What Faculty Should Do: Encourage AI Dialogue and Accessibility in the Classroom

In EDUCAUSE's 2025 Students and Technology Report: Shaping the Future of Higher Education Through Technology, Flexibility, and Well-Being, the research investigates current student sentiment and experiences over the last year, utilizing responses from 6,468 respondents from 37 institutions. In this article, we will look at trends in Gen AI use in higher education as well as accessibility issues in higher education.

Communication around AI is imperative

It might come as a surprise, but fewer than half of the students aren’t using generative AI in their courses at all. Of those who are, a bit more than a third use it to brainstorm and spark ideas, and almost a quarter rely on it to polish and organize their work.

Are students using AI less than expected, or simply not admitting to it? Their low reported usage—and the mismatch with faculty perceptions—may reflect fears of being accused of cheating or a desire to appear more ethical. These pressures can lead students to downplay or conceal their actual engagement with AI tools, even when such use might be legitimate or encouraged. Institutional differences in the acceptance of generative AI may influence student behavior, leading to both reduced usage and underreporting. This suggests that policy clarity and communication play a critical role in shaping how students engage with emerging technologies.

A significant gap exists between student use of generative AI and instructor awareness. Only 30% of students believe their instructors are fully aware of how AI is being used, with the rest indicating either a lack of awareness or uncertainty. This may signal a broader challenge in fostering open conversations about AI in education. Contributing factors might include a lack of clear policies, limited instructor awareness, student anxiety about consequences, and insufficient communication between students and faculty.

In general, students use AI when it is encouraged and integrated in their education. The likelihood of students using generative AI was closely tied to their learning environment and career expectations. Students whose instructors banned AI, or who lacked exposure to AI in coursework or institutional training, were more likely to avoid it. Additionally, students who didn’t expect to use AI in their future careers were less inclined to use it, compared to those who anticipated a strong reliance on AI in their professional lives.

Disability Disclosure Is Rising—But Support Access Isn’t Keeping Up

Since 2023, there has been a noticeable shift in how students report disabilities. In 2025, 24% identified as having a disability or impairment—an increase from 19% two years prior. The percentage of those without a disability remained unchanged at 76%, though in 2023, 4% chose not to respond. Among those who disclosed a disability, mental health disorders were the most common (62%), followed by learning disabilities (38%), sensory impairments (16%), mobility impairments (14%), and other conditions (21%). The rise in mental health-related disclosures marks a significant 14-point increase since 2023. Despite the rise in students disclosing mental health disorders since 2023, this increase has not been accompanied by a corresponding uptick in registrations with campus accessibility or disability services.

Diving deeper into the data, it was highlighted that students living off-campus were also less likely to register with their school’s accessibility office. Among students with disabilities, 56% of those in on-campus housing had registered and received accommodations, while only 44% of those in off-campus, unaffiliated housing had done the same. Meanwhile, 47% of off-campus students had not registered, compared to 37% of on-campus students.

These findings highlight a critical need that instructors can address:

1. Normalize Conversations Around Mental Health & Disabilities

• Acknowledge the mental health crisis openly in your classes.
• Include statements in your syllabus that destigmatize accommodations. Please see the recommended syllabus template by the UMass Faculty Senate.
• Encourage use of support services in a proactive, low-pressure way.

2. Design Courses with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles

• Provide flexible ways for students to engage, demonstrate learning, and access materials.
• Reduce reliance on high-stakes exams.
• Offer asynchronous participation options when possible. Design and deliver accessible, well-formatted content in your LMS to ensure all students can engage effectively.

3. Connect Students with Resources

• Don’t assume students know how to register for accommodations. Provide clear, repeated information in course sites and in person.
• Pay special attention to off-campus students, who may feel less connected or informed.