UNC Charlotte’s Commitment to Responsible AI Use
Dear Colleagues,
With a productive start underway to the 2024-25 academic year, students and faculty are diving into their classes, researchers continue their vigorous cadence and campus operations have resumed their familiar pace. Accentuated throughout our business-as-usual campus activity is the growing use of artificial intelligence.
At UNC Charlotte, AI use is prevalent in teaching and learning, research and its administration, and a number of business operations. With AI’s growing presence, it is important for faculty, staff and students — now and moving forward — to adopt a university-wide understanding and acknowledgement of its acceptable, ethical and responsible use.
As we prepare our students to enter a workforce that will require proficient use of AI tools, regardless of their field, students will be looking to faculty and staff to model the appropriate use of those tools. We are making that possible in a number of ways:
- The Center for Teaching and Learning offers in-person and online workshops to bring faculty members up to speed on best practices for using generative AI in their courses and classrooms — and for guiding student use. Additionally, the Office of Legal Affairs provides related direction for syllabus policies and notices.
- This fall, working groups will be convened by the Division of Academic Affairs (with representation from Faculty Council), the Division of Research and the Division of Business Affairs to address workable processes and practices surrounding the use of AI in key University areas. These groups will draw from faculty and staff representatives across multiple divisions, and more information will be shared soon.
- The Office of OneIT’s AI Steering Committee has created guiding principles, AI software guidance and a security checklist that apply to all decision making about AI and its technology. For instance, a list of campus-wide AI tools with approved data security and privacy policies is available. For other software needs, follow campus procurement policies and work with procurement agents to submit the Software & IT-Related Request form.
Just as AI continues to evolve, so too will its use on campus. Last week, AI.charlotte.edu launched to keep our campus informed about AI-related practices, tools and projects. We encourage you to keep an eye on this important resource as it expands alongside Charlotte’s growing AI footprint. If you have questions or AI-related news to share, please email AI@charlotte.edu.
Thank you for all you do to promote innovation at Charlotte.
Sincerely,
Sharon L. Gaber
Chancellor
Jennifer Troyer
Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs