Learning and Teaching Task Force

Terms of Reference

Term of the Task Force

September 2024 – August 2025. There will be deliverables past August 2025 and members will have the option to extend their term until August 2026.

Task Force Goals

• Assess the current state of AI uses and needs of instructors and students (e.g., through surveys, consultation sessions or other means as deemed appropriate).
• Review existing guidelines and policies related to using AI in learning and teaching.
• Revise and/or develop new AI guidelines and policies that work at course, program, and institutional levels.
• Pilot AI-Education guidelines/initiatives with scalability in mind, ensuring that successful projects can be expanded across programs or institution-wide; Revise guidelines based on pilot results.
• Provide guidelines for instructors on the appropriate uses of AI in learning and teaching practices (e.g., creation of course content, assignments, feedback, assessments, etc.). 
• Explore and pilot AI-driven innovations in pedagogy, such as personalized learning paths, AI tutors, and adaptive learning systems.
• Provide guidelines for undergraduate students on the appropriate uses of AI (e.g., coursework, exams, etc.).
• Develop guidelines to ensure that AI tools and practices are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities or those from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
• Provide feedback on proposed guidelines for graduate students on the appropriate uses of AI (e.g., in theses, projects, exams, etc.).
• Provide guidelines for oversight and operational support for the appropriate integration of AI technologies into learning and teaching.
• Identify ways to raise awareness around best practices and innovations in AI in learning and teaching.
• Make recommendations on how best to govern and guide future university decisions and policy on AI and amidst its rapidly evolving landscape.
• Set up mechanisms for continuous monitoring and evaluation of AI's impact on learning outcomes, student engagement, and teaching effectiveness.
• Strike smaller subcommittees as needed (e.g., to address academic integrity policy, pedagogy and innovation, governance and ethics etc.).

Guiding Principles 

• Decisions and recommendations from the task force will align with the university's academic mission and strategic vision.
• The group will focus on establishing policy and guidelines that are flexible, inclusive, accessible, and pedagogically informed.
• AI is viewed as a tool (or suite of tools) and the committee will focus on the responsible use of these tools.

Operation

1. The Committee quorum shall be eleven members.
2. Meetings will be held monthly and virtually via Zoom and will be 90 minutes long unless otherwise agreed to.
3. Additional ad hoc meetings may be scheduled to accomplish specific tasks.
   
4. The Chair will be responsible for developing the meeting agenda and distributing minutes.
5. Subcommittee will bring their work and recommendations to the Task Force for discussion and decisions, which will be based on general consensus.
6. Meetings will be recorded to capture meeting notes and action items, and for the benefit of members who are unable to attend the Zoom meeting. The recordings will be deleted 30 days after the meeting.