Maryville College takes on a new initiative with the integration of AI, beginning with a student survey
Maryville College recently launched a survey about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and how to integrate it into campus with the intention of engaging with students and hoping to address how this technology can be positively utilized in college life.
This survey was spearheaded by a committee recently created at MC to help guide how artificial intelligence should be used across the campus. The AI Committee, made up of faculty and staff from various departments, will explore how AI impacts students, faculty, and staff. Committee member and Maryville College Senior Lecturer Jan Taylor expressed a positive, yet cautious view for the role of AI and the committee’s goals for its potential use on campus.
Taylor explained that for the formation of the committee itself, the initiative began when Vice President and Dean of the College Liz Perry-Sizemore came across a program through the American Association of Colleges and Universities.
“There is a year-long institute on AI, pedagogy and curriculum,” Taylor said. Perry-Sizemore reached out to the previous dean, Dr. Dan Klingensmith, to help apply for this program. “Thank god, we got accepted to have this committee to work with that group to share ideas and learn and all that,” said Taylor.
The six-person committee includes: Academic Dean Liz Perry-Sizemore, Assistant Academic Dean Heather McMahon, Career Center Director Niklas Trzaskowski, Professor of History Doug Sofer, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Chathuri Perera, and Senior Lecturer Jan Taylor.
According to Taylor, the committee is looking at AI’s impact on everyone in the college community and how it could benefit the campus. The committee believes AI could improve productivity, especially in administrative roles, where efficiency can make a big difference. For faculty, AI could bring new tools and resources into classrooms and curriculum.
While Taylor doesn’t focus on publishing research herself, she noted that AI could also support faculty who are active in research, calling it “a brand new power tool.”
“You have to have caution and instruction when you’re using a power tool, and AI is very powerful.” Taylor said.
Even though faculty don’t have all the details about how students are using AI, the rapid growth of AI in recent years has raised questions and concerns about using it in a responsible way.
“We’re all learning together,” Taylor said. Since AI technology only started becoming prevalent a few years ago, everyone, from students to professors, is trying to figure out the best way to use it in learning without causing problems.
While AI can assist students with certain tasks, Taylor believes that studying and truly learning still require analog effort. She mentioned that studying with AI tools can sometimes create a false sense of understanding.
“When we’re learning new information, we can deceive ourselves if it’s all in front of us,” Taylor explained. True understanding involves being able to explain information in your own words and use it when needed, not just reading or copying it.
Taylor emphasized the unique value of human skills that technology cannot fully replicate. She shared that “human skills involve human judgment,” highlighting the importance of face-to-face interactions where intonation, facial expressions and body language create a rich, intuitive layer of understanding.
Taylor pointed out that unlike humans, “AI doesn’t have that.” This difference, she explained, emphasizes the need for students to understand the limitations of AI, especially as they may rely on it for studying and learning in increasingly technology-driven environments.
Jan Taylor explained that some faculty members at Maryville College are already implementing policies on AI usage in their courses, especially in departments like English.
“Most syllabi, every syllabus has a policy about it. You can use it this way, you can’t use it that way. You can only use it with permission,” she noted, illustrating how specific guidelines are being created to help students understand the academic boundaries when using AI. This context is essential for students, as it ensures they know when and how AI can be responsibly integrated into their coursework without risking academic integrity.
Additionally, Taylor highlighted that one of the committee’s broader goals is to “create institutional AI policies that align with the college’s mission, allow instructors academic freedom, and signal the college’s commitment to preparing students for work in an AI-enhanced environment.”
For students, awareness of these evolving policies can help them navigate AI usage responsibly, reinforcing the values of authenticity and trust in their academic community.
Taylor emphasized that misrepresenting AI-generated work as one’s own goes against these values, saying, “If people are using AI and saying it’s their own work, then that’s misrepresentation.”
Through the AI Initiative, students will learn about the situations where AI can help, where human thinking is better, and when a mix of both works best. By focusing on both technical and ethical skills, Maryville College is preparing students for a future where AI is part of everyday life, but where people still play an essential role in making decisions.