Empowering Faculty to Embrace AI at CSUF
Artificial intelligence is increasingly influential in virtually all facets of daily life, and higher education is no exception.
In many instances, students exhibit greater proficiency than their instructors when it comes to integrating this emerging technology both on and off campus.
With that in mind, Leslie Bruce, an English Department lecturer at Cal State Fullerton, and her colleague, Mathematics Department Professor Alison Marzocchi, convened the AI conference on February 21 at the Titan Student Union.
Aimed at helping faculty adapt, the conference offered workshops, panel discussions, roundtables, and a keynote presentation, addressing topics from incorporating AI into coursework to ethical, responsible usage, plus leveraging it to broaden cultural competency and more.
“Alison and I realized we should dismantle the silos we often find ourselves in within academia—our individual fields, departments, and offices,” said Bruce, Director of the Writing Across the Curriculum LIAISONS program. “So we invited people to come together, share experiences, and establish a welcoming environment where we could discuss what folks are doing—or not doing—in their classrooms, and explore the reasons for those approaches.”
Marzocchi noted that the most engaging segment of the event was the student panel, where roles were reversed: students became the instructors and faculty members became the audience.
Each student panelist detailed personal experiences with AI usage, triggering a lively Q&A from faculty attendees. “I suspect that may have been the session during which faculty gained the most insight,” Marzocchi said.
The panelists mentioned that while some professors permit AI for specific tasks, others prohibit it altogether, and some never mention it in class. “In my experience, only one professor has explicitly encouraged AI,” said third-year math major and panelist, Giselle Tlaxcuapan. “It was incorporated into nearly every lecture, which made us think about when we should or shouldn’t use it. That reflection, along with considering our own integrity, was extremely helpful.”
Fellow panelist and third-year physics major A.J. Heiss noted that AI seldom comes up in his physics courses, though his geography instructor does allow AI under certain guidelines. “That professor was probably the only one who was fine with it,” Heiss said. “I believe some instructors may be hesitant because they don’t fully grasp it themselves.”
Heiss and Tlaxcuapan both use AI to develop study guides. “It can supplement your learning instead of undermining it,” Heiss said. “It’s not a substitute but rather a tool to deepen understanding. For instance, if you have a question and can’t ask a professor right away, you can quickly ask ChatGPT.”
Art history lecturer Rose Adams from the Department of Visual Arts recalled her initial concern about job security two years ago when AI started to appear in educational settings. “I had a crisis, wondering if I’d still have a job or if I needed to switch fields,” Adams said. “But by 2024, I decided to tackle the issue head-on and began integrating AI into my assignments.”
In a faculty panel called ‘Integrating AI into Course Assignments,’ which explored ethical use of AI in academia, adjunct TESOL professor Britt Marlow was among those offering insights. Marlow highlighted how AI can be an invaluable resource for both teachers and students, provided it is employed responsibly and within the institution’s academic integrity framework. “Generative AI can be immensely beneficial for scholarly work,” Marlow said. “It lets us rapidly locate sources and untangle complex theories when prepping for classes.”
Marlow also described firsthand classroom experiences regarding students’ reactions to AI. “Students often hesitate to admit they’re using AI, but honest dialogues about it are crucial,” the professor said.