exploring the multifaceted ways in which AI is being integrated into university classrooms, both physical and virtual. As AI continues to evolve and become more sophisticated, its potential to revolutionize teaching and learning is undeniable. The forum aims to provide a platform for researchers to share their ideas, findings, and experiences related to the role of AI in higher education classrooms. Illustrative topics and questions include:

1. Impact of AI on Teaching Roles 

Transformation of the Teacher’s Role

With the introduction of AI in higher education, the teacher’s role is undergoing significant change. No longer just a transmitter of knowledge, the teacher becomes a facilitator of technology-assisted learning. AI systems can provide personalized content, suggest learning resources, and even answer students’ questions. This requires educators to redefine their role, placing greater emphasis on critical thinking, monitoring the learning process, and integrating digital tools into their teaching methodology.

Job Security and AI

One of the main concerns among faculty is whether AI might reduce the need for human teachers. While AI can automate certain tasks, such as grading and answering frequently asked questions, human interaction remains essential in education. This debate could explore to what extent AI complements or replaces certain teaching functions and how institutions can manage this transition to ensure job continuity and stability for educators.

 Ethics and AI in Teaching

The use of AI in education raises important ethical challenges. For instance, if students use AI to generate assignments and automatic responses, how can we ensure genuine learning is taking place? Additionally, if AI systems make pedagogical decisions, who is responsible for potential errors? This topic allows for an analysis of the teacher’s role in overseeing these tools and the need for clear ethical and regulatory guidelines.

2. Faculty Training and Adaptation

Digital Competencies and AI 

Adopting AI requires faculty to develop new technological skills. Beyond understanding how AI tools function, educators must know how to integrate them pedagogically. These competencies include interpreting AI-generated data, basic programming of some tools, and the ability to discern when and how to use AI to enhance learning without over-relying on it.

Training Programs for Teachers

To enable educators to use AI efficiently, universities must offer specialized training programs. These could include workshops on using AI tools in lesson planning, courses on data analysis for adapting teaching strategies, and seminars on the risks and opportunities of AI in education. A forum like this can serve to share experiences and best practices in the field. 

Resistance to Change and AI

Many teachers may feel overwhelmed by the speed at which AI is being introduced into education and may have doubts about its effectiveness or their own ability to adapt. This discussion could address strategies to reduce this resistance, such as showcasing success stories, providing institutional support, and fostering a culture of open and collaborative innovation.

3. Use of AI in Teaching and Learning

AI as a Pedagogical Support Tool

AI has the potential to help teachers personalize learning for each student. Through adaptive systems, specific difficulties can be identified and resources tailored to individual needs can be provided. Additionally, AI can enhance the learning experience through tools such as virtual tutors or personalized content recommendation systems.

 Automated Assessment and Instant Feedback

AI tools can automatically grade exams and provide detailed feedback to students, helping them improve more quickly and effectively. However, there are challenges, such as the lack of human judgment in grading creative work and the possibility of bias in assessment algorithms.

Virtual Tutors and AI Assistants

Virtual tutors can assist students with questions at any time, reducing the workload on faculty and improving access to academic support. However, it is important to set boundaries to ensure these tutors do not replace human interaction and that their use is supervised by educators.

4. Ethical and Regulatory Considerations

Plagiarism and Misuse of AI by Students

AI tools can generate texts and automatic responses, raising concerns about the authenticity of student work. This debate could explore strategies for detecting misuse of AI, as well as educating students on the ethical use of these technologies.

Digital Divide and AI

Not all students have the same access to technology and training needed to use AI effectively. This can lead to learning inequalities and widen the digital gap between students with more or fewer resources. This forum could discuss strategies to ensure equitable access to these tools.

Data Protection and Privacy

The use of AI tools in education involves collecting large amounts of student data. This discussion could focus on how to ensure such data is managed securely and ethically, in compliance with data protection regulations.

5. Institutional Perspectives and Implementation Strategies

AI and Educational Innovation

Higher education institutions must adopt a clear strategy to integrate AI into their educational models. This includes investing in technology, training faculty, and defining a regulatory framework for its use.

 AI Usage Policies in Universities and Educational Centers

Each institution should establish clear rules on how and when AI can be used in teaching and assessment. These policies might include guidelines on the use of generative tools, detection of AI-assisted plagiarism, and monitoring its impact on educational quality.

 Examples of Good Practices

To conclude, this debate could include success stories from universities that have effectively implemented AI in their educational systems. Sharing these experiences could help other institutions adopt similar strategies successfully.

Submission of Documents

• Deadline: Papers must be submitted by September 30, 2025.

Submissions must be written in Catalan, Spanish, or English. All documents should be sent in Word format, using Times New Roman, 12-point font, and single spacing. Submissions should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words. Papers must be submitted by email to:

Presentations must be original, unpublished works that have not been submitted elsewhere. All submissions will undergo peer review to assess relevance, originality, technical quality, and presentation prior to being published in the open-access conference proceedings. This review process ensures clarity while maintaining an appropriate academic tone for a university-level research forum announcement.