Is there a specific generative AI I need to use for this program?

Yes. This program is built around the functionality of ChatGPT.

The workflows, examples, and instructional materials in this program rely on specific features available within ChatGPT. While other generative AI tools may offer overlapping capabilities, this program assumes a single, consistent environment to reduce complexity and support sustained workflow development.

Why ChatGPT?

Most faculty work is text-based: course materials, feedback, research writing, reports, and administrative documents. ChatGPT is well suited to support this work across teaching, research, and service within a single, consistent environment.

Do I need a paid version of ChatGPT?

A paid version is recommended but not required.

Some course features, including Projects and custom GPTs, are more reliable or only available with a paid plan. Participants using the free version can still engage with the core ideas, though functionality will be more limited.

Do I need prior AI experience?

No. This course is designed by an educator for participants with little or no prior experience using AI tools. No coding or technical skills are required.

This course provides a structured foundation that you can build upon intentionally rather than random isolated experimentation. 

How much time should I expect to spend?

Time commitment will vary based on how you choose to engage with the course.

The course includes:

• A rapid setup option for participants who want to get started quickly

• A guided setup option for those who prefer a more deliberate, step-by-step approach

Both paths lead to the same outcomes. The difference is the pace and level of scaffolding.

What will I have built by the end of the course?

By the end of the course, you will have a functional, personalized workflow aligned to your teaching, research, and service responsibilities.

This includes:

• A clear framework for deciding when and how to use AI

• At reusable workflow you can apply immediately to teaching, research, and administrative work

• A foundation you can extend gradually as your needs evolve

The goal is not to use more tools, but to work with greater intention and clarity.

Should I use a personal or university-provided version of ChatGPT?

That choice is yours and should be guided by your institutional policies and personal comfort level.

Participants may use either a personal account or a university-provided version, if available. The workflows and principles introduced in the course apply in both contexts.

For transparency, I use a personal account to maintain continuity across roles and institutions, retain control over configuration and document limits, and reduce disruption when institutional tools or policies change.

I manage risk by controlling what I upload and do not use AI systems for sensitive, protected, or inappropriate data. This mirrors how I already manage risk when using cloud storage, email, and other standard academic technologies.

I’m hearing a lot about AI “agents.” Does this program use them? Why not?

No. This program does not rely on autonomous AI agents.

Agents are designed to monitor systems, trigger actions, or operate independently once set in motion. That design makes sense in technical or business automation contexts, but it does not align well with how faculty work actually happens.

Faculty work is episodic, judgment-heavy, and ethically constrained. Teaching, research, and service require professional discretion, contextual decision-making, and a clear human-in-the-loop model. Automating those decisions introduces unnecessary risk and complexity.

This program is intentionally built around Projects and Custom GPTs because they align with real academic work. Projects anchor AI to a specific course, manuscript, or responsibility. Custom GPTs function as structured assistants or critical friends that support thinking rather than replace it.

The goal is not autonomy. The goal is clarity, structure, and time reclaimed for high-level cognitive and relational work.