| | NOVEMBER 20249than knowing how to use the tools but, more importantly, building the ability to successfully and ethically navigate through the information landscape and not become victims of the information flood. This skill is crucial for students, faculty and academic institutions. A key ally in this work is our librarians, who are trained and well-poised to help all develop these skills. Third, we need to help our faculty understand the changing demographics, needs, and expectations of our students. Having been a faculty member, I realize we often teach the way we were taught. As the (societal and educational) landscape has shifted dramatically in the last few years, most recently in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, educators need to find new ways of teaching, stepping out into unknown territory to find new educational methods and techniques to reach all our students. As administrators, providing support and professional development opportunities for faculty to learn, grow, and embrace the changes and challenges is crucial. Educational leaders need to encourage faculty as they explore the unknown and learn about new ways of educating students. For example, although not a recent change, one major change is the role of the faculty in the classroom: are faculty ‘sages on stage’ or ‘experienced facilitators’ or coaches? Thanks to technology and the prevalence of information on the Internet, students do not need faculty members to access content or knowledge. What students need is an experienced guide to help them grasp the important concepts and use them effectively as they embark on their educational journey. This may be a hard change for many to embrace as we realize that our strength is not solely being the most knowledgeable but the experienced guide who can lead students along their educational path. However, at the same time, we need to remember that technology does not drive the education process. Technology is a tool that offers faculty greater opportunities to expand on their role as an educator, but technology does not replace the faculty’s skills and experience in building and delivering curriculum in their area of expertise. Change is and will continue to be the new normal for education. As educational leaders, our challenge will be to help our institutions learn to adapt and look forward through a culture focused on innovation and inquiry, essentially being willing to experiment and learn along with our students. Change is and will continue to be the new normal for education
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