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AI Across the Curriculum and Student Success

AI-ACCESS: Preparing Students for an AI-Impacted Workforce

AI-ACCESS is a year-long initiative from the Center for Teaching and Learning, in partnership with Academic Affairs, supporting UMSL degree programs as they prepare students for professions increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Participating programs will consider what graduates need to know and be able to do with AI in their discipline and where those competencies should be intentionally developed across the degree program. Five degree programs will be selected. Each selected department will receive $10,000 to support participation. Additional information can be found below and via our AI-ACCESS FAQ Document

Think Beyond a Single Course: What should graduates in your field know and be able to do with AI, and where should they develop those abilities across the degree program

Interested in learning more about the opportunity? Join us for our AI-ACCESS Virtual Information Session on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 from 3:00PM - 4:00PM.
Register for the AI-ACCESS Information Session

Selected programs will join a year-long community of practice to:

  • Define the AI knowledge and skills graduates need in their discipline.
  • Map where those competencies should be developed across the degree program.
  • Explore implications for curriculum, assessment, ethical AI use, and student success.
  • Develop, pilot, and assess selected innovations.

By the end of AI-ACCESS, programs will have a discipline-specific approach to graduate AI preparation and concrete plans or innovations to build upon.

Each selected department will receive $10,000 to support participation, along with curriculum and instructional design support, AI technology and library expertise, a cross-disciplinary community of practice, and support for implementation and assessment.

Funding may be used for participant stipends. Additional requirements will be provided to selected departments.

Participating faculty will:

  • Attend a January 22, 2027 kickoff
  • Participate in monthly 90-minute cohort meetings
  • Collaborate with their program team between meetings
  • Develop and assess selected innovations
  • Share their work at the Spring 2028 AI-ACCESS Showcase

Ready to Explore AI Across Your Degree Program?

Applications are open and will close on November 9, 2026 at Noon. Applications must be submitted by an academic department chair or academic unit leader on behalf of a degree program.

Apply to AI-ACCESS

UMSL degree programs may apply through their academic department chair or academic unit leader. Participating programs will identify a team of 2–4 faculty members. No prior AI expertise is required.

Before beginning the application:

  • Identify the degree program seeking to participate.
  • Identify 2–4 faculty members who will serve as the program team.
  • Confirm that the department and participating faculty can commit to the year-long initiative

The application includes four components:

  1. Degree Program Information
     Basic information about the degree program and academic unit.
  2. AI-ACCESS Team
     Names of the 2–4 faculty members who will participate.
  3. Departmental Support
     Confirmation of the department's support for the team's participation and year-long commitment.
  4. Program Proposal
     A 1–2 page proposal describing why AI-ACCESS is relevant to the degree program and the questions or opportunities the team hopes to explore. Your proposal should address:
    • Program Context & AI Impact: What should reviewers understand about your degree program, students, curriculum, or professional context? How is AI affecting, or likely to affect, your discipline and the work graduates will enter?
    • Curricular Opportunities: What questions or opportunities do you see for developing students' AI literacy and functional skills across the degree program? Where might AI raise questions about curriculum, learning, assessment, or ethical and responsible practice?
    • Student Success: What opportunities might your team explore related to advising, tutoring, academic support, engagement, or other aspects of the student experience?
    • Goals for Participation: What does your team hope to better understand, explore, or begin developing through AI-ACCESS
    • Budgetary Considerations: How will your department spend the allocated resources?

Applications will be reviewed based on:

  • Relevance: The significance of AI to the discipline, students, graduates, or professional context.
  • Program-Level Opportunity: The potential to strengthen AI literacy, learning, or student success across the degree program rather than within a single course.
  • Purpose & Potential: Clear and meaningful questions or opportunities the team can explore, including considerations of responsible and discipline-appropriate AI use.
  • Readiness & Support: A faculty team and department positioned to participate fully and build upon the work beyond the initiative.

AI-ACCESS is exploratory by design. Selection will not depend on applicants already having extensive AI expertise or a fully developed implementation plan.

Please refer to the rubric and this sample application for additional information and guidance for what we are looking for in a strong response. 

AI-ACCESS Program Proposal Evaluation Criteria

AI-ACCESS Program Proposal Sample: Department of Legal Studies


Questions?

Contact Reggie Luna Gacad, Teaching Innovation Specialist