Clark State to prepare students, faculty for ‘responsible use of AI’ - Springfield News-Sun

Clark State was awarded a $100,000 grant to prepare students and faculty for the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

“(AI) is transforming higher education and the workforce at an unprecedented pace. This grant allows Clark State to proactively prepare students and faculty for those changes while ensuring AI is integrated thoughtfully, ethically and in ways that support learning,” said Adrienne Forgette, provost and vice president of academic affairs.

“It also creates opportunities to develop new workforce training that helps regional employers and workers adapt to emerging technologies and strengthens Clark State's ability to respond to evolving workforce needs,” she continued.

The grant, awarded by the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s AI Integration in Community Colleges Program, will allow the college to provide leadership in the integration of AI literacy across the region with partner institutions, according to college officials.

Clark State is the lead institution for a regional AI institution that includes Southern State and Edison State community colleges, according to Forgette. The college will oversee the implementation of the initiative, coordinate faculty development efforts and facilitate the sharing of instructional resources and best practices.

The grant will focus on AI in general education courses including College Credit Plus-aligned courses as a way to help create new workforce training opportunities. With AI becoming a foundational skill across nearly every industry, Forgette said, this will help make sure students graduate with an understanding of how to use AI effectively, ethically and responsibly.

“Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how we learn, work and solve problems,” she said. “This grant allows us to ensure our students and faculty are equipped with the knowledge and skills to use AI effectively, ethically and responsibly while preparing graduates for the evolving workforce.”

As part of the project, Clark State will embed AI competency into several high-enrollment courses that are also taken by CCP students, including English composition, psychology, medical terminology and biology. This means they will integrate instruction on the appropriate use of AI into existing coursework rather than teaching it as a standalone topic, according to Forgette.

“The goal is to help students develop practical AI literacy alongside the learning outcomes already established for each course,” she said.

The college is working to develop a foundational AI literacy course that can be offered to employers and community members as workforce training, Forgette said. The course is expected to introduce AI fundamentals, responsible and ethical use of AI, prompt writing, evaluating AI-generated content, privacy and security considerations, and practical workplace applications.

Ten faculty members will also earn the Certificate in AI for Higher Education through the Digital Education Council, which prepares them to integrate AI into teaching while emphasizing competent, efficient and ethical use of it. After the certification program, faculty will share their knowledge with colleagues through a Train-the-Trainer model.

To support this new instruction, the college will buy 300 Nectir AI licenses to provide faculty with a secure-, education-focused AI platform that integrates AI into teaching and create course-specific learning assistants for student.

Lastly, the project will include professional development activities where faculty will exchange teaching materials, research and outcomes developed through the initiative.

“(AI) is not replacing the need for critical thinking, communication and problem-solving - it is changing how these skills are applied,” Forgette said. “This grant positions the college to prepare graduates with the knowledge and skills employers increasingly expect in today's workforce.”

The grant period runs through June 30, 2027, and all project activities and funding must be completed within that timeframe.