OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
SEPTEMBER 2025
Welcome to the AI Fluency at Ohio State newsletter!
Dear Colleagues,
As we begin our bold, groundbreaking AI Fluency initiative to integrate artificial intelligence into the educational experience, we want to be sure you are aware of and engaged with the myriad resources the university has for faculty and instructors.
Artificial intelligence is transforming disciplines, professions, and daily life — and our role as a university is not simply to keep pace, but to make sense of these changes in ways that matter to our students, our scholarship and the communities we serve.
This newsletter is one way we will help keep you up to date on the latest news and developments.
Please know that faculty and instructors will have broad latitude in how you use (or don’t use) AI in the classroom. We have produced a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help guide you. Additionally, we invite you to share how you have been engaging with and contributing to AI Fluency.
We look forward to taking this journey with you as Ohio State leads in educational AI.
Ravi V. Bellamkonda
Executive Vice President and Provost
Introduction to AI embedded in Launch Seminar
This autumn, an updated Launch Seminar will introduce artificial intelligence, giving new Buckeyes an early start to exploring AI and building the skills to responsibly lead and innovate in today’s world. The updated seminar will serve as a space for students to start exploring AI and how it intersects with their academic and career goals.
Ohio State, Google announce access to AI tools for students, faculty, staff
Ohio State has expanded its suite of approved AI tools with Google Productivity Services, giving faculty, researchers, students and staff additional tools to enhance teaching, research and innovation.
Learn More About Ohio State's Google Productivity Services
Share your AI story
We are actively finding ways to share, celebrate and support high-impact work related to AI Fluency at Ohio State. Fill out the survey in the link below if you are interested in sharing your work, and your lessons learned, with others. We would love to hear more about your experiences, challenges, ideas and advice for using AI in the classroom.
AI Highlights
- AI in the Classroom: Molly Downing
- News, resources and more at the AI Fluency website
- Why AI can’t understand a flower the way humans do
- AI scholarship at Ohio State runs the gamut in College of Arts and Sciences
Opportunities
AI Fluency Forum: Nov. 12
Save the date for the AI Fluency Forum on Nov. 12. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ohio Union Performance Hall. Throughout the day, attendees will see tangible demonstrations and presentations from other faculty on:
- Teaching in AI: Teaching AI and its field applications
- Teaching with AI: Using AI to enhance or optimize teaching and learning
- Utilizing AI for Research: Applying AI in research, including ways it can inform the classroom
Registration opens Sept. 15.
Teaching support for AI Fluency
The Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning provides a range of resources and learning opportunities to build your knowledge and skills around AI Fluency. Available to all who teach at Ohio State, the offerings will guide you to make informed decisions about designing learning activities that incorporate AI, communicating transparent expectations for AI use and employing teaching strategies that promote students’ acquisition of AI knowledge and skills.
AI courses for small business owners
Ohio State’s Professional and Continuing Education is helping Ohio small business owners turn AI curiosity into practical skills with short, impactful online courses. Both courses are fully online, affordable and focused on solutions professionals can apply right away.
- Introduction to Generative AI — Learn how tools like ChatGPT can streamline tasks, improve workflows and support smarter decision making. No technical background required.
- AI for Small Business: Customer Success — Discover how AI can create engaging content, analyze trends and boost customer satisfaction with less effort and more impact.
Upcoming Events
- Sept. 2: Teaching AI Fluency with Authenticity and Vulnerability
- Sept. 5: Getting Started with Generative Artificial Intelligence: Considerations and Strategies
- Sept. 9: Teaching AI Fluency with Authenticity and Vulnerability: Engaging with AI Tools
- Sept. 16: Teaching Research Practices with AI: Engaging with AI Tools
- Sept. 19: Designing Assignments for Teaching about and with Generative AI
Subscribe to the AI Fluency newsletter
If you did not receive the newsletter directly, you can subscribe to AI Fluency at Ohio State at the link below. Please share with others who are interested in staying up to date on AI Fluency news and developments.