In 2025, Gordian is proud to publish the 12th annual edition of their State of Facilities in Higher Education report. Drawing on their exclusive higher ed database of 43,000 campus buildings, 1.1 billion gross square feet of space and more than $13.5 billion in capital and operating budgets, the report is the premier publication on the key trends and data influencing facilities management in academia today.
This year, one of the core subjects discussed in the report is the arrival of AI. Among the many advancements witnessed throughout history, our world has arguably had few parallels with regard to pace and level of impact. AI tools like ChatGPT are changing how businesses and schools operate at a fundamental level. Educators are now grappling with an upheaval in how education happens and what it means for students to create, teachers to teach and learners to learn.
Higher education facilities organizations, as well as other campus offices, are exploring how AI can be utilized to accelerate content creation, communication with colleagues as well as people being served, and aiding of the processes within their operations. Integrating AI into existing processes can be time intensive and should be approached thoughtfully, but the payoff has the potential to be immense.
Explore the following State of Facilities report excerpt on the five ideas to consider when exploring the use of AI in your institution:
Application – Develop a list of places and processes where you believe you and your team could be doing things more effectively if your tools were better. Be sure to quantify the benefits. Next, decide whether the improvements you want to make are simple repetitive tasks which you would like to see offloaded or if they are decision making improvements that will accelerate and enhance the work of your team. This will shape the types of AI you will engage, if it is even AI at all. Quantifying the benefits will help with convincing your team and the rest of the institution to support you with implementation.
Data – Determine if there is information available to empower your proposed changes. Is there an existing AI-driven tool that has all the information necessary to address your needs? If not, do you have the data to train the tool that you will need to have built or even build yourself?
Skill – Fundamentally, is your team interested in engaging with AI or is your organization not yet prepared for this new technology? If they are not ready, you must first develop a pathway toward their acceptance and identify low risk areas (the simplest of robotics for example) for them to explore the idea of technology changing their work practices. If your team is interested, can you create space and time in their work day for experimentation and education? If you are fortunate to have people literate and comfortable already (or are in a position to hire that skill set), you must still make space in their work to allow for the development and the rollout of the new tools, systems and processes.
Support – Identify partners across the campus who share your enthusiasm and can help you with successful implementation. Seek support from leadership that can control your budget and are willing to provide the resources to achieve the improvements you expect. Establish partnerships with those who will benefit from the changes you will make and will have the patience to work through your experimental efforts. And perhaps seek support from those who can help publicize the innovative spirit of your organization, to help accelerate the adoption of your successful initial efforts across the broader institution.
Patience – The need to act now is necessary because the establishment of AI tools in the facilities world will take time. As you innovate, be prepared for a longer journey than many may expect and setbacks along the way. Fortunately, facilities organizations are full of people who have the patience to work through a deliberative process. It is important to make sure everyone inside AND outside the organization is kept up to speed on activity so that they can see the progress you are making and share in your enthusiasm.
This article is an adapted excerpt from the 12th edition of Gordian’s State of Facilities in Higher Education report. You can access the full report on Gordian’s website beginning April 3.
