CSU Launches AI Software for Students, Faculty
By Skylar White
There are not many universities where the threat of AI doesn’t affect an instructor’s livelihood. This new technology has forced them to change how they teach, whether they support AI usage in their classroom or not.
Many people are searching for ways to set themselves, or their institutions, apart in this new world of AI. There’s a spectrum of opinions on AI, and it’s hard not to have a nuanced opinion.
Some professors share links to AI tools that might aid their students, while others focus on lowering AI use with strict policies.
For one philosophy professor, it’s not just AI—it’s the reliance on any technology that distances students from the coursework itself. The past couple years have changed his teaching styles immensely. More paper in the classroom, less reliance on technology of any kind.
What is CSUGPT?
Paul DiRado
“I have basically completely redesigned all of my classes, especially my introductory classes,” said Paul DiRado, an Assistant Teaching Professor at Colorado State University (CSU). “I do all of them completely different than I would have two years ago,” said DiRado.
Thus far, CSU has not implemented a university-wide policy regarding AI use in their classrooms. This allows instructors to model their courses to best fit their subject’s needs.
“[Professors] have the most invested with their students,” said Joseph Brown, the university’s Director of the Academic Integrity Program at The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT).
Sending a quick generative AI prompt may be a daily endeavor for both students and professors. But, when it comes to data privacy, this can present a bad scenario for a university. Protecting university data is the next step for CSU.
“If we were going to do anything substantial with [AI], we needed an ecosystem where we could deal with that university data correctly,” said Joseph Brown.
Last fall, CSU launched CSUGPT, which aims to “give every student, faculty, and staff member a safe way to explore generative AI—inside CSU's secure Microsoft Azure environment.” RAMGPT, a more student-focused AI, is scheduled to be launching this semester. This AI aims to support students with any questions they have about campus life—from their class schedule to their dining plan.
Joseph Brown
“I see CSU, in adopting these two platforms, as setting a good example for universities nationwide.” Said Chris Geanious, a Senior Instructional Designer at TILT. Geanious leads workshops that explore CSUGPT. Designed with faculty in mind, the workshops offer education on AI use in classrooms. Not all faculty at CSU share the same opinions on the generative AI, though. DiRado situates himself on the opposing side of the spectrum of AI learning. “If the goal is to think, then letting the machine think for us seems like a problem.”
Within individual classrooms comes the conversation of how and where AI should be used. A professor can choose to model their classroom using CSUGPT—or they can structure it entirely technology-free.
CSUGPT is not designed with any guardrails to block cheating, but developers hope that faculty will develop stronger AI policies within their individual classrooms. “We hope that students will use it for ethical uses.” Brown said.
Chris Geanious
What is TILT?
The hope is that CSUGPT will firstly offer a place to process private data securely, and will secondly give CSU staff, students, and faculty the means to set themselves apart in an AI-driven world.
“Knowing that we have a system that will hopefully be transparent on what data it is using and pulling, I think it’s good for CSU to build,” Jake Sherlock said. CSUGPT was designed as a “safer, smarter AI for CSU,” and data gathered by CSUGPT never leaves the university.
“If we ignore it, we’re at our peril, so we need to find ways to use it,” said Jake Sherlock, a CSU Journalism and Media Communications Instructor. CSU says that the new system will support responsible AI literacy across campus. “Over ten years, there have been various moments where new disruptions occurred in higher education.” Joseph Brown said. “AI is interesting because it continues to evolve.”
Jake Sherlock
Chris Geanious
Senior Instructional Designer
Chris Geanious has worked with TILT at CSU as an Instructional Designer since January 2012 working with faculty redesigning and enhancing face-to-face courses as well as designing professional development for faculty; all in a team environment Chris is currently active in helping faculty integrate Generative AI into undergraduate courses and is pursuing a Microsoft certification in Generative AI and Azure integration.
According to CSU TILT
What is CSU-GPT?
Unlike public AI tools, CSU-GPT keeps all data, prompts, and uploads inside the university’s Microsoft Azure tenant. That means your data never leaves CSU. You get the creative power of GPT-4.0—plus privacy, compliance, and CSU’s ethical use standards. CSU-GPT can: - Chat with files (PDFs, docs, spreadsheets) - Search the web for current, factual information - Generate ideas, write content, or analyze data - Create and share custom agents built from your own materials
According to CSU SOURCE
What is TILT?
The Institute for Learning and Teaching
The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT) helps students, faculty, and staff use research-based learning and teaching methods to support academic achievement, equity, and post-graduation success for all CSU students.
TILT CSU
Joseph Brown
Director, Academic Integrity
Joseph F. Brown serves as the Director of the Academic Integrity Program at the Institute for Learning and Teaching. His research interests include academic integrity, artificial intelligence, Southern literature, and science fiction.
According to CSU TILT
Paul DiRado
Associate Teaching Professor at CSU
DiRado specializes in Ancient and Medieval philosophy. He has recently become involved in CSU's efforts to address generative AI. DiRado is "interested both in some philosophical questions surrounding this new technology and and in the practical implications of it on teaching and pedagogy in collegiate classes."
According to CSU College of LIberal Arts
Jake Sherlock
CSU Instructor, Journalism and Media Communications
Jake Sherlock is an instructor in the JMC Department with more than 30 years of experience in the classroom, in journalism and in strategic communications. Sherlock spent 10 years advising student media programs at Laramie County Community College and at CSU. In 2023, Sherlock was named Distinguished Adviser by the College Media Association.
According to CSU College of LIberal Arts
CSU Launches AI Software for Students, Faculty
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Transcript
CSU Launches AI Software for Students, Faculty
By Skylar White
There are not many universities where the threat of AI doesn’t affect an instructor’s livelihood. This new technology has forced them to change how they teach, whether they support AI usage in their classroom or not. Many people are searching for ways to set themselves, or their institutions, apart in this new world of AI. There’s a spectrum of opinions on AI, and it’s hard not to have a nuanced opinion. Some professors share links to AI tools that might aid their students, while others focus on lowering AI use with strict policies. For one philosophy professor, it’s not just AI—it’s the reliance on any technology that distances students from the coursework itself. The past couple years have changed his teaching styles immensely. More paper in the classroom, less reliance on technology of any kind.
What is CSUGPT?
Paul DiRado
“I have basically completely redesigned all of my classes, especially my introductory classes,” said Paul DiRado, an Assistant Teaching Professor at Colorado State University (CSU). “I do all of them completely different than I would have two years ago,” said DiRado. Thus far, CSU has not implemented a university-wide policy regarding AI use in their classrooms. This allows instructors to model their courses to best fit their subject’s needs. “[Professors] have the most invested with their students,” said Joseph Brown, the university’s Director of the Academic Integrity Program at The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT). Sending a quick generative AI prompt may be a daily endeavor for both students and professors. But, when it comes to data privacy, this can present a bad scenario for a university. Protecting university data is the next step for CSU. “If we were going to do anything substantial with [AI], we needed an ecosystem where we could deal with that university data correctly,” said Joseph Brown. Last fall, CSU launched CSUGPT, which aims to “give every student, faculty, and staff member a safe way to explore generative AI—inside CSU's secure Microsoft Azure environment.” RAMGPT, a more student-focused AI, is scheduled to be launching this semester. This AI aims to support students with any questions they have about campus life—from their class schedule to their dining plan.
Joseph Brown
“I see CSU, in adopting these two platforms, as setting a good example for universities nationwide.” Said Chris Geanious, a Senior Instructional Designer at TILT. Geanious leads workshops that explore CSUGPT. Designed with faculty in mind, the workshops offer education on AI use in classrooms. Not all faculty at CSU share the same opinions on the generative AI, though. DiRado situates himself on the opposing side of the spectrum of AI learning. “If the goal is to think, then letting the machine think for us seems like a problem.” Within individual classrooms comes the conversation of how and where AI should be used. A professor can choose to model their classroom using CSUGPT—or they can structure it entirely technology-free. CSUGPT is not designed with any guardrails to block cheating, but developers hope that faculty will develop stronger AI policies within their individual classrooms. “We hope that students will use it for ethical uses.” Brown said.
Chris Geanious
What is TILT?
The hope is that CSUGPT will firstly offer a place to process private data securely, and will secondly give CSU staff, students, and faculty the means to set themselves apart in an AI-driven world. “Knowing that we have a system that will hopefully be transparent on what data it is using and pulling, I think it’s good for CSU to build,” Jake Sherlock said. CSUGPT was designed as a “safer, smarter AI for CSU,” and data gathered by CSUGPT never leaves the university. “If we ignore it, we’re at our peril, so we need to find ways to use it,” said Jake Sherlock, a CSU Journalism and Media Communications Instructor. CSU says that the new system will support responsible AI literacy across campus. “Over ten years, there have been various moments where new disruptions occurred in higher education.” Joseph Brown said. “AI is interesting because it continues to evolve.”
Jake Sherlock
Chris Geanious
Senior Instructional Designer
Chris Geanious has worked with TILT at CSU as an Instructional Designer since January 2012 working with faculty redesigning and enhancing face-to-face courses as well as designing professional development for faculty; all in a team environment Chris is currently active in helping faculty integrate Generative AI into undergraduate courses and is pursuing a Microsoft certification in Generative AI and Azure integration.
According to CSU TILT
What is CSU-GPT?
Unlike public AI tools, CSU-GPT keeps all data, prompts, and uploads inside the university’s Microsoft Azure tenant. That means your data never leaves CSU. You get the creative power of GPT-4.0—plus privacy, compliance, and CSU’s ethical use standards. CSU-GPT can: - Chat with files (PDFs, docs, spreadsheets) - Search the web for current, factual information - Generate ideas, write content, or analyze data - Create and share custom agents built from your own materials
According to CSU SOURCE
What is TILT?
The Institute for Learning and Teaching
The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT) helps students, faculty, and staff use research-based learning and teaching methods to support academic achievement, equity, and post-graduation success for all CSU students.
TILT CSU
Joseph Brown
Director, Academic Integrity
Joseph F. Brown serves as the Director of the Academic Integrity Program at the Institute for Learning and Teaching. His research interests include academic integrity, artificial intelligence, Southern literature, and science fiction.
According to CSU TILT
Paul DiRado
Associate Teaching Professor at CSU
DiRado specializes in Ancient and Medieval philosophy. He has recently become involved in CSU's efforts to address generative AI. DiRado is "interested both in some philosophical questions surrounding this new technology and and in the practical implications of it on teaching and pedagogy in collegiate classes."
According to CSU College of LIberal Arts
Jake Sherlock
CSU Instructor, Journalism and Media Communications
Jake Sherlock is an instructor in the JMC Department with more than 30 years of experience in the classroom, in journalism and in strategic communications. Sherlock spent 10 years advising student media programs at Laramie County Community College and at CSU. In 2023, Sherlock was named Distinguished Adviser by the College Media Association.
According to CSU College of LIberal Arts