AI Residency at UP

• Looking for more information about AI at the University of Portland?  Click here. 

Overview and Learning Goals

Generative Artificial Intelligence has rapidly become one of the most important technology topics of the modern era, but it has become so much of a buzzword and overhyped phenomenon that most people are still trying to figure out what it really means, how it might affect our lives, and whether we should be scared or excited.  The AI Residency Program at the University of Portland provides a chance for staff members to learn about the technology, get some experience applying it to their everyday work, and build connections with colleagues who are also interested in the topic.

The AI Residency Program includes both organized gatherings and the expectation that staff continue their exploration in their day-to-day work duties over the course of the four-week program.  For instance, this could mean experimenting with Copilot to brainstorm and research topics, or to generate a template for a grant proposal.  Through this combination of guided tasks and personal exploration, participants will get hands-on experience and immediately usable ideas for how to apply generative AI tools – many of which we already have access to – as assistants that can help all of us focus on the more rewarding and valuable tasks in our jobs. When the group meets to discuss these experiences, staff will get the chance to be inspired by each other’s stories.

Learning sessions will include information about the technology itself and some examples of ways to use it, a discussion of ethical and privacy concerns, and some recommended resources to get more help during the journey.

About the Residency

The AI Residency is a four-week program for UP staff who are interested in integrating AI tools into their day-to-day work.   In the Fall of 2024, this program will begin on October 11 and end on November 8.  The planned itinerary:

• October 11: An opening workshop will introduce the technology and some examples of interacting with it. This will lead to hands-on group projects using generative AI to brainstorm and research a topic.  Participants will then be introduced to their Residency-long assignment: to intentionally involve AI in their work in new ways over the four week program and take notes of what works and what doesn’t to share with the full group.
• October 25: A mid-session check-in meeting in which participants have a chance to share some of their results so far. This will be followed by a presentation on some of the ethical and privacy questions surrounding AI and best practices for using the technology responsibly.
• November 8: The closing meeting will focus on sharing the experiences of the participants, collecting feedback for future AI professional development programming, and setting personal plans for continuing exploration and utilization of generative AI technology.

A goal of this program is to build a community of discussion and collaboration regarding AI and innovation.  Feedback and ideas from participants will help shape future professional development opportunities at UP.

Information for Supervisors

The AI Residency program entails a staff member attending three 90-minute sessions on Friday afternoons, as well as spending some time during work experimenting with ways to use AI to be more effective.  When considering whether to approve this, supervisors should consider the following benefits:

• The primary goal of the program is to make staff more effective and faster at everyday tasks by using AI effectively, safely, and responsibly. This should improve work quality while also freeing up time for higher-value projects.
• The full cohort of AI Residency participants will also remain connected, allowing each person to draw upon the collective experience of the group in devising solutions to future challenges.
• This is a cost-effective way to provide a unique professional development opportunity for staff to learn cutting-edge technology and apply that knowledge directly to current job responsibilities.
• Participants are very likely to come back to their home departments with skills and knowledge they can share, raising the capabilities of the whole office.

Eligibility and Cost

Participants are not required to have any previous experience using generative AI or even know what it is.  Those who do have some knowledge and experience are welcome as well.  Staff are encouraged to bring a laptop to each session if they have access to one.

Departments are encouraged to support this professional development experience by funding a Copilot for Office365 license for their participating members.  This license costs $360 a year for a single user, and can be requested by contacting the Information Services Help Desk at help@up.edu.  Some of the examples used in the course will be focused on Copilot for Office365 and its capabilities, and currently the enterprise Copilot engine is the only one that has been reviewed and approved as appropriate for using to analyze and work with protected data from the University.

This license is not required for participation, and participants can opt to use either the generative AI platform of their choice or a free option (such as the “web” version of Copilot, which is available for all staff), or the basic capabilities of OpenAI’s free tier of ChatGPT). 

The Fall 2025 AI Residency program is capped at 50 participants.

How to Register

Registration is open!  Visit the registration form for more information.