Charley Butcher and Sandra Perez

At a small liberal arts university nestled in a quiet corner of Virginia, something significant is brewing.

The University of Lynchburg has a proud history that traces its roots back to the very beginning of the 20th century. 

Located in a leafy suburb, its peaceful landscape and colonial-style architecture present a very traditional image of American higher education.

But speak to any member of the university’s faculty or student body and you will quickly realise that all is not quite what it seems on campus.

For the past few years, the University of Lynchburg has put a real emphasis on digital transformation. This mission, spearheaded by Charley Butcher, the university’s Chief Educational Technology & AI Officer and Sandra Perez, the Senior Director of Academic Initiatives & Human Resources, has been nothing short of a technological upheaval.

The 120-year-old university has made AI literacy a core component of every course it offers. This, according to Charley and Sandra, is not only streamlining everything from administration to teaching, but it is also giving students a head start in an increasingly competitive job market in which AI skills are in high demand.

This has been a long time in the making; both Charley and Sandra have spent years modernising life on campus.

Charley has been with the university for 13 years and is considered something of a maverick. He previously spent 18 years teaching science and math in K-12 education and his unconventional teaching style translated perfectly to a role in higher education. "I was organised chaos in the classroom," he explains.

Sandra joined the university eight years ago. After graduating from the university as a non-traditional student, she was quickly offered an administrative position by the provost and has rapidly advanced to more pivotal senior leadership roles as the years have passed. Sandra has been instrumental in digitising campus processes. "I automated about 90% of our processes," she says. As a result, most of a student’s responsibilities can now be fulfilled online.

The partnership between Charley and Sandra is a dynamic one and they are constantly strategising ways in which they can make university life better for faculty, staff and students alike. "We're really good at bouncing ideas off of each other," Charley says. Their complementary skills have accelerated the university's technological transformation.

The institution, which is home to fewer than 3,000 students, faces many of the same challenges as other American universities, with enrollment cliffs and budget constraints threatening growth and development. But Lynchburg's embrace of technology is becoming a differentiator. "We really do have to set ourselves apart," Sandra explains.

That does not mean that the university is discarding all the academic rigour and traditional educational values that have characterised its past, though. Instead, the university is looking to enhance its offering by bringing AI to the classroom. "It's not really changing our core vision, it's just changing the tools," Charley says.

“We haven’t had a major shift in the way we teach since the late 1800s. We’re now finally seeing some disruption in that, and AI is the key disruptor,” Charley explains.

When it comes to digital transformation, the university's small size works in its favour. Whereas traditional liberal arts institutions typically resist change, Lynchburg's embrace of AI – and the speed at which it has been able to change – sets it apart from its competitors.

But, most importantly, the students stand to benefit hugely from this transformation. "I get out of bed in the morning and come to work for our students and I think Sandra would tell you the same thing," says Charley. “We are here for the students, and the crazy, creative things that they do really inspire us.”