Notre Dame 91¸ŁŔű×ĘÔ´Őľ (NDNU) has officially caught the “AI fever.”
“We recognized that we had to engage with AI immediately—or risk being left behind,” says NDNU President Beth Martin. “When the Council of Colleges (CIC) extended the invitation to take part in their national initiative, AI Ready, we came running.”
In the late spring, NDNU created an AI Oversight Committee led by Greg Zubacz, Associate Provost and Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies, to “provide strategic oversight and guidance on the integration, development, and ethical application of AI within the university’s academic, research, and administrative functions.” There are three subcommittees which focus on specific areas: academic, administrative, and enrollment & marketing. These subcommittees began meeting in the fall. The Committee also provides institution-wide updates to the Student Learning and Success Committee of the Board of Trustees.
Deans and department heads are also charged with developing a strategic plan to integrate AI into their academic programs and operational processes.
The School of Business and Management (SOBM) is already ahead of the curve, offering a popular 8-week AI course taught by John Youssefi, who is also working on a new course that teaches students how to design a chatbot for customer service. MBA students also have the opportunity to pursue an AI business concentration through RIZE, an innovative online program that connects learners from multiple educational institutions with leading experts in the field.
In the School of Education (SOE), Interim Dean Kelly Vaughn is positioning NDNU as a regional AI hub for local school districts, convening local experts in AI and teacher education to help build a foundation in assistive and ethical technology use. Teacher candidates are being prepared to analyze, evaluate, and ethically integrate AI into their practice, equipping this next generation of educators with both digital fluency and the critical consciousness to lead responsibly in an AI-enhanced world.
Meanwhile, under the direction of Dean Helen Marlo, the School of Psychology (SOP) is charging ahead with AI integration across academics, research, scholarship, and clinical practice. From embedding AI into core syllabi – including the Professional Ethics and Law course – to driving development of theses, capstones, community projects and scholarship for NDNU’s upcoming Research and Scholarship Symposium, the SOP is making the ethical use of AI a cornerstone of its expanding offerings. This spring, the “Get Psyched: Professional Development Series” will feature a dynamic talk on “AI in Clinical Psychology.”
NDNU’s early adoption of Element451—a customer relationship management (CRM) platform—has already yielded impressive results in student enrollment. The platform uses personalized messaging to engage prospective students and streamline the admissions process, a critical advantage for adult learners. Since implementing the software two years ago, NDNU has seen a significant increase in enrollment.
“Compared to other similar institutions, NDNU is way ahead of the curve in adopting Artificial Intelligence,” says President Martin. “While there’s still much work to be done, we’re proud of the progress we’ve made.”