College of Graduate Studies
Mission: Prepare graduate students across all disciplines with applied, ethical, and discipline-relevant AI capabilities that support career readiness and long-term professional adaptability.
What Grad-AI is (and is NOT)?
- It is applied: Grad-AI emphasizes real-world use of AI within specific fields, whether analyzing historical archives, modeling environmental systems, improving instructional design for teachers, or optimizing business processes.
- It is interdisciplinary: Grad-AI is designed for all graduate disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, education, sciences, and professional programs. It is not limited to tech fields.
- It is structured and intentional: AI integration is guided by clearly defined standards. Courses earning the AI Signature Label meet committee approved criteria that ensure academic rigor, learning value, and coherence.
- It is ethical and responsible: Responsible AI use is foundational. Grad-AI foregrounds transparency, accountability, and critical evaluation of AI tools and impacts.
Grad-AI Signature Label
The Grad-AI Signature Label is a formal course designation for graduate courses that incorporate AI in meaningful and discipline-specific ways. The label appears in the catalog and schedule, making AI-integrated learning visible to students and employers.
Pathways to Adoption
We offer three distinct tracks for faculty to adopt the label, depending on the level of curriculum change required:
- Pathway 1: Enhance ($1000 Stipend) – Integrate AI tools or assignments into an existing course. This is designed for a shorter timeline and moderate syllabus updates.
- Pathway 2: Create ($2000 Stipend) – Develop a new, stand-alone course explicitly focused on discipline-specific AI applications.
- Pathway 3: Certify ($3000 Stipend) – Develop an Applied-AI Certificate.
How to Apply?
Application details and submission guidelines will be announced at the Grad-AI launch event and made available here shortly thereafter. Faculty will be invited to apply through a structured process aligned with Grad-AI pathways.
Faculty Support: Grad-AI Events & Programming
We don鈥檛 expect faculty to do this alone. Grad-AI offers a series of events and programming designed to support faculty in integrating AI into their courses, with a focus on practical, discipline-specific application.
- Best-Practice Panels: Hear from peers sharing effective strategies and lessons learned.
- Expert Seminars: Hands-on training sessions on tools and pedagogical approaches.
- Success Stories: Real examples of AI implementation in MTSU courses.
Past and Upcoming Events
Upcoming & Ongoing:
- Wednesday, April 22, 1:30-2:30 pm LIB 348 or synchronously , Title: Ignite Your Canvas Course with AI!, Mark Abolins (in Collaboration with The Provost Office and CTM)
- February 2026 to May 2026 (ongoing), Title: Faculty Learning community – AI in STEM Curriculum, Moderators: Todd Moore, Joshua Phillips and Racha El Kadiri (See Flyer)
- Grad-AI Official Launch Event (See Agenda)
Past:
- Wednesday, April 8, 2:30-3:30 pm, Title: From Hype to Habit: Practical AI Workflows for Professionals, Rajah Smart (in Collaboration with The Provost Office and CTM)
- Wednesday, April 2, 2:30-3:30 pm, Title: Beyond the Obvious, Scott Seipel (in Collaboration with The Provost Office and CTM)
- Wednesday, March 25, 1:30-2:30 pm, Title: Tips and Tricks for Using AI to Increase your Productivity, John Wallin (in Collaboration with The Provost Office and CTM)
- Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 11:00 am 鈥�12:00pm, AI Prompts and Frameworks for Curriculum Development, Todd O鈥橬eill (in Collaboration with The Provost Office and CTM)
- Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 1:00-2:00 pm, Teaching Information Literacy in a World of Chatbots, Eric Detweiler (in Collaboration with The Provost Office and CTM)
- Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 2:30-3:30 pm, Running Open-Source AI on Your Device, Keith Gamble (in Collaboration with The Provost Office and CTM)
- Thursday, October 16, 2025, 1:30-2:30 pm, A Primer on Artificial Intelligence, Keith Gamble (in Collaboration with The Provost Office and CTM)
- Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 11:00 am 鈥� 12:00 pm, AI Chatbots in the Classroom, Carlos Coronel (in Collaboration with The Provost Office and CTM)
Steering Committee
Role: This committee provides oversight, sets the criteria for the AI-Signature Label, and ensures ethical and academic alignment across the university.
Members:
- Racha El Kadiri: Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Initiative Chair
- Carter Smith: College of Behavioral and Health Sciences Champion
- Sara West: College of Liberal Arts Champion
- Kim Sokoya: Jones College of Business Champion
- Henrique Momm: College of Basic and Applied Science Champion
- Paul Griswold: College of Media and Entertainment Champion
- Keri Carter: University College Champion
- Rajah Smart: College of Education Champion
- Christy Groves: Walker Library Champion
- Samuel Haruna: College of Basic and Applied Science Champion
- Keith Gamble: AI Initiative Champion
- Sam Zaza: AI Initiative Champion and Provost Fellow
Contact
Get Involved.
- For Faculty: Questions about the Signature Label or Stipends?
- For Students: Looking for AI courses?
- Contact: The Office of the Associate Dean, College of Graduate Studies.
Coming Soon (Academic year 2026-2027):
Grad-AI Faculty Resources:
A curated collection of publications, reports, and practical examples to support AI integration in graduate courses.
Grad-AI Certified Courses:
A dynamic list of approved Grad-AI courses across disciplines, supporting both internal and external visibility.