MUSC AI Initiatives

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The formal strategic conversations around artificial intelligence (AI) began in 2023. This timeline highlights key milestones, starting with initiating AI discussions and guidelines in the summer, followed by strategic workshops, policy developments, and drafting an AI strategic plan. Looking forward, MUSC continues advancing its AI initiatives, is committed to pioneering transformative changes in healthcare, research, and education, and is creating an AI-competent workforce.

Key Milestones

1. Summer 2023: Initiation of AI Discussions and Guidelines
   • President's Council initiated AI discussions by reading "The AI Revolution in Medicine; GPT-4 and Beyond," and the Center for the Advancement in Teaching and Learning (CATL) Summer Series featured a session on AI in education. Additionally, the university updated its Plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence Guidelines.
   • The AI Revolution in Medicine: GPT-4 and Beyond is available online from MUSC Library.
   • CATL Summer Series: Teaching and Learning in the Age of AI with Julaine Fowlin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Executive Director of CATL, R.J. Lambert, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Center for Academic Excellence and Writing Center (CAE/WC), and College of Medicine Student Chris Baltimore. Watch Recording (Net ID Needed)
2. October 2023: AI Workshop with Leaders and Industry
   • Level Setting AI Workshop with key leaders to lay the groundwork for a strategic plan around AI for the enterprise led by Jesse S. Goodwin, Ph.D., Chief Innovation Officer, Office of Innovation.
   • The workshop included presentations from Aaron Heath, JD, Chief Information Security Officer and Cybersecurity Counsel; Ramsey Wehbe, M.D., Assistant Professor, College of Medicine; and key leaders from AVIA's strategic innovation, operational, and client engagement teams.
3. November 2023: Drafting of AI Strategic Goals

   Key leaders started drafting an AI strategic plan for the enterprise.

4. December 2023: AI in Education Strategic Planning Retreat
   • AI in Education Strategic Planning Retreat led by Lisa K. Saladin, PT, Ph.D., FAPTA, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.
   • Retreat participants included representatives across the colleges and the central university offices.
5. January 2024: AI Governance Policy

   MUSC developed the Use of Public Generative AI-Based Tools guidelines (Net ID Needed), which guide the use of public AI tools in their work.

6. April 2024: Approval of AI Strategic Plan and AI Conference
   • President's Council approved an AI Strategic Plan to harness AI to support MUSC's vision, mission, and OneMUSC strategy. The plan includes goals to pioneer transformative healthcare, research, and education changes to create an AI-competent workforce.
   • The Teaching & Learning in the Age of AI Conference had over 200 attendees. It served as a level-setting event for education faculty and staff, featuring presentations from leaders across the enterprise and two keynote speakers. See the conference webpage for more information and recordings. (See MUSC Catalyst Article: Conference explores the transformative impact of AI on education)
7. June 2024: Director of AI Integration and Creative Learning Search The Director of AI Integration and Creative Learning search launched, led by Dusti L. Annan-Coultas, EdD, Associate Professor and Director of Operations Office of Interprofessional Initiatives.
8. July 2024: Summer series workshop

   CATL Summer Series Workshop: From Knowledge to Integration, led by Julaine Fowlin and Mary Smith, Assistant Professor, Director of Instructional Design and Technology

9. August 2024: AI module added to IP711

   Almost 900 students in 10 different academic programs are required to complete IP 711: IP Foundations and TeamSTEPPS, which, as of Fall 2024, includes a module on AI that introduces students to AI concepts and definitions, application to healthcare, impact on healthcare teams and teamwork, and ethical and security considerations.

10. September 2024: AAC&U AI Institute and CATL Book Club
    • Administrative leaders and the College of Health Professions teams began participating in AAC&U's year-long AI pedagogy and the curriculum institute, and an ad hoc committee was formed to create an AI literacy course for the enterprise. Julaine Fowlin, Ph.D., also serves as a faculty mentor for the AAC&U Institute.
    • The CATL 6-week book club, led by Julia Liebenrood, Educational Development Lead, explores the evolving landscape of AI and its applications in education, healthcare, and beyond using the book Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (MUSC Library Access Needed). This book club also marks the launch of a pilot partnership with OneHE, offering participants the opportunity to earn a OneHE badge on AI and Teaching.

Looking Forward

• Save the Date: June 12-13, 2025 AAC&U Partners with MUSC: Symposium on AI Leadership. Registration is Now Open, See Symposium website for more information.
• MUSC remains committed to purposeful and progressing planning and implementation around AI in education. The progressive plan includes developing an AI inventory, decision-making tools, and a resources repository, alongside integrating AI into the curriculum and creating a catalog of AI use cases in education. Additionally, it focuses on a new QEP for digital transformation, and exploring research and funding opportunities related to AI and education.
  • AI Inventory for Education: A comprehensive list of AI tools and technologies available at MUSC for educational purposes to help educators identify and utilize the best AI resources for their needs.
  • AI Decision-Making Tool for Piloting and Adoption: Tool to assists in evaluating and deciding which AI technologies to pilot and adopt to ensure informed decision-making based on specific criteria and outcomes.
  • AI Resources Repository: A centralized collection of AI-related resources, including articles, tutorials, and best practices. This repository will serve as a go-to reference for educators and administrators.
  • AI Use Cases in Education Catalog: Catalog to showcase various applications of AI in education at MUSC; it will provide examples and case studies to inspire and guide future adoption.
  • Curriculum Integration and Transformation: Embedding AI into the curriculum to enhance teaching and learning, will include a phasic redesign of courses and programs to incorporate AI technologies and methodologies.
  • New QEP on Digital Transformation Including AI: This Quality Enhancement Plan focuses on digital transformation, with a significant emphasis on AI.
  • Research and Funding Opportunities Related to AI and Education: This involves identifying and pursuing research and funding opportunities in the field of AI and education.