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Emergence of AI tools in Higher Education

About ChatGPT

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is inevitably impacting higher education, with ChatGPT, an AI-based language processing tool being one such powerful example. With news and articles coming from all angles, it sparked global discussions in higher education about its presence in the classroom, and what challenges and opportunities it might present. To assist the campus in how we approach Chat GPT and other such future technologies, we created a taskforce to help our campus engage in productive conversations, generate guidelines, provide tools and resources, and share information. The taskforce will engage our campus—including faculty, students, and administration from various units—through a series of events this semester.

For questions and suggestions, please email chatgpt@utk.edu.




Instructor Resources


ChatGPT Taskforce Information

Led by Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Ozlem Kilic, the Taskforce Steering Committee was created to provide thoughtful and consistent campus leadership governing the use of generative AI tools across campus. Visit the Committees and Taskforces page for more information about other Academic Affairs working groups. 

Taskforce Steering Committee

Academic Leadership

Suzie Allard
Associate Dean, College of Communication & Information
(Leader: Philosophy)

Brendan McConville
Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
(Leader: Pedagogy, Technology)

Holly Mercer
Associate Dean, UT Libraries
(Leader: Philosophy)

Lynne Parker
Vice Chancellor and Director of the AI Tennessee Initiative
(Leader: Research)

AI Faculty

Mehmet Aydeniz
Professor, College of Education, Health & Human Science
(Leader: Pedagogy, Research)

Chuanren Liu
Associate Professor, Haslam College of Business
(Leader: Technology)

Xiaopeng Zhao
Professor, Tickle College of Engineering
(Leader: Technology, Policy)

Student Conduct & Community Standards

Shaun McComas
Associate Director
(Leader: Policy)

Teaching & Learning Innovation

Chris Lavan
Executive Director of Teaching & Learning
(Leader: Pedagogy, Policy)

Campus Taskforce Committees

Faculty Committees

These committees were established in January 2023 to provide guidance to the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs regarding the integration of AI technologies across campus.

Name Title Affiliation Email
Advincula, Rigoberto UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair of Advanced and Nanostructured Materials Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering radvincu@utk.edu
Benson, Kirsten Director Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center kbenson@utk.edu
Bilal, Dania Professor School of Information Sciences dania@utk.edu
Brimer, Adam Director of Technology Enhanced Education Haslam College of Business abrimer@utk.edu
Clemons, Aris Assistant Professor Modern Foreign Languages & Literature aclemon8@utk.edu
Deshpande, Deepa Faculty Consultant Teaching & Learning Innovation ddeshpan@utk.edu
Engel, Annette Jones Professor of Aqueous Geochemistry Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences aengel1@utk.edu
Fagan, Josh Lecturer Engineering Fundamentals jfagan2@utk.edu
Jacobs, Jackie Distinguished Lecturer & Director Management & Entrepreneurship jjacobs1@utk.edu
Johnston. Jason Director of Online Learning & Course Production Online Learning & Academic Programs jpj@utk.edu
Kavanagh, Katie Associate Professor Nutrition kkavanag@utk.edu
Kilgore, Chris Associate Director Teaching & Learning Innovation ckilgor4@utk.edu
Kirkpatrick, Yolanda Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies Theory and Practice in Teacher Education yfkirkpa@utk.edu
Kite, Rebecca Assistant Professor & Reference Librarian College of Law rebecca.kite@utk.edu
Knox, Laurie Senior Lecturer Department of English lknox1@utk.edu
Langendorfer, Anne Senior Lecturer Department of English alangend@utk.edu
Morey, Sean Director of Composition Department of English smorey@utk.edu
Odoi, Agricola Professor & Assistant Dean of Research and Graduate Studies College of Veterinary Medicine aodoi@utk.edu
Philippakos, Zoi Traga Associate Professor Literacy Education philippakos@gmail.com
Pulte, Andy Distinguished Lecturer & Director Plant Sciences apulte@utk.edu
Ring, Jonathan Lecturer Political Science jring7@utk.edu
Sobes, Vladimir Assistant Professor Nuclear Engineering sobesv@utk.edu
Staples, Cary Professor, Graphic Design School of Design staples@utk.edu
Trujillo-Mejia, Laura Distinguished Lecturer of Hispanic Studies Modern Foreign Languages & Literature ltrujill@utk.edu
Whitaker, Erin Librarian Library ewhitak7@utk.edu
Zhang, Brian Student Economics

Name Title Affiliation Email
Anderson, Misty Professor Department of English manderson@utk.edu
Bartolme, Susan Student English sbartolm@vols.utk.edu
Brannen, Michelle Librarian Library brannen@utk.edu
Coleman, Dawn Professor Department of English dcolema7@utk.edu
Fagan, Josh Lecturer Engineering Fundamentals jfagan2@utk.edu
Fernandez, Peter Librarian Library pfernand@utk.edu
Jewel, Lucy ljewel@utk.edu
Johnston. Jason Director Online Learning & Academic Programs jpj@utk.edu
Kilgore, Chris Associate Director Teaching & Learning Innovation ckilgor4@utk.edu
Knox, Laurie Senior Lecturer Department of English lknox1@utk.edu
Langendorfer, Anne Senior Lecturer Department of English alangend@utk.edu
Morey, Sean Director of Composition Department of English smorey@utk.edu
Odoi, Agricola Professor & Assistant Dean of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies College of Veterinary Medicine aodoi@utk.edu
Penchoff, Deborah Associate Director UT Innovative Computing Laboratory Dpenchof@utk.edu
Ring, Jonathan Lecturer Department of Political Science jring7@utk.edu
Staples, Cary Professor School of Design staples@utk.edu

Bartolme, Susan Teaching Associate Department of English sbartolm@vols.utk.edu
Bilal, Dania Professor School of Information Sciences dania@utk.edu
Deshpande, Deepa Faculty Consultant Teaching & Learning Innovation ddeshpan@utk.edu
Fagan, Joshua Lecture Engineering Fundamentals Program jfagan2@utk.edu
Harris, Sally Distinguished Lecturer & Director of Undergraduate Studies Department of English scorran@utk.edu
Harshvardhan PhD student BAS harshvar@utk.edu
Lighter, Don Professor HCB dlighter@utk.edu
LittleJohn, Kay Director of Technology Integration Services HCB slittl12@utk.edu
Luszczek, Piotr Assistant Professor EECS luszczek@icl.utk.edu
Mierles, Kimberly Student Industrial Engineering
Sasso, Rosie IT Manager Office of Innovative Technologies rsasso@utk.edu
Steele, Josh Associate Vice Provost Online Learning & Academic Programs jsteele@utk.edu

Name Title Affiliation Email
Advincula, Rigoberto UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair of Advanced and Nanostructured Materials Materials Science and Engineering radvincu@utk.edu
Baco, Joshua Ortiz Assistant Professor Tennessee Libraries jortizba@utk.edu
Bilal, Dania Professor School of Information Sciences dania@utk.edu
Burns, Jane Research Integrity Compliance Director Office of Research and Engagement janeburns@utk.edu
Clemons, Aris Assistant Professor Modern Foreign Languages and Literature aclemon8@utk.edu
Deshpande, Deepa Faculty Consultant Teaching and Learning Innovation ddeshpan@utk.edu
Engel, Annette Professor Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences aengel1@utk.edu
Fagan, Joshua Lecturer Engineering Fundamentals jfagan2@utk.edu
Hayes, Doug Professor Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science dhayes1@utk.edu
Kavanagh, Katie Associate Professor College of Education, Heath, and Human Sciences kkavanag@utk.edu
Kilgore, Chris Associate Director Teaching and Learning Innovation ckilgor4@utk.edu
Knox, Laurie Senior Lecturer Department of English lknox1@utk.edu
Ma, John Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering zma2@utk.edu
Odoi, Agricola Professor and Assistant Dean Research and Graduate Studies aodoi@utk.edu
Philippakos, Zoi Traga Professor College of Education philippakos@gmail.com
Rius, Agustin Associate Professor Department of Animal Science arius@utk.edu
Staples, Cary Professor College of Architecture and Design staples@utk.edu
Zhong, Qixin Professor Department of Food Science qzhong@utk.edu

Name Title Affiliation Email
Advincula, Rigoberto UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair of Advanced and Nanostructured Materials Materials Science and Engineering radvincu@utk.edu
Baco, Joshua Ortiz Assistant Professor Tennessee Libraries jortizba@utk.edu
Bilal, Dania Professor School of Information Sciences dania@utk.edu
Burns, Jane Research Integrity Compliance Director Office of Research and Engagement janeburns@utk.edu
Clemons, Aris Assistant Professor Modern Foreign Languages and Literature aclemon8@utk.edu
Deshpande, Deepa Faculty Consultant Teaching and Learning Innovation ddeshpan@utk.edu
Engel, Annette Professor Earth and Planetary Sciences aengel1@utk.edu
Fagan, Joshua Lecturer Engineering Fundamentals jfagan2@utk.edu
Harshvardhan, Graduate Research Assistant Haslam College of Business harshvar@utk.edu
Hayes, Doug Professor Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science dhayes1@utk.edu
Kavanagh, Katie Associate Professor Education, Heath, and Human Sciences kkavanag@utk.edu
Kilgore, Chris Associate Director Teaching and Learning Innovation ckilgor4@utk.edu
Knox, Laurie Senior Lecturer Department of English lknox1@utk.edu
Ma, John Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering zma2@utk.edu
Odoi, Agricola Professor and Assistant Dean Research and Graduate Studies aodoi@utk.edu
Philippakos, Zoi Traga Associate Professor College of Education philippakos@gmail.com
Rius, Agustin Associate Professor Animal Science arius@utk.edu
Staples, Cary Professor Architecture and Design staples@utk.edu
Woods, Cooper Student Political Science
Zhong, Qixin Professor Food Science qzhong@utk.edu


Student Committees

This taskforce was established in January 2024 to advise the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs on ways to integrate AI technologies in educational initiatives.

Veda Seay Haslam College of Business
Sally Grigsby Tickle College of Engineering
Evan Mainous Haslam College of Business
Luke McCombs Tickle College of Engineering
Braden Jones College of Music
Price LeNoir Tickle College of Engineering
Morgan Cary College of Communication & Information
Bobby Lange College of Education, Health & Human Sciences
Angelica Rose Nepomuceno Haslam College of Business
Zakary Amen College of Social Work
Adam Brimer Haslam College of Business
Jessica Barfield College of Communication & Information
John Cheek Tickle College of Engineering