Coders, Step Aside: It's Time for Algorithm Architects

If AI can write the code, why would anyone still major in computer science? (Spoiler: it's a better time than ever.) Dr. Igor Aizenberg is Professor and Chair of Computer Science at Manhattan University. He's spent the last few years building an AI curriculum one course at a time. It started with one catch-all course and has grown into a concentration, a university-wide AI minor open to every major, and plans for a BS and an MS in AI. For department chairs working out what to build next, professors deciding what goes in the syllabus, and students wondering if their major is still worth it, he speaks from experience. His argument is simple: AI is ending the job of the coder who only types up someone else's algorithm. It's raising demand for people who can design new algorithms from the mathematical model up. In his classes, students compete against AI on every assignment. They write their own code, generate a version with AI, and then figure out where the AI went wrong and why their prompt sent it there. Darin Francis and Dr. Aizenberg also discuss: • Why the AI curriculum starts with classical symbolic AI instead of generative AI • How CS teamed up with engineering and business to build an AI minor for liberal arts majors • A weekend experiment where chatbots confidently named the wrong poet • Why banning AI in the syllabus didn't work, and what to do instead • The case for putting AI literacy in the core curriculum next to history and philosophy • How a 1949 Manhattan alum helped create the Fast Fourier Transform, and what that teaches today's AI builders 🤝 Sponsored by Major League Hacking (MLH) MLH powers hackathons on college campuses around the world. That gives them a front-row view of how students are using AI and what employers look for when they show up to mentor student projects. Learn more at https://mlh.io Chapters 0:00 Intro, sponsored by Major League Hacking 1:21 Why teach symbolic AI before generative AI? 4:27 Is computer science dead? The "AI replaces coders" myth 7:04 Teaching students to build AI, not just use it 9:53 Building an AI minor with other departments 13:28 What liberal arts majors need before an AI minor 15:53 Experiential learning: projects, research and internships 18:36 Helping AI-reluctant students 19:39 The assignment: compete against AI on code 22:09 The weekend experiment: AI gets the poet wrong 24:21 Why banning AI in the syllabus backfired 27:14 From a knowledge economy to a judgment economy 28:32 Should AI literacy be in the core curriculum? 31:36 New opportunities for CS grads 33:59 A Manhattan alum, the FFT and lessons for AI builders 37:37 What's next: a BS and MS in AI signals in higher ed is produced by Harbinger Lane Consulting. We help edtech and workforce founders and institutional leaders turn market signals into real partnerships. HigherEd #EdTech #AIinEducation #ComputerScience

What did eleven university leaders believe about AI a year ago that they no longer believe?At Technica 2026 in College Park, Maryland, Darin Francis of Harbinger Lane and Amanda D'Avria of Major League Hacking brought together vice presidents, deans, department chairs, a CIO and a chief AI officer from universities across Maryland, Virginia and DC for a roundtable on AI Across the Institution: What's Working, What Isn't.Each leader opens by answering that same question. From there, the conversation moves into AI governance, faculty literacy, new AI degrees and who gets access to the best tools. The group lands on three hard truths: AI is about judgment more than tools, access is the next big equity question, and universities aren't corporations, which is a strength.Participants: Dr. Zamira Simkins (Stevenson University), Dr. Amarda Shehu (George Mason University), Dr. Shuangbao (Paul) Wang (Morgan State University), Dr. Jay Lee (University of Maryland), Dr. Eric Pacuit (University of Maryland), Dr. Christopher Banks (Washington Adventist University), Dr. Talitha Washington (Howard University), Dr. Dionne N. Curbeam (Coppin State University), Dr. Cory Stephens (University of Maryland School of Nursing), David Lee (Capitol Technology University) and Dr. Rose Shumba (Bowie State University).Darin, Amanda and the panel also discuss:- Why hackathon growth now comes from outside computer science- Moving from "no AI" to "explain your code" in the classroom- The layers of AI governance, and what happens when the CIO has to say no- Building AI minors and majors in months, not years- AI sandboxes and the $200-a-month access questionRoundtable recap, photos and transcript: https://www.harbingerlane.com/technica-2026-recap-reviewOpinions, findings, and conclusions expressed by each speaker are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other speakers.signals in higher ed is produced by Harbinger Lane Consulting. We help edtech and workforce founders and institutional leaders turn market signals into real partnerships.

What does it take to raise first-year retention from 57% to 75% in just a few years?Dr. James Stewart is Associate Vice President of Enrollment Services and co-divisional leader for enrollment management and student affairs at Coppin State University, Maryland's most affordable four-year public institution and a historically Black university in West Baltimore. Most of Coppin's students are first-generation, and about 75% receive Pell Grants. Since he arrived in 2022, first-to-second-year retention has risen from 57% to 74–75%.In this Hard Truths for Higher Ed episode of signals in higher ed, Dr. Stewart explains how Coppin State brought 11 separate departments together in the Eagle Achievement Center, a one-stop shop for wraparound support on the top floor of the library. He describes how weekly strategy sessions and one-on-ones with staff built shared ownership. He also explains why retention is really "recruiting the students back every single semester."Darin Francis and Dr. Stewart also discuss:• How strong presidential support helps break down silos and "sacred cows"• Building student success from scratch at Coppin vs. adding it onto existing structures at DePaul• "Time to value" for first-gen students, and putting career readiness first• Why first-year students should go to the career fair in their first semester• Nudging students instead of relying on dashboards nobody checks• Climate survey data: students stay because of relationships with faculty, staff and peers🔗 Coppin State's Eagle Achievement Center: https://www.coppin.edu/eacChapters0:00 Hard Truths for Higher Ed with Dr. James Stewart1:42 Coppin State's history and who its students are3:56 The 2022 mandate: enrollment decline and 57% retention7:29 Planning the Eagle Achievement Center9:06 Breaking down silos and leading change in higher ed13:26 Retention work at DePaul vs. Coppin State16:58 Inside a one-stop shop for student support20:33 Time to value for first-generation students25:10 Putting career readiness at the front of the student experience28:39 How retention work informs recruitment32:22 A concierge mindset and sense of belonging35:22 The hard truth: focus on systems and structures38:57 Final advice: remember why you do this worksignals in higher ed is produced by Harbinger Lane Consulting. We help edtech and workforce founders and institutional leaders turn market signals into real partnerships.#HigherEd #EdTech #StudentRetention #HBCU