Nataley Davis | features editor

This school year, the Provost’s office is holding free webinars on Zoom to equip employees for AI usage on campus.

Provost Sarah Ewing said the program is in collaboration with the Council for Independent Colleges (CIC), an association of nonprofit independent colleges and universities that works to support college and university leadership.

In 2023, the council started the AI Ready All Campus Essentials Program to advance universities’ ability to provide professional development while using AI as a tool.

Ewing said that she invested in the program for staff in her previous role as provost at Gannon University.

“It really started to introduce questions around the ethics, like when you should use AI and when not to,,” Ewing said. “It provided a balanced message around it and training around incorporating AI across higher education.”

She emphasized the program’s hand in giving staff a platform for meaningful conversations around the topic.

“I wanted to open the door to communication for those who are all in and incorporating it in the work that they do now, and for those who … do not agree with AI and don’t want to use it in any capacity,” Ewing said. I want them to feel that they can have a voice and we can hear that feedback.”

In 2024, Duquesne updated its guidelines regarding the use of AI and generative technology.

The change in written policy included an addition to the administrative policy number 26.

It stated, “Users of Generative AI are responsible for the accuracy, privacy, regulatory compliance, and ethical use of content developed using generative AI tools or services and used in campus communications and documentation including email.”

Still, students find that professors have varying views on AI depending on their program.

Junior nursing major Mya Sartini said that her instructors strongly prohibit the use of AI for assignments.

She added that she finds ChatGPT helpful for more thorough explanations of medical terms or generating practice questions, but overall AI just isn’t applicable to the medical field.

“I think it can be useful if you don’t understand something,” Sartini said. “I know a bunch of people in business that just use it all day, every day. But you can’t really AI symptoms, because it can be wrong.”

Senior information systems and technology major Ryan Bozicevic said all of his professors encourage an ethical usage of AI programs.

“You can use it to help you but they always make sure they do emphasize, don’t let it do it for you, because you should know what you’re doing on your own before using it,” Bozicevic said.

Jeff Lambert, assistant director for educational development, philosophy professor and member of the faculty AI committee, said it’s important to prepare both students and faculty alike to use AI ethically.

“It’s in everything that we’re engaging with,” Lambert said. “I think preparing students to interact with the world after college means preparing them for ethical use of AI, because they’re going to be interacting with AI in most professions.”

He discouraged stances on AI in the classroom that are too far extreme either way; both prohibiting its usage and not having any restrictions.

Though there are assignments where AI is not necessary, Lambert said the intentionality behind those decisions should be explained to students.

“I think it can sometimes be lacking that faculty are not explicitly saying why they are doing this,” Lambert said. “What is the value of not having AI in this learning assignment or in this course?
How is that benefiting your education and preparing you professionally more than if I just let you use AI?”

The weekly webinars will cover a variety of topics including AI and the flow of work, accessibility tools and academic integrity.

The first set of weekly sessions began Sept. 10 and will continue through the spring semester. Employees can register on the AI Ready site and it is completely voluntary.

Ewing said if the university decides to offer the webinars again in upcoming years, they will need to reinvest in the CIC’s program.

“I could imagine doing it two or three years, or taking what we do this year and then investing in new ways,” she said.

It stated, “Users of Generative AI are responsible for the accuracy, privacy, regulatory compliance, and ethical use of content developed using generative AI tools or services and used in campus communications and documentation including email.”

Still, students find that professors have varying views on AI depending on their program.

Junior nursing major Mya Sartini said that her instructors strongly prohibit the use of AI for assignments.

She added that she finds ChatGPT helpful for more thorough explanations of medical terms or generating practice questions, but overall AI just isn’t applicable to the medical field.

“I think it can be useful if you don’t understand something,” Sartini said. “I know a bunch of people in business that just use it all day, every day. But you can’t really AI symptoms, because it can be wrong.”

Senior information systems and technology major Ryan Bozicevic said all of his professors encourage an ethical usage of AI programs.

“You can use it to help you but they always make sure they do emphasize, don’t let it do it for you, because you should know what you’re doing on your own before using it,” Bozicevic said.

Jeff Lambert, assistant director for educational development, philosophy professor and member of the faculty AI committee, said it’s important to prepare both students and faculty alike to use AI ethically.

“It’s in everything that we’re engaging with,” Lambert said. “I think preparing students to interact with the world after college means preparing them for ethical use of AI, because they’re going to be interacting with AI in most professions.”

He discouraged stances on AI in the classroom that are too far extreme either way; both prohibiting its usage and not having any restrictions.

Though there are assignments where AI is not necessary, Lambert said the intentionality behind those decisions should be explained to students.

“I think it can sometimes be lacking that faculty are not explicitly saying why they are doing this,” Lambert said. “What is the value of not having AI in this learning assignment or in this course? How is that benefiting your education and preparing you professionally more than if I just let you use AI?”

The weekly webinars will cover a variety of topics including AI and the flow of work, accessibility tools and academic integrity.

The first set of weekly sessions began Sept. 10 and will continue through the spring semester. Employees can register on the AI Ready site and it is completely voluntary.

Ewing said if the university decides to offer the webinars again in upcoming years, they will need to reinvest in the CIC’s program.

“I could imagine doing it two or three years, or taking what we do this year and then investing in new ways,” she said.

Nataley Davis can be reached at davisn5@duq.edu