With recognition that we are living through an era in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming our society, on August 8, the Vermont State Colleges System’s (VSCS) Teaching & Learning with Technology (TLT) hosted an AI Retreat to bring together faculty and staff from across Vermont’s public higher education system to explore the profound implications of this technology on education.
Over 200 participants from Vermont State University and Community College of Vermont – the two institutions that make up VSCS – faculty and staff gathered at the Vermont State Randolph campus to gain a comprehensive understanding of AI, from the foundational differences between narrow, generative, and general AI, to the latest advancements in the field and how they can be effectively utilized in higher education.
Kellie Campbell, Chief Information Officer at Vermont State Colleges Information Technology, explained, “TLT, a group of colleagues across both VTSU and CCV, is a working committee to support and foster the sustainable, innovative use of technology for teaching and learning at all VSC member institutions. The group identified early on the importance of AI and wanted to provide space for collaboration and learning. Open to both faculty and staff, we gathered in community to learn, discuss, and consider AI through the lens of ethics, equity, pedagogy, security, business process improvement, change readiness and practical/potential use cases (to name a few). “
The day kicked off with a fantastic presentation from keynote speaker, Stephen Aguilar, Associate Professor of Education at USC Rossier School of Education and Associate Director of the USC Center for Generative AI and Society, whose insightful and inspiring presentation “Authentic Intelligence: Preventing AI from “Hijacking” Education” delved into the rapidly evolving world of AI in education, explored the benefits and efficiencies AI brings, and discussed the potential downsides of an over-reliance on AI in education. Watch a clip of that presentation here.
Leslie Kanat, Dean for the School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at VTSU, shared, “As our students increasingly rely on large language models (LLMs), it is essential that we, too, understand and use these tools. We must ask ourselves: What can we do better than even the most advanced AI? LLMs excel in many tasks, but they lack the ability to form personal relationships and offer the human interactions that are so vital to the educational experience. This is where we, the faculty, truly excel and where our irreplaceable value lies.”
After the keynote, participants chose from a wide range of breakout sessions focused on everything from Exploring Generative AI for Pedagogical Uses, to Utilizing an Equity and Justice Lens to Understand Bias in the Machine, to Microsoft Copilot for Beginners. Faculty and staff were empowered to analyze, better understand, and work with AI responsibly, with the goal of ensuring that the benefits of this technology can be utilized across our institutions while continuing to protect privacy, accessibility, and in the academic environment.
Robert Franklin, Social Media Manager and University Photographer at VTSU, added, “Attending the AI retreat was a game-changer for me as a social media manager. It opened my eyes to the potential of AI in streamlining content creation and analyzing trends in real-time. I walked away with practical tools and strategies that will not only enhance our social media presence, but also make our communication efforts more efficient and impactful.”
Kellie also shared, “Higher education has such a key role to play in how we support and position AI not only in our internal work, but how we balance opportunity and use with a human layer of intervention to prepare a future community of leaders. Our community was ignited yesterday, ready to think about what is next as we transition into a new academic year. A special thank you to Jen Garrett-Ostermiller, Jeff Tunney, Lisa Hayward, Jen Alberico, Sarah Chambers, Sean Dailey and Tony Harris for their leadership in planning.”
“The AI retreat was a wonderful opportunity for CCV and VTSU faculty and staff to come together and learn more about AI and how it may impact teaching and learning,” shared Nolan Atkins, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost at VTSU. “The event generated a great deal of rich conversation among the nearly 200 participants.”
