Changing the Face of Higher Education with ChatGPT

Joe Sabado, Deputy CIO, UC Santa Barbara

Joe Sabado, Deputy CIO, UC Santa Barbara

Joe Sabado brings a multifaceted background to his role as Deputy CIO at UC Santa Barbara. With years spent in the higher education IT sector, he values the importance of collaborative leadership and continuous learning. His responsibilities have touched on areas ranging from IT planning to financial strategy, and from project management to organizational development. While Sabado continues to explore ways to contribute meaningfully to the industry, he remains committed to fostering a culture of innovation and support within his current role.

Please share with our readers your career journey and current roles and responsibilities.

I currently hold the position of Deputy CIO at UC Santa Barbara. I have more than two decades of experience in the IT realm. In my career journey the majority of that time—24 years to be exact—has been dedicated to higher education specifically at UC Santa Barbara. I have been at the forefront of digital transformation initiatives and have dealt with challenges like disaster recovery which provided opportunities for IT to make a difference. I lead several teams including financial information services, enterprise application architecture, data services and business intelligence, application development, and student information services. In my portfolio are financial information systems, student information systems, electronic medical records, and other suites of administrative and student success applications. These applications cover both undergraduate and graduate education and administrative systems, including financial systems that are undergoing a shift to the Oracle Financial Cloud and the adoption of a cloud-based data platform. Beyond IT, a significant part of my role involves mentoring and advising marginalized and minoritized groups on-campus—students and staff who identify with the LGBTQIA community, are first-generation, or come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Being a leader, I recognize AI can be a powerful tool for inclusivity.

Can you share some of the impacts AI has over higher education?

I have witnessed a few major transformative cycles in my 27-year career in IT within higher education. Each time a new technology emerged, skepticism followed. When the web gained popularity in the '90s, questions arose—similar to the ones I'm hearing now about Chat GPT, ‘Why do we need it?’ What sets ChatGPT apart is its unprecedented adoption rate. I have tracked higher education institutions' responses over ChatGPT when it came out and it was negative due to the concerns around plagiarism and other unethical use of the tool. But now there is a shift in the response. Some of the universities have fully adopted it. For instance, the University of Michigan, the University of Notre Dame, and Arizona State University have established campus-wide strategies including established guidelines and resources for students, staff, and faculty in using ChatGPT and other Generative AI tools. More people started to see the value of ChatGPT and AI but has also raised questions about the traditional methods of teaching and assessments. In a conversation with a faculty, they mentioned that about 80 percent of one of their online exam questions could be answered by ChatGPT. This introduces considerations like oral exams, which, in turn, pose challenges for international students whose first language may not be English.

"The advent of ChatGPT and other AI technologies has the potential to streamline tasks, enabling us to focus more on higher-value work like strategic planning and relationship building."

What are some of the challenges higher education institutions had to combat with the rise of AI?

The use of AI is rising in higher education. With this rise, fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics are a huge concern. ChatGPT being currently the most well-known GenAI application has been trained on an enormous collection of text data to develop an understanding of the patterns and structures of human language. This opens a channel for the loss of sensitive data like student records, research data, financial information, or intellectual property that can damage reputation and trust among students, faculty, staff, alums, donors, and partners. As a result, Chat GPT must be utilized responsibly. This includes how to employ Chat GPT in a manner that ensures safety for end users and institutions. How to not harm institutions and align with the mission and values of the university.

What according to you are some of the measures that can be adopted by educational institutions to combat these challenges?

In integrating technologies like ChatGPT into higher education, it's crucial to understand the roles of flexibility—in course design, for example—and adaptability—in response to fast-changing tech landscapes. Any technology we adopt should not just be a new tool but should align deeply with the university's core mission, affecting the community meaningfully. As leaders, maintaining an open mindset and a willingness to experiment is as essential as conducting risk assessments and evaluating ethical implications. Even if personal opinions vary, being informed and leading open dialogues is critical. A cohesive and unified strategy is essential to prevent confusion and misinformation at the department or campus level. This strategy should be developed in consultation with a diverse group, including faculty, students, and administrative staff, ensuring that we are truly representative in our approach.

How do you envision the future of education space with the integration of AI?

I think personalized learning and micro-credentials in higher education are placing the traditional credit-hour model under scrutiny. This shift equips students with expanded opportunities for both academic and career advancement. Enter ChatGPT—a technology that not only has the potential to fast-track this transition towards personalized learning but also to challenge long-held beliefs about lifelong education. It compels us to reevaluate the role of instructors and traditional teaching methods, catalyzing redefinition.

What is your piece of advice to your fellow peers?

Two guiding principles stand out when considering the adoption of ChatGPT in higher education: be mission-driven and people-focused.

Mission-Driven Approach: When integrating Chat GPT, deeply question its alignment with the university's mission, whether that's in research, teaching and learning, or public service.

People-Focused Strategy: The human element must remain central throughout any technological adoption. Consider ChatGPT's impact on its users, students, faculty, staff, and developers.

Additionally, the advent of Chat GPT and other AI technologies has the potential to streamline tasks, enabling us to focus more on higher-value work like strategic planning or in-depth research.

Lastly, as a leader, maintaining curiosity and engaging in open dialogues about these technologies is essential.