DeKALB – NIU’s creation of an artificial intelligence task force and a RIPS update were some of what was discussed at Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting.
AI Task Force:
In the spring 2024 semester, NIU put together an action team to make recommendations related to AI and the university. The action team is currently in the process of creating a task force, which has three specific goals in mind.
The three goals of the AI task force are to investigate the challenges and opportunities related to AI usage across Academic Affairs, coordinate development of policies and practices while ensuring alignment with university mission and values, analyze current AI practices and develop recommendations for responsible AI integration in academics.
The AI task force will also have an advisory group and three working groups that work under the advisory group.
Laurie Elish-Piper, executive vice president and provost, explained how NIU is looking for members to be part of the working groups.
“We have a balance of faculty and other leaders on campus who have expertise related to the working group and we’re currently forming the members of these groups. And so the first one on ethical guidelines and evaluation, the second one academic support services, and then the third one, teaching and learning,” Elish-Piper said. “And so we are looking for representatives from Faculty Senate to serve on each of those working groups to bring forth different perspectives and different ideas. The co-chairs have all agreed to serve in that capacity. And so they are beginning to get things organized to reach out and invite people to join those work groups, and so in collaboration with Faculty Senate, we definitely want to have representation just to bring that together and make sure there’s communication back and forth between the two.”
The goal is for the new groups to move somewhat quickly, because of the way AI is rapidly expanding and changing.
Elish-Piper mentioned one of the recommendations of the action team.
“I do want to mention that one of the recommendations of the action team was to also consider a plan for looking at research in AI and so on the advisory committee, Richard Mocarski, our new vice president for Research and Innovation Partnerships is going to serve in that capacity, and then ultimately, can make a decision on whether we add a working group, a different structure might be used to look at opportunities related to research,” Elish-Piper said.
RIPS Update:
Richard Mocarski, the vice president for Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS) provided an update on the RIPS program, with the focus being on RIPS’ values, mission and vision.
RIPS has seven different values that they enact in their program.
“What we decided as a team was that our goals, our values, our team, nurturing, resourceful, ethical partners, accessible, joyous and agents of change. And again, this should all resonate as our job is to be high touch folks,” Mocarski said. “We want to be the person you come to when you have issues and when you don’t have issues. You want to be with us too, so we can help partner with you to find the resources necessary to support the research.”
RIPS also has a specific vision which is to grow the research and creative enterprise to empower world transforming discovery, paradigm shifting expression and life changing student opportunities. RIPS also encourages research, scholarship, artistry and entrepreneurship across campus in different ways such as facilitating the submission of grants and contracts, according to the RIPS website.
Mocarski expressed how NIU is a unique institution when it comes to research.
“The reason I’m here, the reason I’m at NIU, is because it’s a unique institution. There are a lot of higher [education] institutions across the country. NIU is one of the few that combines world class research in artistry and student access,” Morcarski said. ”There are institutions where you have great access to faculty, but maybe they’re not on the cutting edge. They’re not doing that one changing institution. That diagram of institutions that do those well is small. We should be proud to be one of those. And so RIPS for me is here to help to continue that tradition that you all are already doing, and to support that.”
RIPS’ main goals for the 2024-2025 academic year are to grow research, artistry and innovation, develop and expand partnerships, nurture an entrepreneurial mindset, improve operational effectiveness and increase brand awareness.
There will be a faculty meet and greet with RIPS Leadership members from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Oct. 24 at 71 North Partnership Studios, located in the lower level of Founders Memorial Library.
More information about the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships can be found on NIU’s website.
The next Faculty Senate meeting will be at 3 p.m. Oct. 30 at Altgeld Hall Auditorium. The agenda is posted prior to each meeting and minutes are posted following each meeting on NIU’s website.
