Reclaiming Purpose

Artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education, and institutions need a strategic framework for responding with intention rather than panic. In Reclaiming Purpose , Paul LeBlanc draws on doctoral research in revolutionary technological change and decades of leadership experience--including transforming Southern New Hampshire University into the largest nonprofit online higher education provider in the United States--to offer educators and university leaders a clear-eyed perspective on what AI means for learning institutions and their missions. Reclaiming Purpose provides practical guidance for navigating unprecedented disruption. LeBlanc presents actionable frameworks and strategic questions designed to help leaders develop institutional responses to AI integration and make informed policy decisions across their organizations. Rather than treating AI as a threat to be resisted, the book articulates a positive yet radically different vision for what education can become when institutions embrace this technology thoughtfully and deliberately. The book equips readers with a structured? approach for asking better questions about technology adoption, leading to more effective implementation strategies. It offers clear perspectives on what the AI revolution means at every institutional level, from classroom instructors adapting their pedagogy to department chairs rethinking curricula to the larger purposes of higher education in an AI world. Grounded in LeBlanc's experience leading one of higher education's most innovative and adaptive university systems, these insights connect strategic vision with on-the-ground realities. Written for educators, administrators, and university leaders seeking to understand AI's implications for their institutions, Reclaiming Purpose delivers the strategic perspective and practical guidance needed to navigate technological transformation while strengthening and expanding education's core mission. Whether developing an institutional AI policy or rethinking how learning happens in a rapidly changing landscape, readers will find constructive pathways forward rooted in purpose and informed by experience.