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OREM — Utah Valley University is continuing the trend of Utah higher education institutions leaning into artificial intelligence instead of shying away.
Last week, UVU President Astrid Tuminez announced the launch of the university's new Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute, establishing UVU as a living laboratory and model for AI in higher education.
The AI institute will be led by Rachael Hutchings, a professional in residence in the strategic management and operations department at the Woodbury School of Business at UVU. Hutchings will be tasked with spearheading the institute's mission to research, develop, test and share effective AI applications with students, faculty, staff and the community.
"The Applied AI Institute is a significant step forward in our vision for education at UVU," Tuminez said in a statement. "We believe that everyone, regardless of their major, should engage with this transformative technology and become comfortable with it. By integrating hands-on learning experiences into our curriculum, we are empowering our students to thrive in the rapidly evolving world of work."
UVU is further integrating AI into the higher education space by prioritizing its use to enhance student internships and job placements. It is collaborating with local businesses and tech companies to create opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience with AI technologies.
The university hopes this will help students get a head start in a workforce that is rapidly changing and integrating artificial intelligence.
"The institute will not only be a hub for our students, but it will be a vital community resource," Tuminez said. "Our goal is to open doors for all individuals, businesses and organizations to work with us to understand what AI brings to the world of learning and work, how to invest our resources and how to deploy and govern this new technology."
Another aspect of the institute is planning to host leading experts from academia and industry to share insights and facilitate events — from K-12 to higher education — focused on the responsible use of AI. Additionally, the College of Engineering and Technology will be home to a dedicated lab for students, faculty and the community to collaborate on AI model testing and development.
But that's not all UVU has planned for advancing AI in integration, also announcing a new, Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence degree that will be available to students beginning in fall 2025.
"This program will prepare professionals from different backgrounds to harness artificial intelligence to create effective business solutions across many industries," said a release from the university.
Applications for the program will be available online on Dec. 1.
Both announcements come on the heels of a year of work and research by a faculty and staff task force focused on integrating generative AI into UVU's academic and administrative programs.
A real-world example of how AI has been beneficial in the university space can be seen in UVU's Woodbury School of Business, where Noah Myers, an assistant professor of accounting, trimmed his spreadsheet automation course from a full semester to just two weeks. Myers teaches students to generate code using simple English instructions in AI.
"As an accountant, not a computer programmer, I use AI to convert my needs into code without needing to know programming," Myers said in a statement. "This makes complex tasks simpler and more accessible for students."
