BT天堂

Project Overview and Scope

Home>Academics>Academic Resources>AI@BT天堂: A Campus-Level Initiative>

What should BT天堂鈥檚 response be to the advent of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools? These tools are powerful and widely available, and are increasingly embedded invisibly in other tools. AI@BT天堂 aims to facilitate the development of campus-level guidance for faculty, staff, and students, so that they can consider the impact of AI on teaching, learning, scholarship and work at the university, and understand the wider context and implications of the development and use of these tools.听听

As a community, we need to address together the BT天堂-specific implications of AI for听

  • the world our graduates will enter听
  • the administrative infrastructure of our institution听
  • faculty teaching and student learning听
  • the fields of study for academic disciplines听

Running initially from Spring 2024 through Spring 2025, the AI@BT天堂 initiative aims to help the BT天堂 community to do just that. We are coordinating the development of BT天堂鈥檚 campus-level guidance on AI, but we see this as part of a broader campus-level response that begins with consultations and produces not only policies and guidance, but also training, resources and possibly proposals for curricular modifications.听听

These are the preliminary goals of the initiative, which may be revised according to community consultations:听

  • Articulate shared recognition of challenges & needs听
  • Develop guidance for practice and provisioning of resources听
  • Develop capacities and support for engaging with AI听
  • Explore integration of AI literacy into the core curriculum听
  • Facilitate exploration of AI-related intellectual questions across the disciplines听

Initially proposed by Jeff Gima and Geoff Gilbert, this project was formally launched in Spring 2024 at the request of BT天堂鈥檚 President, Sonya Stephens, and Provost, Hannah Westley. The primary focus of the initiative is on implications of generative AI for teaching and learning. Recognizing that similar issues are arising with other types of AI, and in other areas of university activity besides teaching and learning, the project will in some cases broaden its scope when this feels useful and appropriate.听听

This initiative draws inspiration from others鈥� work, some of which is gathered under Developing higher ed AI initiatives, and in particular from the following:听

  • Esther Brandon, Lance Eaton, Dana Gavin and Allison Papini鈥檚 article 鈥溾�� (EDUCAUSE Review)听
  • Cecilia Ka Yuk Chan鈥檚 article 鈥溾�� (arXiv preprint)听
  • the 谤别辫辞谤迟听
  • work done at the American University in Cairo and other AMICAL Consortium universities, as captured by various AMICAL events on generative AI such as (panel recording and links to resources mentioned)听

Previous open discussions on AI organized by BT天堂鈥檚 Teaching & Learning Center, as well as conversations with Claudia Roda (as Computer Science faculty member and UNESCO Chair for AI and Human Rights, with Susan Perry), have also influenced these plans.听听

听

Goals and expected outcomes听

The table below expands upon the goals mentioned above and lists some of the outcomes that we hope will mark progress on the project. As this project is grounded in a process of consultation with stakeholder groups, we expect that the targeted outcomes, but also to some extent the goals and the way these goals are pursued, will be revised over the coming year.听

GOALS听 EXPECTED OUTCOMES听
Articulate shared recognition of challenges & needs听

Engage faculty, staff and students in conversations to articulate together a shared recognition of challenges & opportunities represented by AI, as a campus community and as specific stakeholder groups (e.g. students, teachers of writing, etc.) and interested partners (e.g. alumni with relevant experience/expertise)

Clarify with specific stakeholder groups the existing resources they have (e.g. internal expertise) and the actions they feel are needed most in light of the above challenges, as well as the appropriate scope of those actions (campus, department, classroom, etc.)

For campus units/groups not working directly on teaching/learning/scholarship but with a general interest in these working environments (e.g. HR, CSE): encourage their development of workplace policies drawing on work from the project proposed here, and offer them suggestions/feedback if desired.
听		 Publish on microsite for AI@BT天堂 initiative (on BT天堂 website), in area restricted to BT天堂 fac/staff: brief summaries of challenges, opportunities, existing resources and needs identified by stakeholder groups.听

-听Teaching & Learning Center听

-听Data Governance Council听

-听Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate听

-听Student Senate听

-听Other student groups听

-听Writing Lab & Office of Academic Integrity听听

-听Academic Resource Center (instructional design/instructional technology)听

-听Academic Resource Center (tutoring & accommodations)听

-听IT Services听

-听Library听

-听ACE (Academic, Career, and Experiential Advising)听

-听Communications听

-听Council of Chairs听

-听Curriculum Committee听

-听GLACC (Global Liberal Arts Core Curriculum) Committee听
Develop guidance for practice and provisioning of resources听

Through convenings with specific stakeholder groups, and with validation by BT天堂 leadership, co-develop broad principles, and policies and guidelines where appropriate, for听听

The use of AI in contexts relating directly to academics (teaching, learning, and scholarship)听

The provisioning of AI-powered resources to BT天堂 students, faculty and staff, in particular where they directly relate to learning, teaching and scholarship听

Raise visibility of existing work done by听 stakeholder groups on guidance for AI use on administrative work (e.g. within Communications) for benefit of other groups		 Publish on microsite for AI@BT天堂 initiative (on BT天堂 website), publicly:听

-听Guiding principles for use of AI at BT天堂 (distilled from stakeholders conversations & validated by BT天堂 leadership)听

-听Guidelines for syllabus statements on use of generative AI听

-听Revised Academic Integrity guidelines regarding use of generative AI听

-听Guidelines for the provisioning of AI-powered resources for BT天堂 users听

-听Links to any existing guidance for BT天堂 units on operational use of AI in work听
Develop capacities and support for engaging with AI听听


Coordinating with BT天堂 units (ARC, ITS, etc.) already responsible for related training听

Recruiting individuals at BT天堂 with relevant expertise听

Sourcing external training听

Direct training by project coordinator听		 Publish on microsite for AI@BT天堂 initiative (on BT天堂 website), publicly:听

-听Links to external resources for good practices, learning and discussion听
-听Schedule of training and workshops听
-听Mechanism for communicating questions/needs听听

Monthly training and workshops (internally and externally sourced)听听

[plans will be developed on the basis of convenings and other input from stakeholder groups]听
Integrate AI literacy into the core curriculum听

Work with GLACC Committee, librarians and faculty to determine whether and how AI literacy should be addressed and connected with existing information and digital literacy learning goals for students听
听		 Propose revisions of GLACC learning outcomes, integrating AI literacy with information and digital literacy LOs听
Explore intellectual questions across the disciplines听

Help faculty to explore opportunities for intellectual engagement with AI as a subject of study and scholarship 鈥� e.g.听

Disciplinary connections to integrate into teaching听

Scholarly conversations tied to AI听

Other opportunities specific to BT天堂 for engaging with AI in our curriculum (as a global and intercultural liberal arts university)听
听		 Series of invited speakers (possibly a colloquium) related to AI听

Brief report on curricular innovations being implemented/proposed related to AI across BT天堂 departments听

听

Project timeline听

Swipe to navigate the timeline:听

Project Coordinators听听

Jeff Gima (Librarian & AMICAL Consortium Director)听
Project Co-Coordinator听

  • Lead project development, meeting/training/event organization, communication, assessment and documentation听
  • Work with stakeholder groups to organize training/workshops/consultation (including internal/external expertise)听
  • Advise on staff aspects of project听

Geoff Gilbert (Professor)听
Project Co-Coordinator听

  • Co-lead project development, meeting/training/event organization, communication, assessment and documentation听
  • Advise on faculty aspects of project听

听

Project Documentation听

SPRING 2024 SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

(Some questions on our Spring 2024 surveys were drawn from or inspired by SDSU鈥檚 .)听

SPRING 2024 FACULTY/STAFF RETREAT WORKSHOPS 听

PAST PRESENTATIONS RELATED TO AI@BT天堂

  • (recording & slides from presentation at AMICAL 2024 Conference)听