"I don't have to convince faculty that the world is changing," he adds. "That's not always the case at some institutions."

The best way to revitalize the humanities is to frame it for today's generation of students, Thuswaldner says. Embedding the work in the core curriculum is a good start, but La Roche is also paying attention to other exciting models cropping up across higher education.

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The University of Arizona launched a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Humanities. In partnership with eight colleges at the university, the pathway lets students embellish their degree with a workforce concentration across 12 workforce disciplines. They include business, engineering, environmental studies, public health and more.

The University of New Hampshire's minor in the medical humanities reflects the growing trend of institutions offering humanities-focused healthcare curricula, helping students deepen their holistic care of their patients.

Thuswaldner is also considering how staff can be strategic in teaching humanities-based skills that inform ethical AI use.

Embracing change and holding onto tradition is not "an either-or proposition," Thuswaldner says. "We can do both at the same time."

Admittedly, nothing is granted without hard work—and strategic delegation.

"When you leave at night, you feel like you could still sit in the office for another five hours or so to accomplish the goals that you had for that day," Thuswaldnder says. "I would love to petition for a 48-hour day instead of a 24-hour day."