The ability of computers to create content is advancing rapidly, spurring an investment arms race within the technology sector. As new products like ChatGPT and Midjourney turn AI into a part of daily life, universities are facing decisions about how students, instructors, and researchers can best engage with these new tools.

This fall, as part of a two-year research project, Ithaka S+R is convening a select group of universities committed to making AI generative for their campus community. Today we are excited to share the partnering schools in the Making AI Generative for Higher Education project:

  • Bryant University
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Concordia University
  • Duke University
  • East Carolina University
  • McMaster University
  • Princeton University
  • Queen’s University
  • Stony Brook University
  • Temple University
  • University of Arizona
  • University of Baltimore
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Connecticut
  • University of Delaware
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of North Texas
  • Yale University

Together the partners in the Making AI Generative for Higher Education will assess the immediate and emerging AI applications most likely to impact teaching, learning, and research and explore the long-term needs of institutions, instructors, and scholars as they navigate this environment.

How will the project work?

During the first year, we will comprehensively review the areas of university activity most affected by this emerging technology. The project will kick-off with an assessment exercise where the cohort will gauge the readiness of their campuses to productively leverage generative AI technologies for teaching and research purposes. In parallel, Ithaka S+R will comprehensively review relevant technological, policy, service, and product developments and publish updates from the project’s initial activities by the end of 2023.

In winter 2024, the project will focus on gathering perspectives from those working with generative AI technologies in a variety of disciplines. Ithaka S+R and the participating universities will conduct semi-structured interviews with instructors and researchers, which will create the largest qualitative dataset to-date on the higher education use-case. In 2024, we will also release a public report to share the findings.

The project’s second year focuses on developing institution-specific strategies for each cohort member. To update our collective understanding of cutting-edge developments, we will also publish an updated landscape review. During this phase the cohort will participate together in design workshops to surface areas for on-campus intervention. Each university partner will also create or revise their university’s campus-wide strategy statement on generative AI and develop and implement a preliminary plan for working with campus support to ensure broader implementation.

At the conclusion of the project, Ithaka S+R will publish shared findings and observations from all three project phases, with input from the cohort.

Keeping up with the project

We will be publishing three public reports related to the project’s findings in 2023, 2024, and 2025, as well as less formal updates and other relevant news along the way. If you are interested in staying in touch, sign up here to join our mailing list.