Artificial intelligence isn’t sitting on the horizon anymore. It’s sitting right here in our classrooms, our offices, and our daily workflow.
Rather than sitting on the sidelines or attempting an unrealistic blanket ban, IUP is taking a direct, university-wide approach to the using this growing form of tech. In fact, the safe, ethical, and practical use of AI has been named one of six presidential priorities for the 2026–27 academic year.
The goal isn’t to chase shiny new tech just because it’s new. It’s about building a common-sense framework rooted in academic integrity and real-world usefulness.
“AI is already influencing how we teach, learn, work, and create,” said Todd Cunningham, IUP’s Chief Information Officer. “Rather than leaving individuals to navigate these changes on their own, IUP is taking a university-wide approach that provides common guidance, shared resources, and a framework for responsible use while preserving academic integrity and human judgment.”
Real Classroom Impact
Around IUP, the real work is already happening. In one of her Speech-Language Pathology program courses, Professor and Program Director Lisa Price uses AI as an active teaching tool.
Price has her students generate clinical content twice: once with all the relevant background information, and once without it. The results give students a front-row seat to both the power of AI and its dangerous blind spots.
“(They) were shocked by 1) what AI was able to produce and 2) how AI would fail them if they did not apply their own critical thinking and clinical analysis,” Price said. “The discussions with students were game changers. They understood that they cannot offload clinical decision making to AI, but that AI also helped them see the clinical problem from different angles that they might not have noticed on their own (our own blind spots).”
For Price, it’s about preparing students for the reality waiting for them after graduation.
“I wanted to work with AI, teach students how to use it rather than deny them access to it,” she said. “I want to teach them responsible use of a tool – that’s what AI is, a tool and nothing else.”
Four Strategic Pathways
IUP is channeling its AI focus into four key areas:
- AI Literacy for Everyone:Giving students, faculty, and staff a clear understanding of how AI actually works.
- AI in Teaching and Learning:Finding practical ways for instructors and students to engage with AI in the classroom without sacrificing high academic standards.
- Operational Efficiency:Using AI to trim down routine tasks, cut through paperwork, and smooth out daily operations.
- Curriculum and Career Readiness:Weaving relevant AI skills into degree programs so our graduates enter the workforce ready for what employers expect.
Despite the high-tech focus, this push isn’t about cutting staff or replacing human expertise. AI can’t replicate critical thinking, creativity, or professional judgment, and it isn’t meant to.
“Success will not be measured by how much AI we adopt,” Cunningham said. “It will be measured by whether we help our students, faculty, and staff use AI in ways that support learning, improve efficiency, and strengthen decision-making while remaining aligned with our institutional values.”
Hands-On Resources and Collaboration
Some groups are already leaning into the shift. Emily Ruth Rutter, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs, teamed up with Steve Hovan, dean of the Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, to launch a series of monthly professional development gatherings.
“The series is designed for IUP faculty to gather monthly and share pedagogical resources regarding ethical AI literacy and responsible, innovative classroom uses of AI tools,” Rutter said. “At the heart of the series is the question of how to ensure our students are AI literate but not AI dependent, confident in their use of technology to augment but not replace their creative and intellectual capabilities.”
To help use AI in its best ways, members of the IUP community have access to secure, university-supported tools like Microsoft Copilot, Chat, and Zoom AI. To help folks hit the ground running, IUP IT Services built an online AI Resource Hub complete with quick-start guides, tool overviews, and short video walkthroughs.
“IUP is leveraging existing Microsoft licenses as it expands its AI program,” said Jeff Montgomery, IT Services’ Director of Enterprise Applications and Project Management. “This approach requires ongoing communication to help users apply AI more effectively in their daily work while also providing guidance for more advanced use cases. Most importantly, it gives IUP users the opportunity to explore, learn, and adapt to a rapidly evolving technology.”
Shape the Future at the IUP AI Summit
Because these changes touch every corner of campus, IUP is hosting the IUP AI Summit on Tuesday, November 10.
Titled “From Exploration to Impact: Advancing AI Across the IUP Community,” the summit will bring together faculty, staff, students, and industry leaders to share what’s working, troubleshoot challenges, and figure out where AI fits across different academic disciplines.
Want to get involved now? Here’s how:
- Join a Pathway Working Group:Reach out to Priority Lead Todd Cunningham to join a team working on one of the four strategic areas.
- Explore Training Resources:Head over to the IT Support Center AI Hub to check out video tutorials, literacy guides, and documentation.
- Share Your Work:Submit proposals or share departmental use cases to help shape university-wide best practices.
- Get in the Room:Attend upcoming literacy and professional development sessions, or lend your expertise in teaching, research, governance, or operations.
As the academic year rolls on, this hands-on strategy will ensure IUP students graduate with real, practical skills—all while keeping genuine human judgment right where it belongs: at the center of everything we do.