A couple of decades ago, universities entered a new kind of competition. In addition to the academic programs, campuses were enhancing their living and recreation facilities. I still remember the first time I heard about the lazy river installed at Louisiana State University in 2017 that spelled out “LSU,” but they were by no means the only university that sought to woo students based on out-of-class amenities. Water parks, giant spa pools, aquatic basketball, etc. popped up at several large campuses. Predictably, there was also backlash from faculty and citizens, especially concerning these projects at public universities (see the NY Times opinion piece “No College Kid Needs a Water Park to Study”). Still, despite these amenities, students still come to universities to learn and to gain the credentials to make a good living, support their families, and contribute to the well-being of their communities.
The new competition element among universities is predicted to be tech, both in the living spaces and in the classrooms. We are seeing increased interest in E-sports, for example, but the really interesting and challenging issue is what the role of AI (artificial intelligence) will be on our campuses. With the expansion of AI, we are all scrambling to figure out how it is relevant, how it is dangerous, and how it can be of benefit. ChatGPT has been around for only two years, but it and its competitors are here to stay. We’ve all the read the horror stories about how sophisticated artificial intelligence makes it harder to determine what is real when it comes to political statements, celebrity endorsements, and all manner of things. Science fiction includes tales of AI overlords taking over control from their human inventors. Just think of HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey (“I’m sorry, Dave, I can’t do that.”). Regardless of whether they think that AI is cool or scary, however, students need to learn to use these tools in order to have the stable and successful future they look for in life and career.
I am grateful for the UH Hilo faculty and staff that have taken on investigating and, in some cases, using AI. Some choose just to forbid its use in classes, which I certainly understand, given how hard it can be already to determine whether a student has written their own paper or had some kind of assistance. These faculty are trying to ensure that our students are actually learning what they need to. Others are figuring out how to use it as a tool, encouraging students to use AI for note-taking. Much like the calculator forever changed math classes 50 years ago, AI provides shortcuts that may be useful in freeing up students’ time to delve more deeply into what they are studying. UH Hilo is already using AI in the form of a chatbot that can answer questions from prospective students. While the chatbot may not be able to answer every question from students, it can work at 2 a.m. when most offices are closed. UH Hilo courses can help us prepare students for this new world, and we also discuss the ethical use of AI tools.
Smaller universities like UH Hilo were never going to be able to afford fancy waterparks, but we can invest in fitness and healthy lifestyle courses in our student life facilities. We can and do invest in the things that our students need and the things that matter, and in this world of ever-increasing virtual reality, we are also investing in authentic experiences. As a place-based, community-engaged, hands-on university, we know that the authentic experiences in our natural environments and diverse communities will always be relevant and necessary for our graduates to thrive. The tech tools can bring us together with people and places across the globe, but it does not entirely replace the human connection. During the pandemic, we learned that we could teach lab classes online when we need to, but getting out into the field is always going to be a more powerful experience. We prepare students for the future, but we also embrace indigenous knowledge, tied to Hawai‘i Island and its people. We connect learning and life with an authentic aloha.
Bonnie D. Irwin is chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Her column appears monthly in the Tribune-Herald.