Auburn University empowers thousands of students, faculty, and staff to explore new ways of using AI with Microsoft Copilot

As universities wrestle with competing priorities, the discourse on how best to integrate AI technology continues to expand, with many students, faculty, and staff already exploring how AI tools can support teaching, learning, and administrative work. A land-grant institution that fosters broad educational opportunities, Auburn University (Auburn) has spearheaded an ethical and responsible approach to AI, emphasizing secure access to technology and enhancing AI literacy among its stakeholders.

In collaboration with Microsoft, Auburn is advancing the AI dialogue by inspiring students and educators to build curiosity around AI and apply it in innovative ways. These new technologies are enhancing efficiency in education and equipping individuals for future technological trends in both academic and professional settings.

Helping thousands of students and faculty respond to new challenges

Auburn is an R1 research university serving more than 33,000 students across the southeastern United States. The university’s creed emphasizes hard work, a commitment to discovery and knowledge, and cultivating empathy and the human touch. Realizing the potential that AI technology presents for its future, Auburn wanted to improve the educational experience, both on campus and beyond, in ways that strengthen human understanding and interpersonal relationships.

Auburn motivated students, faculty, and staff to imagine new ways of working. “We don’t want to wait and see how the world evolves around us,” says Asim Ali, Executive Director of the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at Auburn. “We want to shape the world. That’s what we’re guiding our students and faculty to do.”

Committed to student growth and an openness to change, Auburn has embraced AI as part of its campus culture. “The institution's culture comes first—then, the technology’s capabilities,” says Vini Nathan, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Auburn. “The best technology is useless if you’re not open to testing it and exploring boundaries.”

To empower stakeholders to make the most of new technology, Auburn set out to improve AI literacy, expand AI access, and foster AI collaboration. The university turned to Microsoft and its comprehensive, flexible solutions to develop approaches that would help Auburn move forward and pivot as new technologies emerge. 

Improving AI literacy at more than 90 institutions

In 2023, Auburn spent more than 65 hours engaging with stakeholders about AI’s role in learning efficiency, leading to a series of strategies designed to improve AI literacy through the creation of a course titled “Teaching with Artificial Intelligence.” The university launched the course with faculty first, providing educational opportunities and increasing literacy across topics that impact pedagogical approaches. More than 700 people registered for the class, and thanks to Auburn’s partnership with the Southeastern Conference AI Consortium, the benefits spread quickly. To date, nearly 10,000 faculty at more than 90 institutions can access this course. 

Auburn built on this success with an on-campus event designed to engage the community in the AI dialogue. Held in January 2024, “On the Pl(AI)ns of Auburn: AI Day” offered a series of seminars, presentations, and demonstrations. More than 400 campus community members attended the event and engaged with leaders from Auburn and Microsoft about how to better integrate AI offerings. 

Faculty and students jumped at the opportunity to learn more about this innovative technology. “AI Day served as a kickoff,” says Jill Albin Hill, Deputy Chief Information Officer and Executive Director for Technology Operations at Auburn. “It was the art of what’s possible. How do we give ourselves the ability to talk and think about AI? How do we support that, and what guardrails do we need to mitigate fears and stay organized around it?” With tools like Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Sentinel providing security, Auburn developed more ways for people to explore AI’s possibilities safely. 

Providing AI access and helping students learn more efficiently

In addition to improving AI literacy, Auburn wanted to provide students and faculty with secure access to AI so that they could integrate the technology into educational practices. “Our goal is to democratize the value of AI,” says John Davidson, Assistant Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Auburn. “The focus extends beyond the efficiencies of AI authoring. It’s about equipping our Auburn community with the ability to apply AI in creative and ethical ways, integrating it into our daily fabric as seamlessly as mobile phones have over the past decade.” 

Following the success of AI Day, Auburn began offering Microsoft Copilot to students as an academic and professional resource. “We’re building a culture around how to effectively use AI, and access to programs like Copilot benefits our students tremendously,” says Julie Huff, Assistant Provost for Academic Operations, Facilities, and Initiatives at Auburn. “We’re helping our students understand that these tools both support their academic instruction and complement their professional marketability.”

With secure access to AI, Auburn’s staff and students continue to advance AI literacy and collaboration. Attendees of a “build-a-bot” workshop learned how to use a solution built on Microsoft Azure technology, Azure OpenAI Service, to develop their own chatbots. In another class, an instructor uses Copilot to develop use cases around how students might apply AI in specific business settings. In the writing center, students and advisors collaborate to discover how AI can enhance a student’s writing responsibly. “That’s what we want our students to be able to think through,” says Nathan. “They are going to be confronting these technologies in professional settings, and they need to decide how they’re going to consume them.”

Using AI to empower efficiency in higher education

Auburn University has empowered thousands of students and faculty members with greater AI literacy, access, and collaboration. Moving forward, Auburn is beta testing Copilot for Microsoft 365 with 80 faculty and staff, using feedback from testers to discover new ways to enhance learning with AI. Auburn plans to continue its journey with Microsoft and AI as it experiments with new tools. 

“Auburn University is proud to be at the forefront of innovative transformation,” says Kelli D. Shomaker, Senior Vice President for Business and Administration and Chief Financial Officer at Auburn. “Modern work will transform the workplace into a high-performance organization equipped to meet the challenges of today’s landscape. Our collaboration with Microsoft will propel us towards our envisioned future.”