19 AI@Conn Faculty Support

Connecticut College’s AI@Conn Initiative provides all faculty with training, funding, consultation, and community to explore the responsible use of artificial intelligence in teaching, learning, and research. This section describes the resources available to faculty, how to access them, and where to find institutional guidance on AI use in the classroom.

Overview

AI@Conn is a three-year, College-wide initiative supporting faculty as they experiment with generative AI tools, redesign courses, and address emerging questions of academic integrity and equity. The initiative is guided by an interdisciplinary Advisory Committee representing faculty, staff, and students. The Initiative works in partnership with the Office of Academic Support, the Joy Shechtman Mankoff Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Office of the Dean of Faculty.

Since the initiative’s launch, AI@Conn has delivered dozens of workshops and demonstrations, held more than 150 individual or departmental meetings, and supported faculty using AI to draft and refine assignments and rubrics, build examples and materials for diverse learners, support research and literature review, and create custom tools for student learning.

Faculty AI Fellow

Susan Purrington, PhD, CTRS, serves as the Harold F. Wiley Generative AI Teaching and Learning Fellow. Dr. Purrington is available as an educator, technical consultant, and thought partner to support new course development and faculty-led AI projects. Faculty are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Purrington (spurringt@conncoll.edu) directly to discuss syllabi statements, course redesign, classroom applications, or research questions involving AI.

Professional Development

AI@Conn offers several ongoing formats for faculty development:

• • Workshops and demonstrations — hands-on sessions on topics such as writing AI-related course policies, exploring Conn-approved AI tools, and adapting syllabi and lesson plans with generative AI.
  • Facilitated Discussions — structured conversations, such as the Talking Teaching series, where faculty reflect together on classroom experiences with AI, share concerns and successes, and surface emerging questions around pedagogy, integrity, and equity in an informal, low-stakes setting.
  • Individual consultations — one-on-one support to explore specific AI tools, experiment with assignment or rubric design, and troubleshoot classroom implementation.
  • Campus Moodle “AI@Conn for Faculty & Staff” — a dedicated Moodle site serving as a central repository for AI@Conn resources, including workshop materials, sample syllabus language, tool guides, and a space for faculty to share ideas and ask questions between sessions.

Current offerings are announced through the weekly All-Faculty/CCStaff email.

Funding Opportunities

Course Development Stipends

Stipends support faculty redesigning existing courses or creating new ones that incorporate AI tools, topics, and ethical considerations, using a tiered award structure:

• • Tier 1 ($250–$1,000): adding an AI-related unit or activity to an existing course.
  • Tier 2: ($1,000-$2000): substantial modification of an existing course with significant AI components.
  • Tier 3 ($2,000–$3,000): creating an entirely new AI-focused course.

Applications are accepted following faculty development sessions offered in August and December/January. Stipend recipients present their work at the annual Faculty AI Showcase.

Student–Faculty Summer Research Grants

These grants fund collaborative summer research between faculty and students on AI-related questions, with the goal of feeding findings back into teaching and future research. Faculty mentors and student researchers present their work at the fall research symposium.

AI Jump Start Grants

These $500 (per academic year) grants help support faculty-led AI activities related to their course or discipline. These are a rolling application based on need.

Institutionally Supported AI Tools

Faculty have explored a range of AI platforms through AI@Conn programming, including ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Amplify, and NotebookLM. Faculty interested in building custom tools, such as course-specific GPT tutors or chatbots, are encouraged to start with an individual consultation to identify the platform best suited to their goals and to discuss responsible-use considerations before deploying a tool with students.

Guidance on Course AI Policies

Faculty are responsible for setting clear expectations for AI use in their own courses. AI@Conn’s Campus Moodle provides insights into crafting your own AI Position Statement. Consultation with the AI Fellow is encouraged.

How to Get Support

• • Request an individual consultation: one-on-one meetings are available to discuss tool selection, assignment redesign, or course policy language.
  • Request a department session: AI@Conn offers department-level overview meetings, listening sessions, and strategy sessions on request.
  • Join the community: subscribe to the AI Interest Group listserv and visit the “AI@Conn for Faculty & Staff” site on Moodle for resources and discussion.
  • Apply for funding: watch for calls for proposals following August and December/January development sessions.

Contact and Resources

Email: AIConn@conncoll.edu

Campus Moodle: https://moodlecampus.conncoll.edu/course/view.php?id=318

Website: conncoll.edu/library-information-technology/ai-at-conn