Connecticut College AI and the Liberal Arts Symposium: Full Schedule

3:45pm EDT

AI and the Digital Divide: A New Era of Educational Inequity

Friday October 16, 2026 3:45pm - 3:55pm EDT

Since the rise of AI in recent years has become an unavoidable issue in educational systems, its widespread use and accessibility need to be studied. Before addressing the complex question of whether using AI for writing assignments in the classroom is ethical, as well as questions of authorship, there is another issue that remains understudied. The digital divide and inaccessibility of free and reliable internet connections continue to be factors of discrimination across many communities and countries.Unstable, unreliable, and unaffordable internet access raises another important question that this presentation seeks to address: how accessible is AI in the Global South, and what impact will this have on educational equity? By showcasing three months of digital blackout and internet censorship in Iran and examining their effects on the educational system, this paper explores the relationship between the digital divide and AI within the global educational environment.

Speakers

Atousa Kaviani

Friday October 16, 2026 3:45pm - 3:55pm EDT
Shain Library Chu Room (First floor)

Lightning, Ethics, Equity, and Environmental Impact

Company Binghamton University

3:55pm EDT

The Other Side of the Desk: Student Perceptions of Faculty AI Use in the Liberal Arts

Friday October 16, 2026 3:55pm - 4:05pm EDT

Shain Library Chu Room (First floor)

While considerable research has examined how students use generative AI, and how faculty feel about that use, no study to date has reversed the lens. This mixed-methods campus survey of ~400 liberal arts students and 100 faculty investigates how these populations perceive and evaluate each others' AI practices. Our findings reveal striking convergences and divergences. Students and faculty share similar fears (cognitive offloading, accuracy, environmental impact) and similar hopes (more training, experience, and institutional guidance). Yet students express significant dissatisfaction with specific faculty practices. For example, students are particularly against using AI to generate letters of recommendation, significant course content, and grading of written work, despite some faculty reports of using AI to do these tasks. These findings raise urgent questions about the ethical standards we apply to ourselves versus others. We discuss implications for institutional policy, pedagogical transparency, and the equitable development of AI norms in the liberal arts.

Speakers

Lauren Howard

Willie Wilson

Associate Professor of Computer Science, Franklin & Marshall College

I am trying to guide our campus in ethical AI practices. I have been working with students, faculty, and staff to educate them on AI, its strengths, and its weaknesses. I'm also listening to their concerns and how they would like to use AI.

Students, faculty, staff, and administration all have different needs and objectives. Also, faculty from STEM and humanities usually have vastly different experiences with AI and are taking very different approaches. I'm looking to talk with people about how to get people on the same... Read More →

Friday October 16, 2026 3:55pm - 4:05pm EDT
Shain Library Chu Room (First floor)