Shenandoah University Selected For AAC&U Institute On AI, Pedagogy, And The Curriculum
National program helps institutions responsibly and effectively integrate AI into higher education
Shenandoah University has been selected to participate in the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum, a national program designed to help institutions explore how artificial intelligence can be responsibly and effectively integrated into higher education.
The Shenandoah team is led by Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Interim Dean of the School of Business Jeff Coker, Ph.D., and co-led by Jess Clawson, Ph.D., director of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (TTL). Additional members include Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer Devon Taylor, Ed.D.; Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the School of Business Michael Magro, Ph.D.; Department Chair and Associate Professor of Communication Matt Corr, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Biopharmaceutical Science and Pharmacogenomics Ranjani Varadarajan, Ph.D.
As part of the institute, Shenandoah plans to accelerate its engagement with AI by unifying ongoing innovation under a coordinated institutional strategy. The team will develop a values-driven vision for AI, invest in faculty and student AI literacy, and build an infrastructure for responsible, scalable AI use in teaching and learning.
Over the course of the program, Shenandoah’s team will draft a campus-wide roadmap for integrating AI into pedagogy and curriculum, propose professional development models, and create draft policies and resources to support equitable, ethical, and innovative practices.
“AI is reshaping education and the workplace, and this opportunity positions Shenandoah to thoughtfully prepare our students and faculty for that future,” Dr. Coker said.
Dr. Clawson believes this institute will give SU leadership “the chance to consider the values and ethics around AI use, in addition to staying apprised of ongoing developments.”
The team also seeks guidance from the institute on building inclusive frameworks for institutional AI integration, supporting faculty across disciplines, and addressing access-related and ethical challenges at a mid-sized institution with limited centralized funding for AI tools. Topics the team hopes to explore with other institutions include strategies for faculty engagement across levels of AI fluency, policy development and academic integrity guidance, and models for sustainable AI innovation.
