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AI Fellows

Application

Overview

Mission

Embracing inclusivity and building strong communities, Foothill College serves diverse learners and equips its students with critical thinking skills to address complex societal challenges, to thrive in the global workforce, and to engage in a life of inquiry.

Foothill College Values

  • Integrity & Honesty
  • Transparency & Openness
  • Innovation & Curiosity
  • Equity-mindedness & Inclusion
  • Community & Collaboration
  • Love & Compassion

 

The AI Fellowship Program at Foothill College is grounded in the college’s mission, values, and purpose, which is “To provide access to educational opportunity for all with innovation and distinction.” Informed by the College’s values of integrity & honesty, transparency & openness, equity-mindedness & inclusion, community & collaboration, love & compassion, the fellowship offers resources for selected applicants from a pool of students, classified staff, faculty, and administrators to engage in shared inquiry focused on the implications of artificial intelligence and related technologies for higher education.

 

As AI Fellows, faculty will explore the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence in the education space. Considerations will include the concepts of informed refusal and consent; the relationship between AI and student learning outcomes; issues of equity beyond access; data privacy; environmental impact; corporate influence on education; and possibilities for supportive and inclusive technologies as teaching tools. Fellows will help develop frameworks to contribute toward employee learning with an emphasis on emerging technologies; a crucial aspect of this fellowship is to increase AI literacy on our campus.

 

Fellows will work collaboratively to build trust across constituencies, ensure student-centered policy development, and advance AI literacy across the campus community. Fellows will present their in-progress work to Academic Senate and participate in a campus-wide symposium at the end of spring quarter.

 

We invite applicants from all sectors of the campus and solicit interest from faculty with a range of knowledge and experience. Expertise is welcome but not required. Those who would like to learn about AI and share their newly acquired knowledge with the campus are encouraged to apply.

 

All applicants must receive approval from their deans to participate.

 

The fellowship spans two quarters, Winter and Spring 2026. Faculty may choose between one course release per quarter or the equivalent stipend.

Fellowship Structure

  • The fellows will have the executive support of the Vice President of Instruction, Dr. Stacy Gleixner, and leadership and organizational support of the project lead for Objective 2.1 of the Blueprint for Success.
  • Participants:
    • 2 instructional
    • 2 non-instructional
    • 2 at-large
  • Compensation/Support:
    • Faculty: Partial reassigned time for Winter and Spring 2026 or stipend.

Major Fellowship Activities

Equity-minded Community Forums

  • Fellows will host recurring forums designed to:
  • Foster open dialogue among students, faculty, and classified professionals
  • Address equity, ethics, environmental impact, privacy, and intellectual property concerns in AI adoption
  • Build trust and shared understanding of opportunities and risks

 

AI Framework Development

A subset of Fellows will collaboratively create the District’s AI Plan/Framework, addressing:

  • Ethical principles centered in equity and student success
  • Guidelines for responsible AI use in instruction, services, and operations
  • Recommendations for supporting AI literacy and upskilling across the campus
  • Alignment to work at the State Chancellor’s Office

 

Policy Recommendations

Fellows will propose local policies and provide input to developing district polices (outside of the 10+1), focusing on:

  • Operational practices and transparency measures
  • Equity safeguards
  • Implementation pathways for voluntary cross-campus adoption, while also providing support to those who choose not to integrate AI.
  • Sustainability--in all of its many meanings

 

Professional Development & Representation

Fellows will attend Future’s Summit and/or Educause, ensuring that Foothill College stays aligned with leading AI innovation and national higher education trends.

  • Participants will return with actionable insights to inform local activities and frameworks.

 

Liaise Across the District

Fellows will engage with the AI activities across the College to help synergize and align the work, including but not limited to

  • Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI)
  • Professional learning committee
  • Technology committee

 

Technology Implementation & Testing

Fellows will assist ETS in:

  • Provide pathways for voluntary adoption and integration of Google Gemini tools, with clear opt-out provisions for individuals or departments.
  • Evaluating and “pressure-testing” scalable AI products that enhance student success and efficiency
  • Exploring the potential integration of DataKind tools or other predictive analytic data in the institutionalization of Career and Academic Pathways (CAPs)

 

Curriculum and Literacy Development

Fellows will curate and share resources such as case studies, toolkits, and open media to help faculty make informed decisions about embedding AI tools and or concepts into curriculum, including the options to decline any type of integration.

 

Resources Provided

  • Funding for stipends/reassign time for fellows
  • Administrative coordination and facilitation
  • Access to professional development funds for national conference participation
  • Support for technology procurement and integration testing conversations
  • Access to external partners such as Our Media for resource library development

Deliverables

  1. A published FHDA AI Plan/Framework that guides voluntary and ethical adoption of AI across the institution.
  2. Forums that build trust and confidence in responsible AI use, while respecting diverse perspectives, including those who choose not to use AI.
  3. Policy proposals recommending ethical, transparent, and student-centered AI practices, if needed.
  4. Opportunities to integrate Google Gemini tools into instruction and services, with support for faculty and classified staff to decide what works best for them.
  5. Expanded use of data tools in CAP institutionalization.
  6. Shared toolkits and resources to support AI literacy and fluency in classrooms and services, providing informed choices rather than mandating usage in the classroom.
  7. Fellows serve as an emerging cohort of AI leaders, modeling ethical and optional AI integration and building long-term institutional expertise.
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