Pulse Check: Tales from a Community College AI Think Tank — Part 1

Mastering AI tools and techniques takes time. In this episode, we share how community colleges can become the region’s trusted AI onramp by offering accessible, mission-aligned AI literacy programming for students, employees, and community members. We’ll break down how to approach AI as a critical mindset rather than a technical skill set.  Learn about the values behind our AI model and the practical decisions that make it work. We’ll address the tensions and uncomfortable realities driving this work, including AI overreliance, academic integrity, and workforce disruption. Finally, we'll examine how AI literacy can support college goals and leave you with a guide to building an onramp for your community. Find out more about what Finger Lakes Community College is doing with AI at the FLX AI Hub.  Sources: HBR - AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity: https://hbr.org/2025/09/ai-generated-workslop-is-destroying-productivity MIT - The GenAI Divide STATE OF AI IN BUSINESS 2025: https://mlq.ai/media/quarterly_decks/v0.1_State_of_AI_in_Business_2025_Report.pdf Guest Names:  Debora Ortloff, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Assessment, FLCC Dave Ghidiu, Associate Professor of Computing Sciences, FLCC Guest Socials:  Debora: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deboraortloff Dave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveghidiu/ Guest Bios:  Debora Hinderliter Ortloff, Ph.D., is VP of Strategic Initiatives and Assessment at FLCC and co-leads our AI work.  She prides herself on being a leader who can facilitate change by serving as a thought partner and problem-solver, helping faculty and staff with great ideas and passion move forward towards innovation.  In our AI work, she also helps design training around AI for data, authentic assessment, and policy creation.  In addition to this work, Debora leads strategy at the College and consults extensively with the U.S. Department of Education.  She holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University Bloomington and lives with her husband and two sons in Canandaigua, NY.  Dave Ghidiu is an Assistant Professor of Computing Sciences at Finger Lakes Community College; he has spent more than two decades helping students and educators build confidence with technology. His work at FLCC's Center for Teaching and Learning has deepened his commitment to accessible, practical professional development - equipping faculty and staff with tools and strategies they can use immediately in their classrooms and workflows. In recent years, Dave has immersed himself in the world of artificial intelligence. He leads the AI Microcredential Program, serves as AI Strategist for the FLX AI Hub, and regularly delivers workshops, webinars, and keynote presentations to educators, healthcare professionals, and business leaders across Upstate New York. Guided by the philosophy that "you can't AI wrong," Dave is passionate about lowering the barrier to AI adoption and helping people at every skill level find their on-ramp to this transformative technology.   - - - -Connect With Our Host:Mallory Willsea https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/https://twitter.com/mallorywillseaAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.