It’s everywhere. Artificial intelligence, otherwise known as AI, has seeped into the inner workings of our everyday lives. From our phones to the workplace and many places in between, AI applications such as chatbots and ChatGPT have become intertwined with big and small tasks.  

As the technology’s impact advances, UNLV is looking toward the future to prepare faculty, researchers, and staff with the skills to succeed through the launch of the Generative AI Fellows Pilot Program. 

Academic and administrative faculty can apply to one of three cohorts to learn about generative AI applications and later serve as resources for their colleagues who wish to explore the capabilities of the technology. The knowledge gained through the program will empower participants to integrate AI into their classrooms, research, and administrative work.

“The launch of the AI Fellows Program is an important step toward integrating AI technology on our campus. AI offers the potential to increase productivity and innovation in both academic pursuits and research, and we must carefully weigh all possible outcomes,” said UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield. “This initiative will allow our students and faculty to leverage this burgeoning technology to ensure that UNLV remains at the forefront of innovation and education.”

Integrating AI into the Classroom

The cohort focusing on integrating generative AI in the classroom is designed to equip educators with cutting-edge AI tools and strategies to enhance their teaching methods and foster student engagement.

Led by the Learning and Teaching Commons (formerly the Faculty Center), academic faculty will participate in an interactive online training course to help them learn strategies for developing innovative instructional content and supporting student success.

The classroom cohort is overseen by Beth Barrie, vice provost for Teaching & Learning Innovation. According to Barrie, the fellows program follows a "train the trainer" model, enabling participating faculty to share their knowledge with the wider campus community.

“I'm looking forward to seeing what the faculty fellows want to do to support their peers in learning about integrating generative AI into the classroom,” Barrie said. “This group will self-select, they will apply, and then they will create these shared learning opportunities for their colleagues throughout the academic year.”

As faculty work their way through the program, Barrie envisions future workshops in identified areas that are important to faculty to continue strengthening their curriculums and overall support for student success by harnessing the power of AI. 

Advancing Research with AI

In today's rapidly evolving research landscape, empowering researchers with the tools to leverage AI technologies in their work is crucial.

As a recognized Carnegie R1 research university, research is integral to UNLV’s Top Tier goals and overall mission. By embracing AI, researchers can revolutionize their methodologies, enhance data analysis, and spark innovation in their fields.

David Hatchett, vice president for research, touts AI’s ability to support ethical practices and time-saving benefits in research projects. While Hatchett believes that AI will enhance research capabilities, he also acknowledges the need to establish clear definitions of acceptable and unacceptable AI use to uphold the integrity of scholarly activity.

“My hope is that it's utilized in a way we can all agree is ethical and that the use reduces the burden of trying to do things differently, which could drive research forward more efficiently,” Hatchett said. 

Overall, the learning outcomes for the research cohort are designed to empowering researchers to leverage AI tools for research processes, including data analysis, grant writing, and task automation.

Optimizing Administrative Operations with AI

As universities strive to streamline operations and enhance efficiency, integrating AI into administrative tasks has emerged as a game-changer. From automating routine processes to providing data-driven insights, AI is revolutionizing how administrative functions are managed, allowing staff to focus on more strategic and impactful work. 

“We want to provide the tools to our staff, including the enterprise IT side, faculty, and administrative staff so that they know what they are doing and understand how to use the technology,” said Kivanc Oner, vice president for digital transformation and chief information officer. “We want to take away some of that fear of the unknown.” 

While the advent of AI is exciting in many ways, it has also sparked concerns about the potential for the technology to render certain jobs obsolete.

Oner, who is leading the Generative AI Fellows Pilot Program for the Office of Information Technology, asserts the need to develop an understanding of AI tools among administrative faculty to quell any doubts or fears. 

Instead, administrative faculty are encouraged to learn the skills offered in the program to integrate AI into their daily tasks in a responsible manner to optimize and streamline their workload, thus creating capacity for other high-level tasks. 

“We believe we can provide a lot of resources to our administrative faculty as part of the pilot program,” Oner said. “If we can help create automation for tasks, then hopefully we can have our staff focus on more value-added, customer service-oriented tasks. Every efficiency gained is a positive for us. If we can utilize AI to support any of these initiatives, then it will have a huge impact on how we serve our students and how we serve our faculty and community.”

What’s Next for AI at UNLV 

AI has a broad reach across many disciplines and areas of work. As the first program dedicated to advance understanding of AI technology solutions on campus, the Generative AI Fellows Pilot Program aims to set the groundwork for university operations and academic success for faculty, staff, and students.

“The reality is that generative AI will influence all aspects of our work. It’s crucial to consider how to use it thoughtfully and constructively to ensure our success,” said Chris Heavey, executive vice president and provost. “By helping faculty, staff, and students apply AI across the broad spectrum of work they do, we are empowering them to navigate the challenges of a rapidly evolving landscape.”

The program also serves to expand AI into classrooms and labs in order to equip students with skills that will serve them beyond graduation. 

"AI technology helps strengthen the professional toolkit of faculty, staff, and administrators, enabling them to innovate and inspire." Heavey added. “Ultimately, our students will benefit from this knowledge and have a better learning experience.”

Faculty and staff interested in the Generative AI Fellows Pilot Program are invited to apply through the online form before the deadline of Friday, Sept. 27. Visit Generative AI at UNLV for more information on UNLV’s AI initiatives.