AI for Faculty & Staff

Across campus and in the classroom, Smith faculty and staff are actively exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance learning, spark creativity, and streamline daily work.

Guided by the vision of the Compass 2035 Strategic Plan, the AI Steering Committee and working groups are leading efforts to provide clear, thoughtful guidance on using AI responsibly at Smith, whether that’s in teaching, research, administration, or operations.

Thinking Critically

We recognize both the opportunities and the distinct responsibilities that come with using AI, and are committed to helping members of the Smith community make confident, informed decisions around engaging with AI tools.

We prioritize the protection of data and privacy, and the importance of maintaining the accuracy and integrity of any content created with assistance from AI; these tools support, not replace, the original work and critical thinking of the faculty and staff at Smith.

For Educators

This fall, a new video resource will be available to use as a tool to facilitate course discussions on the use of generative AI. The content covers the importance of understanding course-specific syllabus policies while emphasizing our students’ authentic intellectual development and encouraging their responsible exploration of these technologies.

Additionally, the teams at the Sherrerd Center for Teaching & Learning and Learning, Research & Technology have produced a set of tailored documents intended to help inform AI decisions in the classroom.

Access Faculty-Specific Documents

Using GenAI at Smith

Departments across the college are identifying potential ways to leverage enterprise-wide AI tools, as well as AI functionality integrated into their specialized applications, to work more efficiently, modernize processes, and collaborate more effectively.

Smith College has approved specific AI tools, including Google Gemini and Notebook, for general use by faculty and staff. To support our community in adopting AI safely and effectively, Smith ITS provides guidance and resources for the use of AI tools. These include step-by-step instructions, practical use-case ideas, and key data privacy information so employees can explore AI with confidence.

Smith is also piloting a platform that enables faculty and students in their courses to experiment with industry-leading AI tools, including Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT models.

This summer, employees across departments shared knowledge and experience through a series of interactive training sessions and workshops held by the ITS department. From mastering the basics of prompt engineering to creating custom digital assistants, attendees explored practical uses for campus AI tools in their work.

Hoping to enable an AI tool for your work? Submit a request for an AI tool data security review.

Confidential data cannot be used in AI tools unless the CIO/Counsel has made an exception based on a specific use case/tool.