CAP: Expanding AI Teaching and Research Capacity at a Predominantly Black Institution (AI@PBI)

This project is an ExpandAI Capacity building pilot (CAP), which focuses on curriculum development in Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Chicago State University (CSU), a federally designated Predominantly Black Institution. This effort enhances the research capacity of the institution and facilitates AI-focused educational curriculum development and training.

Towards this goal, the project will provide faculty from all disciplines skills in AI and AI tools in support of integrating AI and its application across disciplines. The project will build community and new centers of excellence in AI where such activities were not previously well developed. The enhanced ability of CSU to provide its diverse graduates with the capability to understand and skillfully engage with AI in their careers will empower graduates to shape the AI-relevant work of the future and contribute in a positive way to the societal shift brought on by AI.

This project will expose faculty from all disciplines to AI and AI tools. Faculty then will collectively decide how AI technology will be addressed in their disciplines through teaching, learning and research. The project provides exposure through a series of structured professional development activities and opportunities for networking that will support faculty in integrating an understanding of the application of AI across disciplines. “AI@PBI” has six goals: (1) to develop AI awareness in CSU faculty from diverse disciplines; (2) equip faculty with basic knowledge of AI and AI tools that can be infused into existing Courses; (3) plan for future partnership with an AI institute for professional development/professional networking; (4) prepare AI curriculum development, (5) establish the groundwork for cross-disciplinary AI research projects, and (6) development of a faculty-led, campus-wide strategic roadmap for the integration of AI.

The ExpandAI Program supports AI-powered education and workforce development, infrastructure and research at Minority Serving Institutions to strengthen and diversify U.S. research and education pathways and provide historically marginalized communities with new opportunities in STEM careers.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.