Susquehanna University has been awarded a nearly $100,000 grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education to prepare students to use artificial intelligence in the workplace.
The grant will expand a campus-wide effort to educate students and faculty across Susquehanna’s academic disciplines to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, building the skills to leverage AI effectively, critically and responsibly. During the 2024–25 academic year, Susquehanna faculty participated in the American Association of Colleges and Universities inaugural Institute on AI, Pedagogy and the Curriculum to create measurable AI action plans and evidence-based models for teaching and curriculum development.
“This initiative is a next step in integrating AI into our curriculum in ways that make sense for how students will use it in their future career paths,” said Carl Faust, associate professor of physics and co-leader of the grant project. “One of the main goals is to develop curriculum, hands-on learning opportunities or even new classes that will implement AI in ways that are specifically informed by career options.”
The grant will provide faculty with support and resources to integrate AI into their courses and disciplines while connecting them with industry professionals who can provide firsthand insight into how AI is transforming today’s workforce.
Nick Clark, department head and professor of political science and project co-leader, said a parallel goal of the initiative is to equip faculty and students to understand AI’s growing influence across professional fields while critically examining the broader ethical, social and human implications of the technology.
“We want to understand not only how AI is changing the skills and training that students need for their careers, but also how we can prepare them to think critically about what AI means for our place in the world,” Clark said. “That goes beyond learning how to use AI. It’s about leveraging the strengths of a liberal arts education to help students grapple with the broader ethical, social and human questions AI presents.”
