AI in Higher Ed: Advancing Critical Consciousness in and Beyond the Classroom
Date: June 5, 2025
Institute Description
The CECW 2025 Institute will delve into the paradox of AI in higher education: how can we harness its benefits while addressing the many challenges it poses. Often, the advantages of AI are celebrated without fully acknowledging its shortcomings, such as unexpected errors and gaps in knowledge. As AI proficiency increasingly becomes a job requirement, developing critical thinking—an awareness of how to reflect on and address its gaps—becomes essential.
Participants will explore how AI can integrate community dialogue in and beyond the classroom. We will consider strategies for integrating AI across disciplines, ensuring that its use promotes rather than undermines student’s pathways to academic excellence.
CECW Institute Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- Inquire: Critically examine and analyze the ethical considerations, risks, and gaps in AI use, such as AI use and its impact on learning outcomes.
- Gain insight into the dual nature of AI as both a tool for advancing workforce readiness and community engagement.
- Enhance faculty and staff knowledge on AI, both its limitations and potential to impact students.
- Communicate: Enhance our critical consciousness on the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI as an assistive tool in higher education and evaluate the impact of AI on specific outcomes.
- Act and Grow: Develop AI-driven strategies to foster discipline-specific, community-centered experiences that enhance our collective knowledge and assets across higher education.
Call for Proposals
We invite you to submit a proposal to present your work at the 2025 CECW Institute on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at BHCC’s Charlestown Campus. The application, important dates, selection rubric, and compensation information are below.
Dates
• Proposals are due Friday, February 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
• Proposals will be reviewed by a staff and faculty committee, and applicants will be notified of their selection by Friday, March 14.
Criteria
• Proposals that are selected will fully address the 2025 CECW Institute Outcomes.
Compensation
CECW will provide $1,000 as honorarium for each Breakout Session, which can be divided equally among all members of the presenting group or as decided by the group. This honorarium is intended only for faculty, students and all external presenters. Each presenter is eligible to receive up to a maximum of $500, with undergraduate students eligible to receive a smaller honorarium. Please contact us if this understanding is not commensurate with an undergraduate student’s contribution to the session.