Bowdoin Secures Major Grant for AI Teaching and Learning Initiative

Syphers teamed up with Allison Crosscup, director of academic advancement and strategic priorities in the grants office, along with several other faculty and staff colleagues, to work on a grant proposal during the spring semester for funding to support a faculty and staff development initiative on AI and teaching. The result was a three-year award* of $249,300 from the Davis Educational Foundation for Bowdoin's "AI in Teaching Initiative."

"We were pleased to make the award," said Ed MacKay, the chair of the foundation's board of trustees, calling the proposal a "thoughtful examination of the pedagogical applications of AI in higher education."

The Davis Educational Foundation's objectives include supporting institutional efforts focused on effective teaching and learning which, according to Crosscup, presented a unique opportunity to partner with the Foundation on this initiative.

"The award," said Crosscup, "will significantly impact our collective learning about AI in the years ahead. We are excited about the opportunities it opens up to build capacity and knowledge in this area, and grateful to have earned the Foundation's support for this undertaking."

The Road Ahead
Over the next three academic years, the initiative, which also involves resource-sharing with Colby and Bates Colleges, as well as the University of Southern Maine and the University of New England, will offer workshops, panel discussions, symposia, and keynote addresses.

This year's programming kicked off earlier this semester with a workshop featuring Lilach Mollick, director of pedagogy at and an expert on AI in teaching. Upcoming highlights of the 2024-25 academic year include a humanities-focused symposium on AI in music that will include four invited speakers addressing both the creative sides of AI and concerns about the potential dependency on it given its capabilities.

Additionally, the grant supports a team of faculty and staff who are taking part in a year-long institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum organized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

"The AI revolution is coming faster than you can believe, and it's pretty much going to affect everything."

Recognizing that faculty and staff are at different stages in their familiarity and adoption of AI, this initiative is designed to offer several points of entry to and engagement with this effort. For example, the grant provides funding to support participation in external trainings and conferences that complement programming offered on campus and course development funds to help enrich existing courses based on AI-informed strategies or to develop new ones using the technology.

Faculty can also apply for funding to host workshops with guest speakers from their respective fields or disciplines. Faculty or staff members interested in learning more about these opportunities should contact the AI subcommittee of the CoTCP.

Concerns about the misuse of AI cannot be ignored, said Syphers, and will mean certain changes. "For instance, there are no more take-home exams for me-ever. We're going 'old school' with in-class exams and maybe even some oral follow up or discussion, so students can show me what they know."

The initiative, however, is primarily focused on understanding the benefits and challenges that can come from AI in the learning and teaching process across disciplines.

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