Camila Nguyen

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping classrooms across the country, and Texas Wesleyan University professors are split between excitement and concern as they navigate how the technology should or shouldn’t shape student learning. 

“AI should be a collaborator,” said Gwen Williams, who has worked in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) for eight years. “It can help brainstorm, create outlines, or provide feedback. But it should never be used to completely generate work. That’s plagiarism.” 

Williams described AI’s supplemental use for taking notes, creating flashcards or summarizing sources, but she stressed that faculty must guide students on what’s ethical.  

“If professors don’t understand what AI can do, we can’t set the boundaries for students,” she said. “It’s like when the internet first came out. We had to show students how to research responsibly. AI is no different.” 

For Dr. Whitney Myers, associate professor of English, the shift has been personal.  

“Last year I was getting tons of papers that had been ChatGPT-generated, and it’s very easy to tell,” she said. “At first I was angry; I don’t want to spend 15 minutes giving feedback on something a robot wrote.” 

However, over the summer, Myers and colleagues began discussing how to integrate AI instead of banning it. Now she builds AI policies directly into her assignments.  

“I include a table in every prompt: here’s how you may use AI, here’s what you can’t do,” she said. “I want students to retain their voice and ideas, but I also want to acknowledge these tools aren’t going away.” 

Not all faculty welcome AI. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez,  associate professor of computer science, sees the risks firsthand.  

“I’m not a big fan at all of using AI inside coursework,” he said. “Students just take whatever code it produces and submit it as their own. Then a quiz comes along, and they don’t understand anything.” 

Rodriguez also insists on students having a traditional foundation when learning. 

“If they learn the fundamentals of problem-solving and programming, they’ll succeed in the workplace with or without AI,” he said. “Sticking to the basics is more important than chasing every new tool.” 

Meanwhile, Dr. Christopher Ohan, professor of history and associate dean of the school of arts & sciences, confirmed that Texas Wesleyan has established a university-wide framework for AI use.  

“We have an AI policy,” Ohan said. “It’s in most syllabus now. Every faculty member is supposed to have a policy about AI use in their classroom. There’s also a general AI policy; it’s very general for the university.”  

He added that the policy, which went into effect last year, applies not only to academic departments but also to administrative offices such as the registrar and library.  

“Professors aren’t required, but they’re encouraged to include AI in their curriculum,” he said. 

Ohan views AI as part of higher education’s ongoing evolution.  

“Higher education is always evolving,” he said. “AI makes much of what we do easier. But it demands that we teach students to be critical thinkers. Don’t use it to replace your thought process. Use it to help you think better.” 

In business education,  Heida Reed, assistant professor of business management,  sees AI as a career pipeline. She uses ChatGPT, Gemini, and LinkedIn analytics to help students build résumés and professional networks.  

“AI is the bridge between a degree and a career,” Reed said. “Students who use it responsibly see their visibility skyrocket. I’ve had students break down in tears when recruiters from their dream industry started following them.” 

Still, Reed worries about equity when universities use AI as a pedagogical tool. 

“The bigger danger is a two-tiered system where wealthier students can afford premium AI and others cannot,” she said. “If universities don’t ensure access, AI could deepen privilege instead of closing gaps.” 

As AI becomes a permanent fixture, professors agree on one point: the classroom must teach students to engage responsibly.  

“AI is not going away,” Williams said. “The question is whether we prepare students to use it ethically and effectively or leave them to figure it out on their own.”