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Dear Colleagues,
Throughout the spring 2024 semester, the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in the Learning Environment, tri-chaired by Tori Mondelli, Enid Schatz and Ben Trachtenberg, gathered input from across campus, consulted with AI experts, and analyzed industry best practices to create a roadmap for MU to become an “AI forward” institution. I want to thank the Task Force members for all of their work and offer particular thanks to the tri-chairs.
A primary point of emphasis for Fall 2024 will be to embrace the fact that generative AI is something that we all must consider in our classroom environments. The task force endorses three draft syllabus statements, ranging from no acceptable use of generative AI to full integration of generative AI in course activities, that you can use or adapt for your courses. I strongly recommend that all instructors adopt a syllabus statement related to acceptable use of AI in each of their courses, considering factors like relevancy of AI to course objectives and ability to incorporate generative AI into course assignments. I also encourage all instructors, on the first day of class, to discuss expectations and class policies regarding the use of generative AI in their course. Doing so will help students be aware of authorized versus unauthorized use of AI within the class, which aligns with university policies regarding standards of conduct (see section C-1-c within CRR 200.010).
Another priority I will focus on this fall is working with Ben Canlas, UM System vice president for information technology and chief information officer, and other leaders in IT to ensure that our technical and policy infrastructure are aligned with the work of our faculty, staff, and students. At this time, the university supports responsible experimentation with and use of Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, but there are important considerations to keep in mind when using these tools, including information security, data privacy, compliance, intellectual property/copyright implications, academic integrity, and bias. In particular, student data should NOT be entered into generative AI tools and we strongly encourage you to not enter your own personal information into such tools. You can find AI Guidelines established by IT on our AI landing page.
Finally, the report makes several recommendations intended to support faculty competency with generative AI tools that can boost productivity, improve pedagogy, and enhance the student experience. I’ll be working closely with academic leaders across campus to determine programming needs, support structures, and additional resources for faculty in the AI space. As an initial step in this process, I have asked each dean to identify a faculty member to serve as an AI Teaching Fellow for the upcoming academic year, who will be supported with funds from my office. I anticipate that these fellows will serve as sources of support and expertise within their colleges, while also working across campus on AI-related teaching initiatives.
Please find and review the full Task Force report on our new AI landing page and join me in thanking Tori, Enid and Ben for their work identifying recommendations that position MU and our faculty as leaders in this new space.
Sincerely,
Matthew P. Martens, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs