College presidents are dividing investment priorities for artificial intelligence between student‑facing pedagogy and operational efficiency. A higher‑education roundtable scheduled for November will feature SUNY, community college and private university presidents debating whether AI should first bolster teaching and learning or relieve administrative burdens like enrollment management and advising. Universities are also rethinking experiential learning in an AI era. Campus leaders argue that while AI can synthesize information and streamline workflows, empathy, human judgment and hands‑on beneficiary discovery remain central to mission‑driven experiential education. Several institutions are building phased AI roadmaps that align with governance and assessment frameworks. Expect institutions to pilot student‑centric AI tools in small, assessed deployments while scaling AI to free staff time in back‑office functions; trustees and faculty governance bodies will be key gatekeepers for adoption.