As the popularity of AI grows, many North Carolina institutions are finding ways to keep students on top of this new technology. Since 2020, programs like Duke University’s Master’s in Engineering in Artificial Intelligence and North Carolina State University’s AI Academy have been on the rise.
But, more recently, three colleges and universities across central N.C. are founding unique programs for their institutions.
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
N.C. A&T is still on track to launch its bachelor’s degree program in AI, the first of its kind in the state. They announced the program last year and will accept the first cohort of students this fall.
Clayton Clark, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with N.C. A&T’s College of Engineering, said the program will help students get ahead on emerging technology.
“I believe AI is going to be similar to what sustainability was 15 to 20 years ago,” Clark told WUNC. “There was a big pushback then for sustainability to be a standalone and everyone was bringing that in. But, now sustainability is a tool in every track, every application, every research. I think AI is going to be the same thing.”
The degree will work as a partnership between the College of Engineering and the College of Science and Technology. Each will offer a track — design and development, or technical application, respectively — that students can specialize in. Clark said internships will also be built into the curriculum.
“I would say for all those students who are looking to be on the forefront of innovation, and not only computer engineering, computer science, information technology, but anything that may grow and grow with technological boundaries as we go into this next generation, this will be the perfect support in the foundation for everything you want to do in your future,” he said.
Clark estimated up to 150 students have already enrolled in the degree program.
North Carolina Central University
Last year, N.C. Central University received a $1 million grant from Google.org, the charitable arm of Google. The school is using it to launch the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Equity Research. According to NCCU, it’s the first program of its kind among HBCUs.
“I believe AI is going to be similar to what sustainability was 15 to 20 years ago. There was a big pushback then for sustainability to be a standalone and everyone was bringing that in. But, now sustainability is a tool in every track, every application, every research. I think AI is going to be the same thing.” — Clayton Clark, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with N.C. A&T’s College of Engineering
“A lot of what we’re trying to do with this grant, it’s a two-year grant, is we’re trying to impact 200 students over the course of two years, and we’re going to do that through curriculum, through workshops, seminars, mentorship and research,” said Siobahn Day Grady, the institute’s director.
Grady said the idea for the institute came through work she was already doing through NCCU’s School of Library Information Sciences. However, the institute gives her the chance to engage with the entire campus and the community.
“Our institute is public facing, meaning that we have other people who are also watching the work that we’re doing, which is exciting, because a lot of what the grant was written about also is to position NCCU as a national leader in AI,” she said.
The institute won’t open until the summer, but Grady said they’re already holding a seminar series with industry leaders, like Open AI, Anthropic, and FICO. There are also multiple research opportunities open for students and faculty alike. Their Seed Grant Program, for example, provides a funding source for faculty who want to research AI.
“As I continue to look for other funding for the sustainability of this institute, I’m hoping that even though everyone is not a technologist or a computer scientist, that they too will see the benefits, and these tools and technologies help them advance their careers, and that they can be leaders in this space,” Grady said.
Wake Technical Community College
While Wake Tech already offers a handful of courses in AI, they’re hoping to guide AI practices across the institution.
Ryan Schwiebert, the college’s VP of Information Technology and the Chief Information Officer, said that desire inspired their new threaded AI council.
“We have focused on bringing a group of people together who are interested and can advocate for the use of AI across the institution and in our service area, but that they would also help us with training, that they would help ensure that we’re properly governing the use of AI tools and ensuring a successful implementation” Schwiebert said.
Alongside the council, which is made up of volunteers, Wake Tech has put together a steering committee that offers more official generative AI guidance.
As for educational opportunities, Schwiebert said Wake Tech wants students to learn about AI in an everyday way, through subjects they’re already taking.
“The strategy has been to get the faculty interested in not only using it for themselves, but also teaching it in their courses,” he said. “There’s also a lot of value in teaching AI in conjunction with the subject matter that already exists. So within an English class, or within a programming class, incorporating AI into that, because I think pretty strongly that we’re not going to really see jobs replaced by AI, but they will be changed by AI. And so allowing our students to understand that a little bit more and then utilize that, that should help them be more competitive in the job market and in employment.”
Wake Tech’s council is in earlier stages than N.C. A&T’s and NCCU’s programs. But, Schwiebert said the council has a lot of potential — from developing a training program for personnel using AI, to helping identify AI initiatives the college could involve itself in, to exploring how AI could aid student resources, like tutoring.
“I think the best thing to do with AI is probably to not stick your head in the sand and ignore it,” he said. “I would recommend highly that you at least try some things out. Nothing’s going to be perfect out of the gate, and just be sure that you set some parameters out and see what you could do with it.”
