Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Governance Council


Council Charge

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming education and the workforce, creating both opportunity and risk. Establishing a clear, mission-aligned framework for how HCCC adopts, governs, and invests in AI will ensure innovation advances student success and institutional excellence while protecting equity, ethics, and data security.

The Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Governance Council (AISGC) is charged with shaping Hudson County Community College’s long-term approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy, policy, and infrastructure in direct support of the 2024–2029 Strategic Plan. Anchored in Strategic Direction #2 (Unlocking Unlimited Student Potential), the AISGC provides broad oversight of the College’s adoption of AI by shaping policy and governance, reviewing projects and acquisitions, and recommending tools and practices that responsibly support teaching, learning, and operations while upholding the College’s mission and values.

The Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Governance Council (AISGC) will:

  • Draft and maintain institution-wide guiding principles that express the College’s stance on responsible AI use, reflecting HCCC’s mission, values, and equity commitments.
  • Create and maintain AI usage guidelines to translate principles into practical direction and ethical application for faculty, staff, and students, and audit existing institutional policies and procedures for alignment.
  • Engage and coordinate with college governance bodies to refine, vet, and communicate AI principles and guidelines across the college community.
  • Recommend learning opportunities that enable students, faculty, and staff to develop AI literacy and deepen their understanding of AI’s capabilities, limitations, ethical considerations, and impact on education and the workforce.
  • Assess and recommend AI infrastructure and tools to support the College’s strategic goals and instructional innovation and establish evaluation and vetting processes for new technologies and use cases with clear criteria for data privacy, security, and accessibility, and pedagogical alignment.
  • Determine the key performance indicators and assessment methods for AI adoption and effectiveness in implemented use cases.
  • Recommend long-term organizational structure and staffing to sustain AI development, tool and use case vetting, and integration across programs and services.
  • Form focused working groups to explore emerging AI priorities, study opportunities and risks, and advance recommendations on strategy, policy, and technology.

Through its work, the Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Governance Council (AISGC) positions HCCC to confidently integrate and scale AI in ways that drive innovation, protect the College community, and advance institutional goals with clarity and accountability.

AI Task Force Responsibilities

  • Develop Institutional Framework: Draft and maintain college-wide principles and practical guidelines on responsible AI use aligned with HCCC's mission, values, and equity commitments.
  • Ensure Compliance and Alignment: Audit institutional policies for alignment with AI principles and regulatory requirements (FERPA, ADA, copyright, etc.).
  • Facilitate Governance and Engagement: Coordinate with governance bodies and establish community input, feedback, and appeals mechanisms.
  • Maintain Transparency: Publish a registry of approved AI tools and report regularly on adoption, decisions, and impact.
  • Assess and Pilot Tools: Evaluate AI infrastructure to support strategic and instructional goals; design structured pilots before scaling adoption.
  • Establish Vetting and Monitoring: Create evaluation protocols addressing data privacy, security, accessibility, bias, and pedagogical fit; audit tools for discriminatory impact and equitable access.
  • Manage Vendors and Risk: Review contracts, monitor vendor relationships, and establish incident response protocols for AI-related violations.
  • Define Success Metrics: Identify performance indicators and assessment methods for AI adoption across operational and instructional contexts.
  • Build AI Literacy: Recommend learning opportunities for faculty and students on AI capabilities, limitations, ethics, and workforce impact.
  • Support Pedagogical Adaptation: Develop guidance on AI's impact on academic integrity and assessment; help faculty adapt teaching and evaluation methods.
  • Plan for Sustainability: Recommend organizational structure and staffing to support ongoing AI development, vetting, and integration.
  • Lead Strategic Inquiry: Form working groups to explore emerging priorities and advance recommendations on strategy, policy, and technology.


Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Governance Council (AISGC) Membership
Office or School Member Title
Information Technology Services Trisha Clay
(Co-chair)		 Associate Vice President for Information Technology and CIO
Center for Online Learning Matt LaBrake
(Co-chair)		 Executive Director of the Center for Online Learning 
Library John Hernandez Dean of College Libraries
Institutional Research and Planning John Urgola Associate Vice President, Institutional Research
Human Resources Bob DiMartino Vice President for Human Resources
Student Success Bernadette So Dean of Student Success
Student Affairs  David Clark Dean of Student Affairs
Enrollment Services Matt Fessler Dean of Enrollment
Continuing Education and Workforce Development
Lori Margolin		 Vice President for Strategic Initiatives & CEWD
Institutional Engagement and Excellence Yeurys  Pujols Vice President for Institutional Engagement and Excellence 
Academic Affairs  Darryl Jones Vice President for Academic Affairs
STEM Mohamedrafiq Siddiqui Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Humanities Social Sciences Susannah Wexler Assistant Professor, English
Nursing Health Steffi Montenegro Instructor, Nursing
Business Culinary Hospitality  Elana Winslow Associate Professor, Business
All College Council Benedetto Youssef Instructor, Academic Foundations
Professional Association  Faisal Aljamal  Associate Professor, Cybersecurity
ACE Faculty Fellow (temporary) Margaret Schedel (Stonybrook) Professor, Composition and Computer Music
Student Government Pius D. Cor Jesu Senator, Student Government Association
Slide for more


Have questions?
Contact: aiFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE