Dr. Rachael Brooks, director of Quality Assurance Implementation Solutions at Quality
Matters, and Dr. Siobahn Day Grady, founding director of the Institute for Artificial
and Emerging Research, presented faculty members with thought-provoking information
on how to use AI.
Spring Faculty Development Institute highlights ethical, practical uses of artificial
intelligence
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Faculty members at South Carolina State University learned how they can use artificial
intelligence (AI) tools as a partner — not a replacement — in retaining students and
enhancing learning this week to open the Spring 2026 Spring Semester.
“AI Literacy as a Faculty Superpower: Shaping the Future of Learning and Retention”
was among the topics discussed during the university’s Faculty Development Institute
on Monday and Tuesday at the I.P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium.
Dr. Rachael Brooks, director of Quality Assurance Implementation Solutions at Quality
Matters, and Dr. Siobahn Day Grady, founding director of the Institute for Artificial
and Emerging Research, presented faculty members with thought-provoking information
on how to use AI.
AI as a partner grounded in ethical use
“AI is most effective when it’s used as a supportive partner,” Brooks said. “This
is not to relinquish our role and the place that we have as we are supporting our
students. It is not meant to replace us. It is meant to help us do what we do better.”
Drafting, summarizing, providing feedback to learners, scenario generation and personalizing
the learning experience are among the ways AI can be used by faculty, the presenters
said.
“You can use AI to help you create personalized scenarios to explain a concept in
a way that is meaningful and matters to them. The goal is to enhance faculty capacity
and student learning, not to automate instruction entirely,” Brooks said.
She said emphasizing ethical AI use was also part of the faculty’s responsibility.
“Ethical AI use prioritizes transparency, student agency and academic integrity,”
Brooks said. “There are ways rather than just shunning the use of AI because we are
fearful of how it may impact academic integrity. By being transparent about the guardrails
and recommendations for efficient, appropriate and responsible use of AI, we can promote
academic integrity.
“Clear guidelines and guidance reduce confusion and help to build trust with our students.
We are preparing learners who are going to leave our institution in such a way that
they are prepared to engage in the real world,” she said. “The real world expects
them not only to be competent, but also to be effective users of AI. They are not
going to get that if every time they want to use it, they’re being told not to.”
Preparing students for real-world expectations
Grady is an assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Sciences
at North Carolina Central University who became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in
computer science from North Carolina A&T State University in 2018.
She said faculty should be demonstrating to students how to use AI tools responsibly
and ethically so they will know “not to just go to ChatGPT and say, ‘Write this paper
for me.’”
Grady urged faculty members to embrace AI as just another “tool in your tool belt”
that can help retain students.
“We want to keep our students, and to be able to do that is to become clear about
our expectations,” Grady said. “We want to make sure that we are capable of meeting
them where they are. They want to feel supported when they struggle.”
“These are opportunities. When it comes to practical use cases, when we think about
teaching, it (AI) can help us with feedback, assignment scaffolding and concept clarification,”
she said.
Faculty apply AI in the classroom
Faculty members engaged with the presenters about their approaches to AI. Dr. Jennifer
Cash, an SC State University physics professor, said she was already using ChatGPT
to help her develop instructions for an assignment she is preparing for her students.
“Exceptional,” Brooks replied. “What we love about that example is the fact that you
are using it to help you think about how you can use it effectively. You don’t have
to know the ins and outs of everything and have it all worked out before you begin
using it to help you be more efficient.
“You utilize it as a brainstorming partner, as a thought partner. You can come up
with your own ideas and recommendations for instructions and ask it, ‘What am I missing?
How can I enhance this?’”
In addition to instructional development, Cash spoke about how she approaches AI when
interacting with students.
“I want to show students how to use it as a tool and not as a crutch,” Cash said.
“I think with any study or learning tool, if students are taught how to use it as
support, it will help students.”
The presenters asked faculty members to consider how AI can enhance their work.
“We want to encourage you to think about one AI practice that you can use,” Brooks
said. “Something small — something incremental that you could use in the Spring Semester
to help you enhance at least one activity, one task that you have, one way that you
support your students.
“Jot it down, write it down, and consider how AI can support you in doing that particular
task,” she said.
Jamie Rogers is a social work instructor and academic program coordinator in the SC
State Social Work Program. She embraces the use of AI in teaching.
“It does meet the needs of our students today. A lot of students do use AI to kind
of help them understand assignments that may be difficult,” Rogers said. “So, I think
it is something that we need to collaborate on and use more, especially to meet the
new age of students.”
“Sometimes I use it for small peer-to-peer grading rubrics for them to grade each
other. Not necessarily for my major assignments, but typically for peer-to-peer class
participation-type grading,” she said. “A lot of people are afraid to use it, but
it’s a good tool, and it helps with retention by keeping your students engaged. I
think that’s one of the benefits that I use it for.”
Linking AI literacy to career readiness
Dr. Matthew Guah, dean of the College of Business and Information Systems and director
of the Master of Business Administration program, is keenly aware of the need for
AI knowledge in career development.
“We’re looking at getting our students ready for careers,” Guah said. “Most of the
lucrative careers out there require AI knowledge. That’s another reason we need to
train those students in AI.”
Dr. Frederick Evans, SC State’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, said
the university is increasingly embracing the technology, including the development
of a Center of Excellence focused on AI.
“I wish for you to continue to do your own research — to play with the tool, as well,”
Evans said in addressing faculty members at the institute on Tuesday. “I don’t think
you can mess up anything. Just stick to your discipline, and you will be OK as far
as understanding the dos and don’ts.”
Faculty institute overview
Centered on the theme “Teaching, Advising, and AI Literacy: Empowering Faculty to
Drive Retention and Graduation,” the two-day institute convened faculty, academic
leaders, and national experts to advance strategies aligned with the University’s
mission of student success, workforce readiness, and institutional excellence.
Dr. David Staten, associate provost, said this year’s institute closely embraced the
spirit of the university’s 2024–2030 Strategic Plan, the Garnet and Blueprint, which
calls for measurable improvements in retention and graduation outcomes through enhanced
academic support, innovative teaching, expanded advising structures, and strategic
use of technology.
Sessions underscored the critical role of professional and proactive advising in strengthening
first-year retention, supporting academic momentum, and improving six-year graduation
rates, key performance indicators embedded in the university’s student success framework.
Simultaneously, presenters highlighted how artificial intelligence literacy and data-informed
instruction are becoming essential competencies for faculty seeking to equip students
for a rapidly evolving academic and workforce landscape.
Through focused discussions, workshops, and cross-institutional perspectives, the
institute reaffirmed faculty leadership as central to SC State’s long-term goals of
student persistence, on-time graduation, and post-completion success.
