Generative AI in Teaching and Learning

August 14, 2023 

Dear Faculty, 

The impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence, such as ChatGPT, is currently being felt widely across society, the workforce, and in everyday life. Inevitably, it will transform numerous aspects of higher education. AI will make accessible vast, untapped reservoirs of creativity, accelerate advances in research, and produce new knowledge. The ubiquity of AI will also usher in what some may view as unwelcome, harmful disruptions to existing teaching and learning practices. 

My own belief is that we are poorly positioned at present to grasp the manifold implications of AI, to either embrace or reject them. It would be premature to formulate and enshrine a single policy to account for AI at UMaine. Nevertheless, we must unhesitatingly discuss and debate how Generative AI will be integrated into our classrooms, labs, and scholarship. To that end, in AY22-23, the Center for Innovation for Teaching and Learning (CITL), in collaboration with New Media, convened a series of workshops and developed an array of resources (available here) to assist faculty as they make sense of the possibilities and perils posed by AI. Furthermore, CITL is hosting a fall, semester-long Community of Practice program focused on Teaching and Learning with AI. 

I look forward to working closely with faculty, including the Senate, to hone UMaine’s approach to Generative AI in AY23-24. Furthermore, in conjunction with the Senate, I will ask the University Teaching Council (UTC) to form a task force to draft standards or expectations for the use of AI in teaching and learning. Some guidance (however preliminary) must be offered as these discussions unfold. To that end, I asked Peter Schilling (Executive Director of CITL), David Fiacco (Director of Community Standards, Rights, and Responsibilities), Scott Marzilli (Associate Provost for Student Success and Innovation), and Gabe Paquette (Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development) to develop provisional, non-binding guidance to support faculty as they begin to integrate (or not) Generative AI into their classrooms. It may be found here. 

I look forward to working with you as we cautiously and deliberately explore and embrace the implications of Generative AI for our teaching and research missions. 

Sincerely, 

John C. Volin 

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost