A recent Digital Education Council Global AI Faculty Survey (2025) found that higher education professionals in the United States are sharply divided about whether they view Artificial Intelligence tools as an opportunity for learning or see them as a challenge. Unfortunately, conversations about AI often become divisive, with people staking out pedagogical/ideological claims at a macro level.
In this series of conversations, we seek to chart a practical middle course focusing on the practical ways AI might be used in our professional lives while touching upon ways faculty might revise their assignments within the context of an AI-infused world.
By providing a warm breakfast and friendly space at the FDC, we hope to encourage both faculty and professionals to begin thinking about how AI might be useful and encourage a collaborative and collegial campus climate focused on addressing challenges together.
Here are our four proposed sessions, sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the Faculty Development Center:
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Breakfast Conversation 1: AI for Professional Tasks
Date: Thursday, Feb. 20, 9:00-10:30AM
Audience: Faculty and Staff
What We Will Discuss: Faculty and professional staff will explore AI tools that help draft professional emails, department reports, and grant applications faster and more effectively. We will also look at how AI can be used to create rubrics and class materials.
A full continental breakfast with coffee and tea will be served! Reservation required; limited to 15 attendees
Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/r/M0icHrYeuB
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Teatime Watch Party: Adapting to Innovation: Strategy and Capacity Building for AI and Beyond
Date: Thursday, February 27, 3:45-5:00PM
Audience: Faculty and Staff
Audience: Faculty and Staff
We will watch the talk (in real time) given by Michelle Singh, Ph.D., Assistant Commissioner, Digital Learning, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for the Online SUNY Summit. Afterwards, we will discuss Singh’s presentation.
Bagels and desserts with coffee and tea will be served! Reservation required; limited to 15 attendees.
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Breakfast Conversation 2: Designing Assignments Students Can’t “AI” Their Way Through
Date: Thursday, March 13, 9:00-10:30AM
Audience: Faculty
What We Will Discuss: How to redesign assignments so students engage with AI responsibly instead of just copying responses. Faculty will leave with practical assignment redesign templates they can implement immediately.
A full continental breakfast with coffee and tea will be served! Reservation required; limited to 15 attendees.
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Breakfast Conversation 3: Free & Easy-to-Use AI Tools That Faculty and Professionals Should Know About
Date: Thursday, April 17, 9:00-10:30AM
Audience: Faculty and Staff
What We Will Discuss: Participants will be asked to come, ready to share and demo a cool AI tool that has been useful.
A full continental breakfast with coffee and tea will be served! Reservation required; limited to 15 attendees
