From legal research to software development, tasks that once defined entry-level roles college graduates aimed to fulfill are now being automated or completed more efficiently with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). At Chapman University, professors are starting to confront what this means for students preparing to enter the workforce.<\/p>\n
More than one-third of entry-level jobs<\/a> now require AI skills, nearly triple the number from fall 2025. At the same time, Gen Z\u2019s skepticism toward AI is rising<\/a>, with young adults increasingly concerned about how it will affect their careers.<\/p>\n At Chapman, that uncertainty is showing up in the classroom, and professors have no clear way to combat it. Some professors are restructuring assignments to reflect a workplace where AI is expected while others are pulling back, arguing that higher education should focus on the skills AI cannot replace.<\/p>\n Riaz Tejani<\/a>, a professor at the Fowler School of Law<\/a>, said students are already thinking differently about their futures.<\/p>\n \u201cI think (AI) is internalized into students\u2019 outlook on the future,\u201d Tejani said. \u201cThere seems to be a mix of anxiety and maybe excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n In law, that uncertainty is tied to changes in the job market. Tejani said AI tools are reducing the need for junior-level work, especially in legal research and document review. These tasks have traditionally been entry points for new attorneys.<\/p>\n To reflect that shift, Tejani has changed how he teaches. This fall, he introduced an assignment where students evaluate work that appears to be AI-generated and assess its quality.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m concerned (with making) students feel comfortable and empowered when they step out into the workforce and encounter these tools,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For some professors, that kind of adjustment is necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be setting (students) up for failure if you didn\u2019t show them how to use the tools that they\u2019re using in industry,\u201d said Erik Linstead<\/a>, a professor in the Fowler School of Engineering<\/a>.<\/p>\n Linstead said some jobs will disappear, but many will change.<\/p>\n \u201cThe expectation (is) that humans will be using AI to do their job more effectively,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In fields like computer science, that shift is already happening. Students are expected not just to write code, but to work alongside AI systems that can generate it.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, Linstead said there are risks.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can definitely hand over a lot of your critical thinking before you even realize that you\u2019ve done it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Keith Howard<\/a>, a professor in the Attallah College of Educational Studies<\/a>, agreed that ignoring AI is not realistic.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a disservice to our students not to prepare them to know how to use AI,\u201d Howard said.<\/p>\n Howard said higher education has not seen widespread job loss due to AI, but students will enter workplaces where the technology is expected.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t just put blinders on and keep going,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Not all professors agree that more AI in the classroom is the solution.<\/p>\n