DePauw AI Vision
DePauw University Working AI Vision Statement
Adopted: April, 2026
DePauw University is fully committed to thoughtfully incorporating human-centered use of artificial intelligence (AI) as an emerging and evolving part of how we educate, operate and lead in service to our liberal arts mission, creating more space for personal connection. Our graduates will leave DePauw as critical, creative and capable individuals, fully equipped with AI literacy and supported in pursuing AI fluency. The commitment to critical inquiry, ethical reasoning and human connection at the heart of a DePauw education are exactly what it takes to navigate AI wisely. We will employ AI responsibly and transparently across the institution, attending to its financial, social and environmental costs. We also commit to regularly assessing AI, as we do with other elements of our curriculum and operations. This working vision will evolve as technologies change and as debates around the technology's utility continue to develop.
Definitions and Guiding Principles
Definitions
Artificial intelligence (AI): Systems that use machine learning algorithms to generate predictions, recommendations, decisions or content or act autonomously as agents.
AI literacy: The knowledge, skills and ethical grounding to understand what AI systems are, assess their limits and risks and make principled decisions about when to use them and when to refrain.
AI fluency: The advanced ability to strategically apply, adapt and interrogate AI across multiple domains and contexts to shape how AI tools are created, evaluated and responsibly deployed by others.
Human-centered use of AI: The practice of employing AI to augment human workflows, not replace or diminish distinctly human capacities such as judgment, empathy, creativity and collaboration.
Considerations for Adoption
- Mission First
Every institutional decision about AI at DePauw begins with a single question: does this serve our institutional mission to develop leaders the world needs through an uncommon commitment to the liberal arts? AI must strengthen, not diminish, our commitment to developing critical, creative and ethical individuals prepared for lives of meaning and responsibility. The world will need leaders who are literate, if not fluent, in AI and who have a deep understanding of the human aspects of a liberal arts education that cannot be supplanted by technology. Tools or applications that are counter to our mission will not be pursued simply because they are available or expected. - People Over Process
AI use at DePauw will augment human capacity; it will not replace human judgment, accountability or the relationships we build in community. DePauw will actively protect deep, unassisted thinking, including reading, writing and dialogue that define a liberal arts education. We will prepare students to navigate AI skillfully while preserving the intellectual practices that no tool can replicate. One goal of responsible AI use is to create more space for mentorship, creativity, personal connection, etc. However, it should be acknowledged that it will take time and effort to learn to effectively use AI in a way that creates this space. - Ethical Grounding
Decisions about when, how and whether AI is used at DePauw will be guided by our values (noted here). These values are not external constraints; they reflect the principles of critical inquiry and ethical reasoning that are already central to a DePauw education. Decisions that cannot withstand ethical scrutiny will not be advanced on the basis of convenience or cost alone. - Academic Freedom and Shared Governance
DePauw’s faculty retain full authority over course design. This includes the right to limit, require or decline AI use in their courses. AI adoption at DePauw will respect shared governance structures and faculty authority although faculty are encouraged to learn about the implications of AI on their fields, on their pedagogy, and on preparing students for personal and professional lives. Critical debate about AI is, of course, protected and welcomed under DePauw's Statement on Freedom of Expression. - Honesty and Accountability
All AI use at DePauw must be consistent with our standards of academic integrity and professional conduct. Honesty means being transparent with our community about the financial, social, environmental and cognitive costs of AI adoption. When evaluating tools for institutional use, we will weigh vendor data practices, environmental impact and broader conduct alongside functionality and cost. - Access and Inclusion
DePauw will actively work to use AI adoption as a tool to reduce, not reinforce, barriers of financial means, language and accessibility. Where AI tools are integrated into learning or operations, meaningful access will be ensured for all students and employees. Responsible AI use should create more space for mentorship, creativity and personal connection, although this may take time to realize. - Thoughtful Experimentation
DePauw's adoption of AI will deliberately engage pilots and learning communities. AI is not a destination but a constantly evolving set of tools and practices. We will follow emerging research on how AI affects learning and cognition, and that evidence will shape how we teach, assess and adopt. Faculty, staff and students will be supported through training and development throughout a process that will take time and is not expected to happen all at once. It is our expectation that our faculty and staff will develop AI literacy so that every employee can make informed decisions about appropriate uses of AI in their work. - Environmental Stewardship
Digital technologies including AI have real environmental impacts, including energy and water use, carbon emissions and mineral extraction. Their implementation and infrastructure can have unequal effects on vulnerable communities. We will incorporate these realities into AI literacy education and consider environmental and social factors, alongside functionality and cost, when evaluating tools for institutional adoption. - An Evolving Commitment
DePauw will engage with AI as a permanent and evolving feature of education and institutional life, not as a passing trend to evaluate from a distance. These considerations will be reviewed annually and revised in light of new evidence, emerging technologies and input from across our community. Review timelines and processes will be shared openly. Perspectives gathered through forums, working groups and surveys will be documented and reflected visibly in how our policies and practices change.
This is a working document that we revisit regularly and not the final word.
Last updated: April 6, 2026