AI and Education Advisory Committee
Originally established in 2023 as the Generative AI Advisory Committee, the AI and Education Advisory Committee was renamed to better reflect the breadth of the committee’s charge. The committee serves as a strategic body to guide Northwestern's response to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching and learning. The committee is charged with advising the Provost on pedagogical issues and resource development related to AI, including academic integrity and instructional policy and practices, and providing guidance to instructors about pedagogical opportunities and challenges as AI and related technologies advance.
The responsibilities of the committee include:
- Review policies developed by the Office of the Provost and related units
- Advise the Provost on matters of local and institutional policy related to teaching and learning with GAI
- Advance instructor engagement through workshops, seminars and conferences that foster open dialogue about pedagogical developments related to AI
- Promote student literacy and responsible use of AI for learning
- Reimagine the future of learning and teaching with AI by advancing leading-edge pedagogical practices and classroom environments that foster creativity and engagement
- Identify and reduce barriers to instructor adoption of AI by streamlining access to tools, resources and support that empower pedagogical experimentation and innovation.
Northwestern University offers a rich ecosystem of instructional support. Each unit offers different tools, resources and programs tailored to support the thoughtful integration of AI into learning and teaching, including Teaching and Learning Technologies, the University Libraries and the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching.
This decentralized structure allows schools and departments to craft context-specific guidance that reflects the range of evolving disciplinary norms. We encourage instructors to consult with their school and department/program for local policies on the use of AI in teaching.
Committee Members
- Karen Smilowitz (chair), Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, Office of the Provost
- Babak Bakhtiari, Associate General Counsel, Office of General Counsel
- Yaneth Bello, Associate Director of Admissions, Undergraduate Admissions
- Ricardo Court, Assistant Dean (Academic), Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
- Nick Diakopoulos, Professor of Communication Studies, School of Communication
- Vicky Getis, Senior Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies, IT Services & Support Teaching & Learning Technologies
- Jeremy Gilbert, Knight Professor in Digital Media Strategy, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
- Kris Hammond, Bill and Cathy Osborn Professor of Computer Science, McCormick School of Engineering
- S. Venus Jin, Associate Dean for Education, Professor in Residence, Northwestern University in Qatar
- Joan Johnson, Director for Faculty, Office of the Provost
- Umar Kamara, Undergraduate student, McCormick School of Engineering
- Jennifer Keys, Senior Director of Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching
- Elizabeth Lenaghan, Director and Professor of Instruction, The Cook Family Writing Program; Director, The Writing Place
- Liz McCabe, Director of Academic Initiatives, Office of the Provost, Associate Professor of Instruction in Chicago Field Studies, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
- Brendan Quinn, Lead AI Engineer, Northwestern University Libraries
- Matthew Smith, Instructor, Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences
- Sara Sood, Chookaszian Family Teaching Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education, Computer Science, McCormick School of Engineering