You’re Invited: AI Showcase & Conversations on Teaching, Learning, and Research

Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to invite you to Fairfield University’s inaugural AI Showcase & Conversations on Teaching, Learning, and Research, taking place on Wednesday, April 29, from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. in the lower level of the BCC, with a wine and cheese reception to follow in BCC 200 from 4 to 5 p.m. This event, hosted by the Office of the Provost in collaboration with the University’s AI Task Force in Teaching, Learning, & Research, will highlight the remarkable ways our faculty are engaging with artificial intelligence across disciplines.

This informal, drop-in event will feature over twenty presentations from faculty representing a wide range of fields—including nursing, engineering, business, communication, counseling, computer science, and the humanities. You’ll discover how colleagues are:

• ·         Designing AI-resilient communication instruction in technical disciplines, grounded in Universal Design for Learning and reflective assignment design.
• ·         Integrating AI ethically and practically into nursing pedagogy and the natural sciences, including innovative strategies to improve medication calculation competency and simulate clinical scenarios for advanced counseling skill development.
• ·         Exploring the use of AI as a “critical friend” in accreditation work and as a tool for higher-order thinking, data gathering, and analysis in the classroom.
• ·         Examining the boundaries of AI use—from “Should I Let AI Take Notes for Me?” in student learning experiments, to setting clear policies for when AI is allowed (and when it’s not) in computer science and writing courses.
• ·         Leveraging AI to enhance career preparation for behavioral health professionals, and to support marriage and family therapy training and practice.
• ·         Incorporating prompt engineering into first-year engineering design courses, and using AI to generate adaptive cases that engage students in real-world problem solving.
• ·         Using AI to help students understand films’ context, support information literacy, and rethink the role of AI in cybersecurity.

These are just a few examples of the thoughtful, discipline-informed approaches you’ll encounter. The showcase is not about promoting a single vision for AI, but about making visible the intentional pedagogical reasoning guiding how AI is framed, used, or limited within different courses and fields.

There will be no formal presentations; instead, you are invited to browse, ask questions, and connect with colleagues at your own pace. Light refreshments, including wine and cheese, will be provided afterward.

Whether you are deeply involved with AI or simply curious about its impact, your presence and perspective will enrich our community’s ongoing conversation. I encourage all faculty and staff to join us for this celebration of innovation and collaboration.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Warm regards,

Christine Siegel, PhD
Provost