CSUN’s Helen Heinrich to Help Shape Statewide AI Policy for California Schools
Helen Heinrich, CSUN’s associate vice president for Academic Technology, has been tapped to serve on a state workgroup that will guide the responsible use of artificial intelligence in California public elementary and secondary schools. The California Statewide AI in Education Workgroup was created as part of the requirements of Senate Bill 1288 that was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2024. The measure requires the California Department of Education to research and support the safe and equitable use of AI by school children.
Heinrich has worked in several roles at CSUN devoted to promoting academic technology strategies and digital equity and accessibility. She has also steered the use of emerging AI tools, including serving on CSUN’s AI Task Force. This year, in addition to celebrating her 20th anniversary on campus, she was also honored with the university’s Leadership Award at the annual Staff Service and Recognition of Excellence Awards. The recognition came, in part, for guiding her team’s efforts in leveraging data within Canvas, the online learning management system, for better student outcomes.
By July 2026, Heinrich and her colleagues on the state workgroup must develop a model policy for responsible and beneficial AI use for both students and educators. They must submit a report to the state legislature on their findings by January 2027. Their work will focus on addressing academic integrity and plagiarism, acceptable and unacceptable uses of artificial intelligence for both students and teachers, data privacy and security. The group must also come up with strategies to ensure that the use of AI in the classroom does not create further inequities in the education system.
The workgroup includes current, credentialed public school teachers serving in elementary and secondary teaching positions; school district administrators; university and community college faculty, including academics with expertise in artificial intelligence and its use in education; representatives of private sector businesses with expertise in AI and students enrolled in public schools.
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