Half-Day Pre-Conference Experience | Limited to 50 Participants | Open Educational Resources Focus
PRE-CONFERENCE
HBCU Leadership for What's Now and What's Next in Artificial Intelligence (AI)
A half-day experience equipping HBCU educational leaders to lead AI transformation through the lens of Open Educational Resources.
| Hands-on application | Designed for HBCU stakeholders | Ready-to-use resources
Led by Dr. Robbie Melton + Team
Tennessee State University
DATE
Thursday, October 29, 2026
TIME
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Eastern
LOCATION
Queen's Court Ballroom
Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark Hotel
Charlotte, North Carolina
Overview
This half-day pre-conference equips HBCU educational leaders with the knowledge, strategies, and frameworks needed to lead in an era of rapid artificial intelligence transformation through the lens of Open Educational Resources.
Participants will explore both the immediate challenges and future opportunities that AI presents for Historically Black Colleges and Universities while centering open access to AI knowledge, research, and tools as a pathway to equity and innovation.
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The session bridges theory and practice by combining expert insights with hands-on application, preparing leaders to return to their institutions with actionable plans for AI integration using freely accessible resources, open research, and democratized tools that remove barriers to AI literacy and implementation.
Why This Matters
AI leadership grounded in equity
Open access tools and resources
Strategic planning for HBCUs
Actionable institutional next steps
Learning Objectives
By the end of this pre-conference, participants will be able to:
Develop an AI Leadership Framework
Develop an AI leadership framework grounded in OER principles that addresses policy, equity, ethics, data privacy, and instructional innovation using openly accessible resources tailored to the unique mission and values of HBCUs.
Leverage Open Resources
Identify and leverage current open access AI tools, open educational resources, freely available research, and collaborative knowledge networks to build institutional AI capacity and literacy without cost barriers.
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Create a Strategic Action Plan
Create strategic action plans for supporting faculty and students in integrating AI while anticipating emerging trends in open source development and preparing institutions to lead in workforce readiness, personalized learning, and equitable AI access.
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Materials Provided
AI Leadership Framework Template
A template emphasizing OER integration for HBCUs.
Sample AI Policies
Policies prioritizing open access tools from HBCUs and other higher education institutions.
Curated Resource List
Open access research repositories, Creative Commons licensed AI training materials, open source AI tools, freely available professional learning platforms, and collaborative HBCU networks.
Strategic Reflection Guide
A reflection guide for strategic AI planning aligned with HBCU mission and values.
Digital Collaborative Space
Access to a digital space for continued networking and resource sharing across HBCUs.
What You Will Leave With
A Draft AI Leadership Framework
A draft document with an implementation timeline, key stakeholder roles, and identified open resources, including MERLOT.org’s HBCU Cultural Collection, Tennessee State University’s SMART AI for ALL resources, and SREB AI frameworks, ready for refinement and application at your institution.
A Personalized AI Resource List
A personalized resource list of AI tools to improve and enhance teaching, learning, research, and productivity.​
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A Strategic AI Action Plan
A written plan with quarterly milestones, responsible parties, success indicators, and a communication strategy for engaging campus stakeholders in the AI transformation journey.​
SPONSORED PRE-CONFERENCE SEATS
Free for the First 20 Pre-Conference Registrants
Made possible by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and MERLOT Open Educational Resources.
Sponsored places are subject to availability. Standard pre-conference registration: $75. Pre-conference registration covers this workshop only; full-conference registration is separate.
