Artificial intelligence is rapidly shaping how governments, nonprofits, and public institutions understand public problems, design programs, and deliver services. To help students navigate these evolving challenges, the School of Public Affairs created a new course titled Special Topics: The AI Ready Public Leader: Governing Policy, Program Readiness, and Ethics for the Public Good, which is being offered this summer.

The course is open to all students who want to understand how artificial intelligence is influencing policy, management, and ethical decision making across the public sector. It was designed with students in the Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration (BAPA), Master of Public Administration (MPA), and Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs in mind.

The course provides a strong foundation in key AI concepts while addressing critical questions facing public leaders today. “Public leaders don't need to be technology experts to lead in an AI centric world, but they do need to understand how these technologies affect policy, programs, and public trust,” said Chris Weible, Distinguished Professor and Interim Dean of the School of Public Affairs. “This course helps students build that understanding and apply it to real public-sector challenges they care about.”

Students will examine how artificial intelligence connects to public problem definition, policy development, program design, and implementation, and they will build the skills needed to navigate both the opportunities and the risks that emerging technologies present.

Course Focus

As AI increasingly informs decisions in areas ranging from public safety to human services, leaders must consider not only what these tools can do, but also how they should be governed. The course emphasizes three core dimensions of AI readiness:

• Policy Development: How should public leaders craft policies that balance innovation, accountability, and public trust?
• Program Readiness: What does it take to responsibly integrate AI into existing programs and operations?
• Ethical Governance: How can organizations ensure that AI supports equity, transparency, and the public good?

Students will gain a shared understanding of AI principles while sharpening their analytical and managerial skills. Through case studies, discussions, and applied assignments, participants will engage with real-world dilemmas facing governments and nonprofits today.

About the Instructor: Professor Walter “Lewis” Koski

Since joining SPA as a lecturer in 2016, Walter “Lewis” Koski has earned a reputation for creating thoughtful, challenging, and highly relevant learning experiences for graduate students. His courses consistently receive strong feedback for several reasons:

• Assignments with Purpose: Students frequently highlight how Koski's assignments push them to bridge theory and practice, developing insights they can apply directly in professional settings.
• Collaborative Learning Environment: Koski's courses emphasize discussion, reflection, and shared learning, ensuring that multiple viewpoints shape the classroom dialogue.
• Respectful, Inclusive Climate: Students appreciate the space he creates for thoughtful debate, where differing perspectives are welcomed and explored with respect.

Koski brings extensive professional experience at the intersection of technology and public policy. As an executive with both public and private sector experience, he has worked on implementing high-profile technology projects and advancing public policy initiatives in the United States and internationally.

Drawing on both his teaching and professional experience, Koski developed this course as part of SPA’s effort to expand its curriculum on technology, governance, and the future of public leadership. The course examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping public policy and public administration, and how leaders can prepare their organizations to use these technologies responsibly.

Why It Matters

AI is transforming how agencies allocate resources, deliver services, and measure outcomes. Public leaders who understand how to govern and deploy AI responsibly are better positioned to create more equitable, effective, and trustworthy institutions.

This course offers students the opportunity to be at the forefront of that transformation as part of a growing set of AI‑related learning opportunities within SPA.

"As AI becomes increasingly integrated into organizational life, public administration education can play an important role in helping students critically examine and engage with these technologies while considering their broader ethical, societal, and governance implications,” said Robyn Mobbs, Program Director of the Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration. Mobbs was recently recognized with the University of Colorado System AI Recognition Award for AI in Teaching & Learning (Read more about the President’s AI Recognition Awards on CU Connections). 

“This new course is an important addition to the curriculum,” continued Mobbs, “and it builds on work already happening across Public Administration (PUAD) courses. Students are engaging with AI through leadership and ethics case studies in PUAD 5006 and through applied simulations in negotiation and conflict resolution courses (PUAD 4440/5550), where AI supports skill development and critical judgment. Together, these experiences help students think carefully about when and how AI should be used responsibly in public service.”