AI Initiative
November 28, 2023
Dear UM colleagues,
I am excited to invite faculty and staff to two upcoming opportunities designed to enhance UM's capabilities related to artificial intelligence (AI) - a Jan. 16 AI Innovation Symposium and a call for Flagship Fund proposals focused on generative AI.
In the past few years, we've seen rapid advancements in AI technology and the widespread adoption of powerful AI tools in numerous fields. As a university community, it is incumbent on us to understand AI's positive potential, to understand and address its potential dangers, and to channel its transformative power to enhance teaching, learning, research and operations here at UM.
To this end, we will build a university-wide AI initiative that:
- Coordinates efforts across departments and disciplines.
- Identifies and implements effective AI solutions to enhance university operations.
- Adapts the UM curriculum to prepare students for an AI-integrated world.
- Fosters an environment where AI is a catalyst for innovation in research.
I encourage you to be a part of this effort through the following two opportunities:
AI Innovation Symposium: Transforming the Future at the University of Montana
First, you are invited to join an all-day symposium on Jan. 16 to learn about the impacts of AI in higher education, as well as explore opportunities to innovate and enhance our educational and operational effectiveness.
The symposium will feature a series of discussions and break-out groups focused on five key areas of potential opportunity to leverage AI capabilities:
- Curricular Integration
- Personalized Student Support
- Operational Efficiency
- Enrollment and Advancement
- Research and Innovation
Please save the date and register for the University of Montana AI Innovation Symposium. An agenda will follow soon.
Flagship Fund Call for Proposals
In addition, we seek ideas from members of the UM community to build the University's internal capacity to use generative artificial intelligence (AI). To that end, the Office of Strategic Planning and Implementation invites proposals for one-year grants of up to $10,000.
Proposals may be for individuals or teams in any sector to amplify existing areas of understanding, to adopt new ways of work, to pilot AI tools or to participate in professional development. OSPI encourages proposals that demonstrate cooperation across offices or areas of expertise, that benefit cohorts rather than individuals and that carry a broad impact.
Faculty and staff interested in submitting proposals are strongly encouraged to participate in the Jan. 16 campus-wide AI Innovation Symposium as an opportunity to help sharpen their proposal ideas and connect with others engaged in similar thinking.
Proposals will be due on March 1. Funding will be available for these projects in the 2024-25 fiscal year. For more information on the Flagship Fund criteria and submission process, please visit the Flagship Fund webpage.
The influence of AI in our world is here to stay, and I am excited to work with all of you to explore the responsibilities and opportunities that this fact presents to us as educators and stewards of our great university.
Seth