Inside JMU Monday, 10/12

From academics and student support to operations and administration, colleagues across the university are collaborating through an AI Strategy Working Group to explore how artificial intelligence can enhance our work and strengthen our community.

The AISWG – chaired by Yasmeen Shorish, Special Advisor to the Provost for AI, and Michael Swartley, Interim AVP for Information Technology – was charged to create governance recommendations, define guiding principles, identify opportunities and risks, and help ensure AI is adopted in ways that support the university's mission, values and strategic goals. The 15-member team includes representatives from all divisions of the university as well as a student member.

Soon, the AISWG will share a set of principles developed to guide the implementation and use of AI on campus. The group welcomes feedback and questions at any time via this form, which will also be available on the website. The AISWG will continue to engage with campus stakeholders as other deliverables are developed.

JMU continues to engage with AI in other parallel efforts as well. Over the summer, JMU was accepted into the AACU's Institute on AI, Pedagogy and Curriculum, and we have a team participating with 147 other institutions to help build sustainable faculty development and AI literacy goals. JMU Libraries and IT continue to collaborate to produce resources for employees and students, including an ever-evolving web presence from Information Technology and new Canvas courses, one for students focused on AI literacy and one for faculty/staff on AI for teaching.

As AI continues to reshape how we work, teach, learn and engage, the cross-divisional AISWG is bringing together expertise from across the university to help guide its responsible and ethical use.