AI in Higher Education - October 7, 2026 | The Langenkamp Dictionary

October 7, 2026 · Vol. 35

A weekly brief for the Management Department, Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst. By Matthew D. Langenkamp / 雷邁德, prepared in collaboration with Thea 🪻✨.

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Executive Summary

Universities are clarifying how students may use AI while faculty reconsider the assignments through which they judge learning. This issue brings together advice on retaining research papers, DePaul Honors’ explanation of its AI policy, and discussion of faculty writing standards. Campus developments include new evidence on Canvas use, EDUCAUSE’s priorities for AI, and support for adult learners and career preparation.

Reading List

Research-paper assignments. In “How to Assign Research Papers Again”, Brendan Nyhan and Jeffrey A. Friedman address how to retain research papers when students have ready access to AI. (The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 29; article preview.) [1]
DePaul Honors explains its AI rules. A September 28 policy explainer describes which uses instructors may permit and requires students to disclose AI assistance, including permitted use. The Honors Program adopted the underlying policy in February; the new explainer emphasizes the learning involved in reading, research, and writing. [2]
Faculty use of AI in writing. A Chronicle survey article reports that most respondents had not used AI to write but considered limited use acceptable. (The Chronicle of Higher Education; headline and preview only, survey methods not reviewed.) [3]
Standards for faculty and administrators. The Chronicle podcast “The AI Police Are Coming for Everybody” asks whether faculty and administrators can meet the standards set for students, drawing on the Dartmouth provost controversy. (Episode description; audio not reviewed.) [4]
What Canvas usage records show. Inside Higher Ed’s September 30 report covers Instructure’s finding that no dedicated AI tool reached the top 100 external Canvas integrations among roughly 19.5 million U.S. users. The data cover September 2025–April 2026 and exclude chatbot use outside those integrations. [5]
Connecting AI to campus systems. Microsoft’s September blog post describes its approach to connecting campus data and workflows, citing CSU San Marcos, Miami Dade College, and the University of Kentucky. The examples and claimed benefits come from Microsoft. [6]
EDUCAUSE puts AI’s value first. Inside Higher Ed’s October 5 coverage reports that “Determining where AI adds real value” leads the 2027 EDUCAUSE Top 10. The list identifies institutional priorities, including responsible AI use and data governance. [7]
Adult learners and career preparation. Google.org’s September 30 announcement describes support for educator development across 30 universities, studies of career-connected learning, and community-college planning. These are planned activities; the announcement reports no learning outcomes. [8]

Selected Articles

DePaul Honors: explaining the policy

DePaul’s Honors Program published a policy explainer on September 28 with a linked FAQ. It explains why reading, research, and writing belong in the learning process and restricts AI uses that bypass that work. Instructors determine permitted uses; the policy requires students to disclose the tools they use and their purposes, including permitted assistance. The underlying policy was approved in February 2026. September’s development was the new explanation and supporting resource, not adoption of a university-wide rule. [2, 9]

The materials also show how the program applies disclosure to its own work. The announcement acknowledges Claude-assisted proofreading, and the FAQ acknowledges assistance with design and text while stating that AI did not draft the policy. The policy says nondisclosure will be reported to the Academic Integrity Board; a referral is not itself a finding of misconduct. [2, 9]

Canvas: what the usage data capture

Instructure’s first higher-education EdTech Top 40 report examined de-identified activity from roughly 19.5 million U.S. Canvas users between September 2025 and April 2026. No dedicated AI tool appeared among the top 100 external integrations. Google Gemini, the most widely used dedicated AI tool in the analysis, reached about 88,000 users at 211 institutions. These records exclude standalone chatbot use and do not describe adoption this fall. [5, 10]

The report also examined documentation for the Top 40 tools. Instructure found that 90 percent had publicly available accessibility conformance templates, while 43 percent had research beyond customer case studies. These figures cover all Top 40 tools, not an AI-only sample. The research measure records the presence of studies; it does not establish their quality or demonstrate improved learning. [10]

EDUCAUSE: deciding where AI belongs

“Determining where AI adds real value” heads the 2027 EDUCAUSE Top 10, unveiled at its annual conference. Inside Higher Ed reports that this is the first AI-related issue to lead the list. The selection process combined leadership interviews, expert-panel recommendations, and a survey of 882 technology leaders across hundreds of institutions. Other priorities include responsible AI structures, data governance, and preparing students for a volatile world. [7]

EDUCAUSE’s Mark McCormack described the ranking as a sign of urgency rather than consensus. The list identifies questions institutions need to resolve; it is not an evaluation of particular teaching tools. [7]

Adult learners and career preparation

Google.org’s September 30 announcement describes support for the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, working with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and for Education Design Lab. The Urban Adult Learner Institute will incorporate AI-related lessons and Grow with Google resources into professional development for faculty, advisers, and other practitioners. Educators across 30 universities are expected to test the methods. [8]

A separate career-connected learning project will study 10 models at member institutions over 15 months and publish case studies. Education Design Lab’s work includes five community colleges launching redesign plans and a national competition planned for early 2027 to select a state-level system for a two-year initiative. These are announced activities; the account reports no gains in learning, retention, or employment. [8]

What This Means for Isenberg

The research-paper article and DePaul’s explainer are the most relevant starting points for our courses. When revising a case analysis or research assignment, we should specify which intellectual work students must do themselves, where AI assistance is permitted, and how they should acknowledge it. A short explanation of a source choice or recommendation could help us assess their reasoning. We should also make the purpose of these requirements clear, so students understand how the work develops their judgment.

Notes and Sources

Numbered citations refer to the entries below. Sources were consulted October 2 or October 7, 2026; “n.d.” indicates an unverified publication date.

Nyhan, Brendan, and Jeffrey A. Friedman. “How to Assign Research Papers Again.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 29, 2026. Source. Article preview only; full text unavailable.
DePaul University Honors Program. “Honors AI Policy.” September 28, 2026. Source. Explainer for a policy approved in February 2026.
The Chronicle of Higher Education. “Most Academics Haven’t Used AI to Write but Think Limited Use Is Okay, Chronicle Survey Finds.” n.d. Source. Indexed October 1, 2026; publication date not independently verified. Headline and preview only; survey methods not reviewed.
The Chronicle of Higher Education. “The AI Police Are Coming for Everybody.” College Matters from The Chronicle, podcast episode, n.d. Source. Indexed October 1, 2026; episode date not independently verified. Description only; audio not reviewed.
Inside Higher Ed. “Higher Ed’s AI Integration Overhyped, New Data Shows.” September 30, 2026. Source.
Microsoft Education. “Higher Education’s AI Advantage Is the Intelligence Institutions Already Hold.” September 2026. Source. Indexed September 29; exact publication day not verified. Vendor account.
Inside Higher Ed. “Higher Ed Tech Officers Navigating ‘Age of Perpetual Change.’” October 5, 2026. Source. Reporting used because the linked EDUCAUSE primary page was inaccessible.
Google.org. “Supporting AI Readiness in Higher Education.” September 30, 2026. Source. Funder announcement; date corroborated by its RSS listing.
DePaul University Honors Program. “Honors AI Policy FAQ.” n.d. Source. Linked from the September 28 announcement.
Instructure. “Instructure Launches First EdTech Top 40 for Higher Education, Finds Dedicated AI Tools Outside the Top 100.” Press release, PR Newswire, September 29, 2026. Source. Release date corroborated by Inside Higher Ed; extracted release omitted its dateline.

Prepared collaboratively by Matthew and Thea.

All issues are available at langenkamp.io/other-writing.