Since its establishment in 1897, San Diego State University (SDSU) has become a leading public research university, a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). Each year, SDSU provides more than 36,000 students with the opportunity to participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. SDSU is the oldest university in San Diego, with nearly 500,000 living alumni. SDSU offers over 200 degree programs, including many that are top ranked nationally, and the university generates approximately $200 million annually in research funding. Offering an extraordinary balance of curricular and co-curricular options for its students, SDSU has 18 NCAA Division I athletic teams and consistently ranks among the top in several sports.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, SDSU began the development and rollout of a new Academic Applications of AI (AAAI) micro-credential program for faculty. This innovative initiative, thoughtfully crafted by the university’s Academic AI Fellows, empowers faculty to leverage generative AI (gAI) in education and research creatively and responsibly. What sets this collaboration apart is that it was designed by faculty for faculty and was launched through SDSU’s commitment to enlisting student feedback. Results from an in-depth fall 2023 gAI Student Survey (n = 7,811) guide the refinement of both the micro-credential and an upcoming Academic AI Summit, hosted by SDSU in spring 2024 and uniting all 23 California State University campuses. This initiative is a part of many positive and futuristic changes brought about by James Frazee, SDSU’s CIO and a distinguished member of the university’s Council of Vice Presidents, reporting directly to the president of SDSU.
A Progressive Career
James Frazee began working as a seasonal ocean lifeguard in 1987 and, after graduating from the University of San Diego in 1991, he was hired by the City of San Diego as a permanent lifeguard and Marine Safety Officer. While working for one of the most multifaceted lifesaving agencies in the world, James realized that lifeguards did not get enough training in low-frequency, high-risk scenarios such as cliff rescue or underwater search and recovery. So, he approached the Chief of the San Diego Lifeguard Service and requested that the city cover the cost of him pursuing a master’s degree in educational technology at SDSU so that he could design and implement interactive, computer-based simulations and games to help lifeguards better perform their duties. The request was approved and, after earning his master’s degree, one of his professors invited James to apply for a new SDSU doctoral program in educational technology. This same professor was awarded a $6.7 million United States Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant designed to provide K-12 teachers with computers and to help them learn how to use a new technology called the “internet” to provide their students with active, authentic and complex learning experiences. That was 1997 and, reluctantly, James left San Diego Fire and Life Safety to begin a new career managing this multi-million-dollar grant and training teachers to use personal computers and the world wide web to enable student-centered curriculum reform.
In 1999, he began teaching at SDSU, and, in 2004, thanks to outstanding support from his inspiring dissertation advisor, mentor, and role model, Dr. Bernie Dodge, James was awarded his doctoral degree in educational technology through a newly minted joint doctoral program between SDSU and the University of San Diego.
As a faculty member and leader in educational technology at SDSU, James has contributed to the campus’ online-education, faculty-development, and student-success initiatives, as well as its strategic alignment with the California State University (CSU) system and the federal government. He also has led and collaborated with various teams and partners to support and enhance teaching and learning through innovative and accessible technologies and user services. His experience reflects his commitment to SDSU’s vision and mission as a higher education powerhouse.
As a result of these experiences, James has written and presented widely on the subjects of designing faculty professional-development programs, strategic technology planning, and using technology to fuel curriculum reform. His academic research has focused on using technology to promote student-centered learning strategies in higher education. He has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed academic journal articles, book chapters, and refereed conference proceedings; delivered dozens of invited talks and academic conference presentations nationally and internationally; and secured more than $10 million in federal and state grant funding during his career leading K-12 and higher education technology organizations.
James currently serves as SDSU’s Interim Vice President for Information Technology and CIO. The CIO is a comparatively new position at SDSU, established in 2019, that reports to the president and leads the university’s technology strategy, infrastructure, services, and solutions. The CIO works with senior leaders to align technology with the university’s vision and goals and oversees all IT units and budgets. The CIO also evaluates and improves the holistic use and efficiency of technology at SDSU.
“Today, my focus is on securing campus digital assets and safeguarding student and research data; investing wisely in core systems that serve the entire campus; providing shared IT services to students, faculty, and staff; and allowing for transparency for all budget allocation for campus technology efforts,” says James.
Frazee’s work is helping to cement SDSU’s role as the flagship campus and innovative research powerhouse in the 23-campus CSU system – the nation’s largest and most diverse four-year public university. For 25 years, he has held administrative, educational, research, and executive leadership roles in IT at SDSU. During his career at SDSU, he has been recognized with numerous Presidential Leadership Awards, and in 2022 he received the San Diego State University Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I am honored to serve in the CIO role for SDSU during a time of extraordinary growth and tremendous excitement,” said Frazee. “As a first-generation college student, the power of education – from economic empowerment to opening the potential for more civic discourse – has always mattered to me.”
Innovative Initiative
James’ leadership in the creation of SDSU’sAcademic Applications of AI (AAAI) micro-credential program for faculty aligns with an SDSU University Senate Referral and an Academic Senate of the California State University (ASCSU) Resolution that call for gAI Literacy professional development to foster faculty dialogue and reflection.
The specific aims of the effort are to:
- Describe opportunities, limitations, and ethical considerations associated with gAI in education to inform the development of responsible gAI policies or guidelines.
- Leverage insights from SDSU’s AI Student Survey in shaping future policies, practices, and heuristics.
- Rollout SDSU’s new Academic Applications of AI (AAAI) micro-credential program, designed to prepare faculty for the responsible use of generative artificial intelligence and ensure that AI applications in the classroom and research align with ethical standards.
- Conduct a comprehensive review of SDSU’s existing institutional policies that may relate to the instructional use of gAI and academic integrity, aligning university policies with the evolving landscape of gAI in education.
SDSU has undertaken specific activities and initiatives to address and inform the Senate Referral in response to faculty requests for gAI policy recommendations. The university’s efforts are centered on understanding student needs, fostering responsible gAI use, and enhancing the academic experience. In the fall of 2023, SDSU conducted its campus-wide survey, collaborated with gAI experts, designed the micro-credential program, planned the spring 2024 gAI summit, and recommended guidelines for using gAI in education. These activities and recommendations are connected in their aim of understanding and improving the role of gAI in teaching and learning at SDSU.
The approach to addressing concerns about gAI in education is marked by combining data-driven decision-making, collaboration with key stakeholders, faculty training, and a commitment to ethical and responsible gAI use. These efforts are geared toward enhancing the academic experience for both students and faculty and using gAI to make learning more inclusive by ensuring it is flexible, affordable, personalized, and universal.
The Toughest Task
Leading SDSU’s transition to virtual instruction during the COVID-19 global pandemic was, by far, the biggest challenge in James’ career. Due to the pandemic, educational institutions were hurled into unprecedented change. In light of these new realities, the team at SDSU rallied to provide flexible, customizable, technology-enhanced learning opportunities that allowed students to maintain access to high-quality instruction. “This was challenging but exciting because it prompted higher education leaders and faculty to rethink how we teach,” said James.
Further, the pandemic spurred a massive investment in faculty development and provided space to dive more deeply into how today’s students learn. SDSU invested millions of dollars of COVID Relief Act and Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) in faculty development to enable new course designs that promote active learning and more accessible (i.e., open and affordable) instructional materials. Specifically, SDSU provides direct support for flexible course design to help faculty plan courses that offer a purposeful blend of face-to-face and online modalities to promote active learning and student engagement.
“The genie is out of the bottle, and there is no putting it back. Once seen as a secondary option, online learning will take on more of a primary role at SDSU in the coming years, with a particular emphasis on the rapid acceleration of online certificate, degree and degree-completion programs,” predicts James.
On a positive note, the pandemic enabled SDSU to refine and offer more online programs and virtual support, while catering to diverse learners and locations. It also emphasized the need for technology-driven automation and efficiency in education.
Future-Ready Students
SDSU takes great pride in preparing its students for a world that is constantly changing. For example, the university aims to embrace AI advances to enable personalized learning. Frazee imagines a future in which every student has an online, on-demand AI tutor that can provide just-in-time support. SDSU started exploring the possibilities of AI by launching an AI fellowship program. The faculty and student fellows then collaborated with Frazee and his team to create the AI Student Survey to help understand students’ needs (e.g., tool usage, opinions, and expectations). Now, under James’ leadership, the fellows are using that data to help construct the micro-credential program – first for SDSU faculty, and soon in a version for students as well.
“Looking forward with an eye on ensuring that our students leave with the skills and knowledge needed to compete for high-paying jobs, we will adapt the micro-credential for a student audience this year,” said Frazee. “SDSU is also partnering with industry partners to pilot-test emerging gAI solutions so our faculty, staff, and students can leverage today’s rapidly advancing gAI performance-enhancing tools.”
This also calls for a shift in the effective practices of educators from traditional to more modern approaches. For example, when it comes to assessment of student learning outcomes, James points out that more than ever, we need to focus on process over product.
“If your assessment strategy hinges on a high-stakes paper or exam, you are not preparing students for the world outside of school. Providing students with authentic, complex tasks that require some level of teamwork and allowing them to create a portfolio of learning artifacts that can differentiate them when applying for positions in their fields of interest is the best way to help them succeed and stand out,” he explains.
James believes strongly that higher education will become even more crucial in the years ahead as it better enables real-world experiences by scaffolding challenging activities that provide opportunities for students to interact on meaningful projects with other students, faculty members and professionals.
Keeping up with the Industry
To foster his own continuous growth and understanding of industry trends, James relies on partnerships with faculty, academic leaders, and campus stakeholders, as well as regional, national, and international higher education and industry partners. In particular, he is especially active in two professional organizations: EDUCAUSE and the Drivers of Educational Technology/California Higher Education (DET/CHE). He served as DET/CHE’s president and 25th Anniversary Conference Chair, as well as the Chair of the California State University Directors of Academic Technology common interest group.
“A seminal experience for me was being among a select group of fellows at the prestigious EDUCAUSE Frye Leadership Institute at Emory University in 2008,” he said. “The lessons learned and relationships formed during that experience were truly inspiring and invaluable. Serving in leadership roles has allowed me to grow my professional network, and I am still actively collaborating today with many of the people I have met through these organizations.”
Predicting the Industry Trends
James is extremely optimistic about the potential for gAI to be a game-changer for teaching and learning. He sees gAI as an accessibility “super tool” that can help students with special needs, with cognitive challenges, and those for whom English is a second language. It also represents a way to democratize access to student-success analytics data. He is part of a pilot program with the Canvas Learning Management System that enables faculty to use natural language to ask questions and tailor their teaching and outreach to the needs of their students. Previously, this data could only be derived via a complex SQL query performed by a back-end system administrator. Instead,the new technology allows faculty to ask simple questions that generate insights into their students, like, “Who has not logged in to my course in two weeks?” or “List the students who are missing one or more assignments,” or “Tell me about my students who consistently wait until the last minute to complete course activities.” Frazee is bullish on such tools that will extend the power of AI beyond content generation and into actual pedagogy.
Upcoming Offerings
Innovation is a core value of the OneIT community that James leads at SDSU. The university is investing in the intersection of gAI and immersive learning via the development of extended reality (AR, VR, and mixed reality devices) experiences, which will make it easier and less expensive to create emotionally engaging activities that motivate learners in ways never before possible. An example is the development of dynamic Empathy Lens scenarios. Applications are currently being pursued in the areas of criminal justice, educational leadership, nursing, and chemistry.
“Today, there is a knowledge gap, and many of our community members don’t feel adequately prepared to manage the impact of generative AI. In the next few years, my team will continue to equip our administrators, faculty, staff, and students with the skills, knowledge and training on this transformative technology that they need to excel,” he states.
Words of Wisdom
Asked for closing thoughts, James offers advice for students, IT professionals and young entrepreneurs:
“Innovation only happens if people understand its purpose, and when they have latitude and space to contribute. Trust each other, listen and don’t underestimate the power of collective effort. Assume good intentions and strengthen relationships with the people who are on your team and with the people who you serve. Focus on the service experience and aim to delight people. Through your actions, demonstrate that you are on their side.
“As you progress in your education and career, never be complacent. Train yourself to be uncomfortable. Seek issues and solve them. Don’t be afraid to fail by taking action – in fact, fail fast and improve yourself through the experience. Real failure is knowing that something isn’t working and not taking corrective action. A workable solution now can lead to a perfect solution later. Remember that “FAIL” is really an acronym for First Attempt In Learning!”
“As a young lifeguard, I never expected to be the CIO at one of the nation’s best public universities, serving the technology needs of more than 40,000 students, faculty and staff. Each step along the way was guided by a sense of curiosity and a desire to make things better for those around me. I’m incredibly fortunate to love what I do and I’m excited to come to work each day. And when it’s all said and done, I hope my legacy at SDSU goes beyond technology and includes building a culture of curiosity, innovation and love for service and teamwork.”
Quote: “I believe in the service mission of public higher education and have seen my career as a vehicle to support that mission.”
Rapid Fires:
How would you sum up your 2023:
Reflecting on 2023, I’d say I am excited, curious, and even more engaged and involved in enabling innovation and managing change at SDSU.
A Contemporary Leader You Admire:
Matt Mullenweg – Founder of WordPress. I admire his commitment to open source, liberty, and freedom, and for being so humane and user-centered with his employees and customers.
A Book/Audiobook you are currently Reading/Listening:
Awareness by Anthony De Mello
Your biggest role model:
My mom is my biggest role model. I was raised by a single mother and, while we didn’t have a lot of money growing up, she taught me the importance of hard work and she inspired me to do my very best. She believed in me and through her words and actions made it clear that I could do anything that I set my mind to doing. It was thanks to her help with the financial aid process that I was able to receive a Pell Grant that allowed me to be the first in my family to attend college and earn a college degree. Her love, support, and encouragement gave me the courage to pursue my dreams.
Success to you is:
Success, to me, boils down to helping others. That’s why we open-source all of our designs. We hope other campuses will copy us. We want to be an example of what sharing the load looks like when it’s done well. We want the higher education community to learn from our experiences while we also learn from theirs. That spirit of openness is a big part of our culture.
Fun Fact:
After leaving the San Diego Lifeguard Service and while working at SDSU, I began volunteering with the National Ski Patrol (NSP) and have worked as an Alpine Ski Patroller in California at Bear Mountain, June Mountain, and Snow Summit ski resorts. In 2016, I was awarded the National Ski Patrol (NSP) Blue Merit Star for a meritorious rescue effort.
