Framing Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Narrative Policy Analysis Study of Higher Education Institutions with Particular Reference to Missouri

Authors

• Taylor D. Corlee, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Abstract

This study examines how higher education institutions narratively frame students’ use of artificial intelligence through policy-related documents, focusing on how these stories shape AI policy and how they can guide Missouri-based research. Using the Narrative Policy Framework and directed content analysis, 59 documents from 12 US public universities were coded for characters, plots, and morals and analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and difference-of-means tests. Findings reveal that institutions frame AI policy through narratives that cast faculty as guides, students as both capable and vulnerable, and AI as both tools and threat. For Missouri, recognizing how narratives shape AI governance highlights the need for statewide baseline policies that balance regulation with education, incorporating disclosure norms, faculty discretion, training, and equity safeguards, while also including student voices and tracking narrative evolution over time to ensure clarity, fairness, and responsible AI integration.

Research Highlights

The Problem: Higher education institutions lack standardized, proactive artificial intelligence policies, leading to fragmented governance, faculty confusion, and inconsistent enforcement regarding academic integrity and student use. 

The Method: This study employed the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) to analyze 59 publicly available AI-related documents from 12 public higher education institutions across all United States regions. 

Quantitative Finding: Opportunity was the most frequent plot type at 48.6%, followed by Crisis at 28.6% and Decline at 22.9%; faculty and administrators were most often cast as heroes at 26.2%, while students were framed as victims in 21.8% of character codes; policy morals favored Regulate AI at 46.4% and Teach Responsible Use at 39.1%, with Ban AI appearing in only 14.4% of instances. 

Qualitative Finding: Institutional narratives portray students as central but conflicted actors who are simultaneously empowered innovators and vulnerable victims; faculty are depicted as protective guides whose heroism is rooted in stability and policy enforcement; AI is primarily framed as a "villain" through the lens of misuse rather than inherent harm.

Recommended Citation

Corlee, Taylor D. (2026) "Framing Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Narrative Policy Analysis Study of Higher Education Institutions with Particular Reference to Missouri," Missouri Policy Journal: Vol. 2: Iss. 3, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62608/2330-930X.1089
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/mpj/vol2/iss3/6