A Message from the Provost: Week of 10.06.25

October 9 | 2025
 

Dear Colleagues, 

There’s been a lot of thoughtful conversation lately about the role of AI in higher education, including how to use it wisely, guide students, and balance curiosity with caution. I’m grateful for the range of perspectives shared across campus and encourage everyone to see this as a collective learning opportunity. Fortunately, the AI Committee is precisely the kind of space where those discussions can take shape in a productive, campus-wide way. 

 

The AI Committee, led by Dr. Steve Barrett, meets every two weeks with 24 members representing a broad cross-section of campus. This year, the group is focusing on several key areas: creating an inventory of AI efforts across colleges, raising awareness about embedded AI features in our tools, faculty development and training, curriculum and instructional integration, academic integrity (including UW Regulation 2-114), and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and communication. You can find more information on the AI Committee website here. If you’re interested in joining or contributing, please get in touch with Steve at steveb@uwyo.edu.

 

I also want to share a few moments of appreciation from the past week. The Faculty and Staff Senates hosted a wonderful working “World Café” reception with the UW Leadership Team. Thank you to everyone who attended and to Janel Seely for her excellent facilitation of open and constructive dialogue. Congratulations as well to our Phi Kappa Phi chapter for welcoming 82 new initiates last academic year, and a special shout-out to Peter Parolin, Breezy Taggart, Karagh Brummond, and Jeannette Lamb for their leadership and service. It was also a joy to celebrate the Keith and Thyra Thomson Honors Convocation with the College of Arts & Sciences. Congratulations to all the honorees, and special thanks to Kara Calvert and student speakers DJ Lueloff (Anthropology) and IylieMae Hobbs (English Literary Studies) for their inspiring remarks.

 

Next Monday, October 13, is a scheduled semester break – no classes will be held, but university offices and services will remain open. And, as a quick reminder, the Board of Trustees meets on Wednesday, October 15. at 7:00am. Thank you to everyone for preparing materials for this month's conference call.

 

Finally, I hope you’ll join us in welcoming historian and bioethicist Alice Dreger, who will be on campus next week. She will host a student conversation on Sex, Gender, Free Expression, and Self-Censorship on Wednesday, October 15, at 5pm in COE Library 506 (no registration required) and conduct a faculty development workshop through ECTL on Thursday, October 16, from 9 -11am in COE 511. You can register for the faculty workshop through ECTL.

 

Thank you, as always, for your energy, thoughtfulness, and the many ways you lift up this university community.

 

Warmly,
Anne