Artificial Intelligence at SNHU

BY MARISSA LARKIN ’20G

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform education, and Southern New Hampshire University is embracing the opportunity to explore how AI can be integrated in a smart, strategic, and efficient way to enhance learning experiences and work across the university. Leveraging AI isn’t about replacing human effort; it’s about collaborating with AI as a thought partner to enrich our work and learning experiences. By establishing an AI team in 2023, SNHU is exploring innovative solutions to complement and optimize current work. After reviewing multiple proof-of-concepts, the AI team announced the launch of new initiatives that will foster innovation, promote inclusivity, and support SNHU’s commitment to academic excellence.

This Fall, SNHU offered an opportunity for full-time campus faculty to submit proposals for an AI Grant that could help fund projects that integrate AI into classroom environments.

Individual faculty members were encouraged to explore the potential of artificial intelligence within their own classroom work and propose projects that demonstrated a strong commitment to research, community engagement, pedagogy, and educational development.

Proposals ranged from exploring ways to motivate and engage students in research to creating immersive experiences that could provide in-the-moment support and improve student learning experiences.

In November 2024, the AI team launched a pilot program in collaboration with Latimer, a text-based artificial intelligence tool that uses both proprietary and open-source data. As AI tools become more prevalent in education, Latimer offers the possibility of being an open-access AI tool for all SNHU stakeholders and was used with varying proof-of-concept ideas.

In addition to its ability to assist in various tasks including brainstorming, drafting ideas, analyzing data, and improving communication and decision-making processes, Latimer puts a unique emphasis on inclusivity and cultural awareness. This AI tool incorporates narratives from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to focus on promoting diverse perspectives and actively works to reduce biases in its responses, providing a more equitable tool for both students and faculty.  

SNHU has expanded this pilot to run through April 2025 to allow the AI team to collect survey data and understand the impact Latimer is having on student learning and academic outcomes.

These insights will help inform how these tools can serve the SNHU community by determining participants’ comfortability with these tools, knowledge of ethical usage, and whether Latimer should extend to a broader audience and be a long-term AI solution for the university.

SNHU’s AI-powered texting bot, Penny, sent messaging to students prior to the 2024 election to provide resources and voting information.

This AI tool was used to ask students if they wanted voting information, and of the students who responded, more than half opted in to receive the voting resources. The chatbot was able to answer questions around voting in a state other than where students resided, provided election day details, and sent reminders for how students could get to the Manchester or Hooksett polls with shuttles through The Chandler Center.

SNHU’s AI team is prioritizing security, privacy, and reliability when integrating AI into the university, ensuring tools can support and enhance productivity while maintaining ethical standards that align with the university’s values. As SNHU continues to explore AI opportunities, the team is prioritizing transparent and open communication to effectively support the community.