Newsletter August 29, 2024
cte.utah.edu

In case you haven’t noticed, AI is everywhere. This week, UIT launched ai.utah.edu, which describes many of the AI efforts underway at the U.

In coming weeks, the Martha Bradley Evans Center for Teaching Excellence will be hosting a webinar on Using AI to Prepare Your Lessons on 9/11, and the One-U Responsible AI Initiative will be hosting its Inaugural Symposium on 9/23.

In keeping with the AI theme, I asked ChatGPT about the top 5 things that higher education instructors can do to get started with AI. Here’s what it said, with a few edits and resources added in from CTE and other resources:

The University of Utah’s One-U Responsible Artificial Intelligence Initiative (One-U RAI) is excited to launch its faculty fellows and distinguished visitors programs, which will fund experts working to harness AI for the betterment of the environment, healthcare and wellness, and teaching and learning.

Faculty Fellows (for current/incoming U faculty members)

Each year, One-U RAI will name three to five faculty fellows representing some of the U’s top talent in responsible AI from across disciplines. Fellows will receive an annual stipend to pursue responsible AI research tied to one or more of the thematic areas. Awards last three years with opportunity for renewal. 

Read more and apply by Oct. 1

Distinguished Visitors (for experts who are external to the U)

One-U RAI will invite one to five prominent visitors from academia, government, or industry each year to stimulate discussion, build collaborations, and advance research around responsible AI. Please share across your networks to help us spread the word! Activities and honorarium are tied to visit length, which could range from a few days to a year. Applications will be reviewed quarterly, starting in October.

Read more and apply by Oct. 1

Read the full announcement and email One-U RAI Research and Science Director Penny Atkins at penny.atkins@utah.edu with any questions. Local applicants are encouraged to attend the One-U RAI Inaugural Symposium on Sept. 23.

With the passing of HB261, many instructors are raising questions about its implications for teaching, as well as academic freedom and free speech at the U. Guidance for students on HB261was recently published in @the U, as was information about a new video series exploring free speech policies at the U.

For students who utilize laptops from Marriott Library, there has been a recent policy change in the student laptop loan policy. Please share with your students.

The Utah Health Equity Leadership and Mentoring (U-HELM) program is pleased to invite applications for participation in the 2024-25 U-HELM cohort

Co-directed by Dr. Molly Conroy and Dr. April Mohanty, U-HELM is open to health science campus junior faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and fellows. U-HELM offers professional development funds up to $500 per U-HELM Fellow. We invite you to distribute this invitation to eligible colleagues in your departments and divisions (recruitment flyer also attached).

Launched in 2018, U-HELM provides mentoring and leadership development opportunities to junior faculty members, postdoctoral scholars, and fellows who are involved in health equity research, teaching, or clinical practice. A new cohort of 14 U-HELM Fellows is selected annually through an application process. U-HELM Fellows move through a yearlong curriculum of monthly seminars and networking events that focus on traditional academic career development as well as topics related to cultural identity and addressing various challenges in the health sciences. In addition, Fellows are matched with a senior-level faculty mentor to address issues of leadership and professional development. U-HELM mentors are trained in methods proven to enhance mentoring effectiveness. Additionally, U-HELM Fellows receive up to $500 to support professional activities related to leadership development and/or health equity.

The 2024-25 cohort kicks off this October, and will meet monthly on either the second Thursday or third Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. through June 2025. On the application form, prospective U-HELM fellows will be asked to indicate their availability for both options over the course of the program’s duration.

Applications are due September 2, and Fellows are announced September 16. The application form is available online here.

For questions related to U-HELM, please contact Jesse Cormier-Adams or the Co-Directors. Please feel free to distribute this message to any colleagues or peers who might be interested in applying.

Nominations due for University Distinguished Teaching Award: September 20

Applications due for University Teaching Grants: October 2, January 27, March 7

Nominations due for Calvin S. and JeNeal N. Hatch Prize in Teaching: October 14

Applications due for John R. Park Teaching Fellowships: November 11
Nominations due for Community Engaged Teaching and Scholarship Award: November 11

Nominations due for Early Career Teaching Awards: December 6