Currently on campus there are (at least) three different conversations about artificial intelligence (AI). There is the conversation around teaching related to regulation and misuse, asking about guidelines and guardrails. There is the conversation around research related to the changing speed of discovery and translation, asking about urgency and readiness. And there is the conversation around outcomes related to career pathways, asking about the preparation for entering a workforce that has already embraced AI.

The photo above shows Professor Matt Kinservik’s E110 class. Earlier this week, first-year students from a host of majors gave presentations that addressed this question: “How well is my major preparing me for an AI future?” The students reported on how AI is currently being used in the discipline that they are pursuing, the human and durable skills that will remain critical in their studies and future careers, and ways their majors could evolve to help them prepare for the future. It was notable that in every presentation there was a recommendation to create an AI-specific course in the major.

Each of these conversations is important, as we seek to understand the impact of this technology within each of these realms. But it is also the case that these conversations need to be woven together to form a higher-order institutional perspective. That will be our work over the summer and through the fall as we engage in strategic planning.

Please reach out to me if you would like to be part of a summer working group to get this integrated conversation going.

Here is the latest from around the Beat

Our EVP team is advancing a range of high-impact initiatives — under the umbrella “Blue Hen Excellence” — designed to strengthen the University's financial foundation, modernize operations, and enhance the experience of our students, faculty and staff. The new webpage highlights a regularly updated selection of these projects, providing a brief overview of each initiative and its progress.

We have received a great response to the Faculty and Staff Pulse Surveys. Thank you for taking the time and providing your input. If you haven’t yet had a chance to respond, there is still time. Look through your email and find the link and fill it out before it closes at the end of the day tomorrow.

With Convocations and Commencement upon us, we are moving Prez Run next week to Tuesday, May 19, at 7 a.m. We will resume our regular Thursday runs the following week and thereafter, continuing through the summer. Please check out the Prez Run page for the detailed schedule and weather status.

I love seeing the constant use of all the chairs and tables on The Green. Many thanks to the President’s Student Advisory Council for advocating for outside furniture to bring our community together. Hammocks are up too, by the first-year residence halls.

Tomorrow will be busy. Please come on out to the General Faculty meeting from 10 to 11 a.m. in Gore Recital Hall, with a reception to follow. And then the One Idea, One Slide Summit kicks off at 12:30 p.m. at Mitchell Hall, with a reception to follow featuring UDairy ice cream. Thank you to all who submitted — we look forward to hearing pitches for over 75 ideas. You can preview the concepts and the schedule of presentations in our Google drive. Attendance is open to all, whether you are presenting or just listening. We will continue the mechanism to allow folks to get involved in an idea that piques their interest.

Good luck on finals and grading, and I look forward to seeing you at Convocations and then Commencement!

Yours in UD,