OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
June/July 2026
AI and generative design class debuts at Ohio State
One of Ohio State’s new AI-focused classes is DESIGN 5193, AI and Generative Design — the first in the design department. Available to undergraduate and graduate students, the class is part of the university's larger AI Fluency initiative, which allows students to develop a rich understanding of how artificial intelligence can be used in their chosen field of study and which is part of Ohio State's commitment to academic excellence.
Learn More About the New Class
AI in the Classroom: Susan Lang
"On many campuses, the first response to AI in writing-intensive courses has been to treat it as an academic integrity problem: How can faculty tell whether students are using these tools to complete assignments?" says Susan Lang, professor in the Department of English and director of the Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing in the College of Arts and Sciences.
"That concern is understandable, but it risks starting in the wrong place. The more important question is what students must actually do to complete an assignment."
Moritz roundtable examines how law schools can prepare students for AI
How should law schools prepare students to use artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively in legal practice? That question guided the Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence in Legal Practice, held May 15 at the Moritz College of Law.
Learn More About the Roundtable
Students help evaluate new AI companion tool to streamline AR work constructions
The Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) is supporting the development of a new artificial intelligence-powered tool to simplify how companies create augmented reality work constructions, which are digital, step‑by‑step guides used to assemble complex hardware. CDME students tested the AI tool in real manufacturing scenarios.
AI Highlights
- The Chronicle of Higher Education: Can Colleges Make All Their Students ‘AI Fluent’?
- Spectrum News: Ohio leaders focus on workforce as state looks to become AI hub
- CNBC: As more jobs demand AI skills, some colleges may fall short in prepping students: ‘Why would we train them using the skills of yesterday?’
- Ohio State expert suggests staying the course through early AI adoption in the workplace
- WCBE: The Human Edge in an AI World
- Using ‘imaginative’ AI to survey past and future earthquake damage
Opportunities
Professional development incentive for the AI Fluency Teaching Endorsement
Don't miss out on the professional development incentive for earning the Teaching and Learning to Build AI Fluency teaching endorsement. This endorsement, which is open to all who teach and support instruction at Ohio State, helps educators understand AI and support students’ AI fluency through teaching.
Faculty and staff who earn the endorsement by August 2027 will be eligible to receive a $300 professional development incentive. Graduate students who earn the endorsement may be eligible for a transcript milestone recognizing their achievement.
Learn More and Enroll in the Endorsement
Dive into AI Fluency this summer
Are you interested in learning more about key AI definitions? Would you like to understand what undergraduate students are learning in the GE Launch course about AI? There are multiple resources that the Drake Institute, GE Bookends, the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation and other university partners have made available to Ohio State instructors.
Call for Speakers: DataConnect Conference 2026 | Oct. 29-30
The DataConnect Conference is now accepting speaker applications for its 2026 event in Columbus, bringing together industry leaders to share insights on data, analytics and AI across topics like data quality, governance, modern data architecture and responsible AI. Apply by June 30.
Take your AI skills to the next level with OTDI’s new courses
Build your AI fluency with new courses from Ohio State’s Office of Technology and Digital Innovation. Three new offerings — focused on identifying use cases, using AI securely and ethically, and understanding agentic AI — help you take the next step in your generative AI journey. Explore these and other learning opportunities, including the AI Prompt Curriculum and LinkedIn Learning, to continue growing your AI skills.
2026 TDAI AI and Data Science Graduate Fellows Program
The Translational Data Analytics Institute (TDAI) invites applications for the 2026 AI and Data Science Graduate Fellows Program. This fellowship supports Ohio State PhD candidates conducting interdisciplinary AI and data science research. Apply by July 1.
NSF-supported AI Efficiency Challenge: Applications due July 13
Researchers, innovators and industry partners are invited to apply for the AI Efficiency Challenge, a new initiative investing up to $13 million in deployment-ready technologies designed to improve AI/ML efficiency, strengthen U.S. data center capacity, and accelerate commercialization of real-world AI solutions.
Upcoming Sessions and Events
- July 7, 14: AI Playground: Drop-in Sessions to Explore AI Tools
- July 22: Teaching to Develop AI Fluency at Ohio State
- July 24: Preparing the GeoAI Workforce: Lessons from Research and Teaching
- July 28: Using GenAI: Hands-on Practical Uses for Educators
- August 5: Advancing Transparency in Teaching: Considerations of Syllabus Design, Instruction, and AI
AI Fluency at Ohio State archive
An archive of past editions of AI Fluency at Ohio State is now available at the link below.
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