The demands on college and university faculty have never been higher. From mounting administrative duties to increasing student needs and expectations, educators across the country are stretched thin. Add in the growing complexity of digital teaching environments—and the uncertainty of AI integration—and it’s no wonder burnout is at an all-time high.
But new data suggests a glimmer of relief might be hiding in plain sight.
A first-of-its-kind survey from Tyton Partners, in collaboration with global learning technology leader D2L, reveals a clear connection between daily AI use and reduced faculty workload. According to their Time for Class 2025 report, faculty who use generative AI tools every day are far more likely to report a decrease in the time they spend on routine tasks—allowing them to refocus on what they do best: teaching, mentoring, and supporting student success.
“Thirty-six percent of instructors who use AI daily reported a marked decrease in their workload,” said Catherine Shaw, managing director at Tyton Partners. “That’s not a small shift—it’s a meaningful change in how faculty can engage with their time, especially as administrative demands continue to climb.”
Faculty using AI tools like D2L Lumi are reporting streamlined processes in grading, content creation, and student feedback—areas traditionally bogged down by time-intensive tasks. Lumi, embedded directly into D2L’s Brightspace platform, provides instant quiz feedback, automated grades, and personalized practice questions, helping instructors focus more on student interaction and less on back-end logistics.
Dr. Cristi Ford, chief learning officer at D2L, sees this as a pivotal shift. “With the right AI tools in place, faculty can save more valuable time on specific tasks, creating more bandwidth to engage with students one-on-one,” she explained. “AI, when done right, enhances—not replaces—the learning experience.”
Some institutions are already modeling what that “right” approach can look like.
5 Ways Faculty are Using AI to Lighten Workload
- Automated Grading and Feedback
AI tools like D2L Lumi provide instant quiz scoring, feedback, and gradebook integration—freeing up hours normally spent grading and allowing instructors to focus on higher-impact interactions.
- Content Creation Support
Faculty are using generative AI to draft quiz questions, discussion prompts, lecture outlines, and even assignment rubrics—cutting down prep time without compromising quality.
- Personalized Student Recommendations
AI-enabled platforms can analyze student performance and recommend tailored study materials or practice questions, reducing the need for individualized remediation from faculty.
- Academic Advising Assistance
Some instructors report using AI to help automate appointment scheduling, track advising notes, and provide preliminary academic guidance—freeing up time for deeper mentoring.
- Early Alert and Intervention
By flagging students at risk of falling behind based on LMS behavior patterns or performance data, AI can help faculty intervene earlier—without needing to comb through every data point manually.
At the California State University System, over 460,000 students and 63,000 faculty and staff now have access to ChatGPT Edu, thanks to a systemwide rollout prioritizing AI literacy and ethical application. Rather than leaving faculty to navigate AI adoption solo, CSU is creating structured, supported integration across all 23 campuses—blending innovation with responsibility.
At the University of Texas at Austin, the course “The Essentials of AI for Life and Society” equips not just students but faculty and staff with a foundational understanding of AI’s technical and ethical implications. Offered as a 14-week seminar open to the entire campus community, the course pairs practical skills with conversations on misinformation, privacy, bias, and equity. Early surveys show a measurable boost in campus-wide AI literacy and confidence.
Still, not all faculty have the same support. The Time for Class report reveals that 39% of instructors saw no change in workload, and 26% reported an increase—often due to the burden of monitoring student AI use. And with only 28% of institutions having formal generative AI policies, many instructors remain stuck in the gray zone between innovation and enforcement.
“There’s strong alignment around the importance of preparing students to use AI,” Shaw noted. “But institutions need clearer strategies and tools to do so effectively.”
That disconnect is evident in perception gaps: while 84% of students say they turn to people—faculty or peers—when struggling in a course, nearly one-third of instructors believe students are more likely to turn to AI tools. This mismatch raises concerns around trust, transparency, and academic integrity.
Encouragingly, 75% of administrators and 58% of faculty agree that it’s their responsibility—or their institution’s—to ensure students know how to use AI effectively. “Ethical adoption is the next frontier,” Ford said. “We can’t afford to just deploy AI—we have to educate students, faculty, and staff on its best uses and boundaries. That’s where true impact happens.”
The takeaway? Institutions that embed AI into daily workflows—along with clear, sensible policies and support—are not just reducing faculty burnout: they’re reshaping what’s possible in the classroom.
