The Human Factor: Navigating AI in Higher Education

On Wednesday, Aug. 27, join CLTL and LEDS staff in Gannett Auditorium from 9 a.m. to noon for a series of engaging and thought-provoking sessions exploring ethical dimensions of engaging with GenAI and faculty/staff AI use studies. These sessions are mandatory for recipients of the AI Micro-grant Initiative but are also open to all faculty and staff.

Session Schedule
9-10:30 a.m.: Ethical Dimensions of AI Use 
10:40 a.m.-noon: Staff and Faculty AI Use Studies

Whether you’re opposed, cautious, curious, or excited about AI, this is a chance to learn, share, and think critically with colleagues. Please RSVP here by Aug. 25. 

Allies in Learning and Teaching
Allies in Learning and Teaching (ALT) is a pilot teacher-learner liaison program. Designed with both students and faculty in mind, student liaisons collaborate with professors to create more equitable and accessible classrooms by facilitating faculty-student communication and offering insights into pedagogical practices. To request that a trained student work with you this semester, complete this brief form.

Teaching Co-Lab
Participate in this new pilot program designed to foster meaningful collaboration among faculty through paired reflection and dialogue. Grounded in a teaching self-reflection tool designed by the Working Group for Inclusive and Accessible Learning, Teaching Co-Lab encourages participants to work together across a semester on core aspects of their teaching — including course design, student learning goals, teaching methods, and assessment practices — to build a more intentional and evidence-based approach to pedagogy. Participants will deepen their understanding of both student and self-assessment, generating richer, more nuanced teaching reflections and annual activity reports. The program launches on Friday, Oct. 10, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Weller Room (LIB 212). During the semester, participants should meet with their partner at least twice. The CLTL will provide lunch tickets to subsidize one of those meetings. A final wrap-up session will be held at the end of the semester. All efforts will be made to pair you with someone whose teaching schedule does not conflict with yours to allow for peer observation, if desired. If you are interested in participating in the coming semester, please complete this form by Friday, October 3.

Fall Book Club: Power and Progress: Our 1,000 Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity

• Date: Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 12:30-2 p.m. in the Test Kitchen of the Dining Hall
• Description: Daron Acemoglu (professor of economics, MIT) and Simon Johnson (professor of entrepreneurship, MIT) interrogate the techno-optimism that has catalyzed economic disparities for centuries, and argue the need for reorienting innovation toward shared prosperity, emphasizing policies and choices that ensure technologies, such as GenAI, serve society as a whole. If you are interested in participating in this discussion, RSVP here to receive a copy of the book before the event. There is space for up to 15 staff and faculty to participate — first-come, first-served. You may only request a copy if you know you can commit to attending. Lunch tickets will be distributed in the Atrium.

C/PD Technology Literacy Lunch Conversations
In a rapidly changing techno-laden landscape, what technologies shouldyour students be able to master upon degree completion? A coordinated effort among CLTL, LEDS, and the Faculty Director of Assessment, theseconversations offer support and resources for C/PDs’ assessment workaround technology literacies in their respective disciplines. Join us in the Test Kitchen at the Dining Hall on Monday, October 20, from 12:20-1:30 or Tuesday, October 21, from 12:40-1:50. Lunch tickets will be dispensed inthe Atrium in advance of the event. Please RSVP here if you would like to attend.

Designing Assignments Beyond AI’s Reach: Strategies for Educators
Generative AI has unleashed powerful new tools for teaching andlearning—but how do we design moments where students must rely on their own skills instead of AI? Ashley Evans is a tenured professor of Software Development and Cloud Computing at Valencia College, following a career in engineering at companies like Siemens and Lockheed Martin. In this session, she will walk attendees through AI-resistant strategies that limit the usefulness of AI tools and promote authentic, original work without turning instructors into AI detectives. Tuesday, October 28, from 6:00-7:00 over Zoom. RSVP here to receive the Zoom link in advance of the event.

Conjuring GPTs: Build Your Own AI Assistant
Step into the LEDS classroom this Halloween and conjure your own GPT assistant—a chatbot-like AI that complies with your parameters of use and mimics your unique style. In this hands-on session, we’ll unmask the difference between a prompt, a GPT, and a chatbot, then guide you through brewing a GPT that’s tailored to your Skidmore role. You’ll need your computer, a ChatGPT subscription, and one recurring task from your work that you’d like to turn into a GPT.  By the end, you will: have a working GPT, understand how to turn simple prompts into a reusable assistant, and leave with tricks (and maybe a few treats) to take back to your daily work. Costumes encouraged, curiosity required. Friday, October 31, from 2:30-4:00 in the LEDS Classroom (LIB 222). RSVP here to attend.

Celebrating the “Africana Studies and the Humanities” Mellon Grant

Monday, November 3, from 4:30-6:30 in the Wyckoff Center

Steering committee members cordially invite you to come celebrate the culmination of four years of racial justice initiatives emerging from the Mellon Foundation-funded grant, “Africana Studies and the Humanities at Skidmore: Transnational Explorations in Social Justice.” If you participated in any aspect of these initiatives—from racial justice learning communities, to work with the postdoctoral fellows, to summer research faculty-student collaboration, to developing new Black Studies courses, to nominating exemplary student work focused on racial justice—this is a moment to celebrate your ongoing commitment to this important work. Folks will share their experiences, we will unveil a short documentary commemorating these efforts, and, of course, what is a celebration without food?

(Meta) Research Salon with Emilio Vavarella (Media and Film Studies)
Emilio Vavarella presents: Techniques and Technologies of Thoughts: MyMedia Research and Media Practice on Thursday, November 20, from 12:45-1:45 in the Weller Room (Lib 212). What is the connection between thought and media? In what ways can media technologies be said to model our thoughts? In this talk, Emilio links his current book project on the deep entanglement between thinking and media with his latest art project developed in collaboration with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. What do ancient media like textiles have in common with DNA, modern computers, and media studies? And where does theory end and practice begin? Please RSVP by Sunday, November 16.

Bio:
Emilio Vavarella (PhD, Harvard University) is an artist and researcher working at the intersection of interdisciplinary art practice, theoretical inquiry, and media experimentation. Vavarella is the 8th Artist in Residence at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. His projects have been exhibited internationally, including venues such as the Venice Biennale, Rome Quadriennale, MAXXI Museum, Museo Reina Sofia(Madrid), Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg), The Photographers’Gallery (London), KANAL – Centre Pompidou (Brussels), and the Museu de Ciències Naturals (Barcelona). His work has been discussed in globalmedia outlets including Artforum, Forbes, Wired, Huffpost, and Mashable,as well as in numerous scholarly publications.

Translating your Humanities Scholarship to Expand Reach and Recognition
How would you describe your humanities scholarship to your Dean or
Provost, or translate the value of your research to an external funder?
What about people who may be outside the humanities, such as a
journalist, podcaster, or even your neighbor? How can you tell your story
in ways that matter beyond institutional metrics? In this workshop for the
CNY Humanities Corridor, Anke Finger and Kath Burton will address
these questions and provide strategies for humanists to effectively
communicate with wider publics. Learn how to talk about your work,
explain your process and methods, and make the case for maintaining
the humanities as institutional and cultural priorities. Thursday, Dec. 11,
2025 - 10-11:30 on Zoom. More info or register now.

Book Proposal Roundtable 
Ever wonder what really makes a university press book proposal stand out? In this roundtable, monograph and edited-collection authors join three university press editors to demystify the proposal process — from articulating your intervention and audience to explaining competition, structure, and timeline. Editors will offer an inside view of how proposals are evaluated and how to approach an acquisitions conversation with confidence. Early-career faculty are especially encouraged to attend, but anyone considering a book project will leave with concrete next steps. This event will be held from 3-4:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 2, over Zoom. RSVP by Feb. 1 to receive the meeting link.  

Scholars to Storytellers: An Introduction to Trade Publishing 
Have you ever wondered about how trade publishing works, and how it differs from traditional academic publishing? Do you want to learn more about how to write in ways that engage a wider readership? If so, this workshop from 10-11:30 a.m., Friday, Feb 6, on Zoom by John Ghazvinian (Scholars to Storytellers) is for you! Scholars to Storytellers bridges the gap between academic expertise and commercial publishing success. Learn some basics about commercial publishing — its pros and cons, how it differs from academic publishing, and some resources available for scholars interested in making this transition. Bring your questions, as there will be a Q&A at the end of this Zoom workshop. This workshop is sponsored by Central NY Humanities Corridor and intended for humanities faculty. Live captioning will be provided. RSVP here.  

Embodied Communication: Interactive Practices for Faculty and Staff 
Do you want to build a sense of community and connection in the classroom? Do you want to be able to connect and really be present with others in meetings or a one-on-one coffee chat? Are you looking to improve your non-verbal communication skills? (Are you even aware of what nonverbal communication you may be having?) Dennis Schebetta, assistant professor of theater, deploys theatre techniques in this interactive lunch workshop, to demonstrate how to actively listen, connect, and apply practical communication tools to help build community and empathy in any setting, whether that's leading class discussion or collaborating with colleagues. Join us from 12:15-1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Murray Aikins. RSVP here by Feb. 6. 

BIO: 
Dennis Schebetta is an actor, writer, and director with off-Broadway and regional credits, who has also written and directed award-winning films. Some of his research centers psychological well-being and consent-based practices in acting training, as well as using applied theater techniques to develop empathy, most recently with the University of Pittsburgh Dental School (teaching dentists how to have a bedside manner). 

A Conversation on AI Ethics  
Join Meredith Broussard for an engaging public lecture on AI ethics, exploring how technologies can reflect human values and biases — and what more responsible, equitable tech can look like in practice. At 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12, in Gannett Auditorium. This event is made possible with support from Brian Downing ‘86.

Bio: 
Meredith Broussard is a professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University and the research director at the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology. She is the author of “More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech” (MIT Press, 2023, as well as the award-winning 2018 book “Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World.” Her research focuses on artificial intelligence in investigative reporting, with particular interests in AI ethics and using data analysis for social good. She appears in the Emmy-nominated documentary “Coded Bias” (Netflix). Her features and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, Vox, and other outlets. 

The AI-Resistant Classroom 
Are you having trouble meeting your classroom learning goals because of student use of generative AI?  Join us for a three-part spring workshop series highlighting challenges, sharing effective strategies, and focusing on peer-to-peer collaborative development of AI-resistant assignments, assessments, and activities. All workshops will be moderated by Kaylin O’Dell (English), Dominique Vuvan (psychology), and Erica Wojcik (psychology) and held in the Weller Room (Lib 212). You are not required to attend all three workshops to participate.

Spring Dates 
2:30-4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 13 
2:30-4 p.m., Friday, March 20 
2:30-4 p.m., Friday, April 17 

Winter Book Club: “More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech” 
Meredith Broussard will speak at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12, in Gannett Auditorium. Her recent book has been widely praised as an eye-opening, accessible, and no-nonsense examination of how “neutral” technologies can reinforce inequality — and what we can do about it. RSVP to receive a copy of the book before the event (you can get it signed!), and we will convene to discuss the book from 12:30-2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18, in the Test Kitchen of the dining hall. There is space for up to 15 staff and faculty to participate — first-come, first-served. You may only request a copy if you know you can commit to attending. Lunch tickets will be distributed in the Atrium. RSVP to receive a copy of the book.

The AI-Resistant Classroom 
Are you having trouble meeting your classroom learning goals because of student use of generative AI?  Join us for a three-part spring workshop series highlighting challenges, sharing effective strategies, and focusing on peer-to-peer collaborative development of AI-resistant assignments, assessments, and activities. All workshops will be moderated by Kaylin O’Dell (English), Dominique Vuvan (psychology), and Erica Wojcik (psychology) and held in the Weller Room (Lib 212). You are not required to attend all three workshops to participate.

Spring Dates 
2:30-4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 13 
2:30-4 p.m., Friday, March 20 
2:30-4 p.m., Friday, April 17 

The AI-Resistant Classroom 
Are you having trouble meeting your classroom learning goals because of student use of generative AI?  Join us for a three-part spring workshop series highlighting challenges, sharing effective strategies, and focusing on peer-to-peer collaborative development of AI-resistant assignments, assessments, and activities. All workshops will be moderated by Kaylin O’Dell (English), Dominique Vuvan (psychology), and Erica Wojcik (psychology) and held in the Weller Room (Lib 212). You are not required to attend all three workshops to participate.

Spring Dates 
2:30-4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 13 
2:30-4 p.m., Friday, March 20 
2:30-4 p.m., Friday, April 17