Aligning Servingness Goals with Artificial Intelligence (AI) Possibilities

By: Tammy Taber & Cynthia D. Villarreal

Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, the widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to pronounced shifts in higher education. There are those who embrace the technologies and others who resist. Despite all the warnings and fear-mongering, AI can and should be leveraged to provide equity, support Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and enact servingness at Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs). In this blog post, we define AI, share insights on ways to align AI with servingness, and provide recommendations on how HSIs can engage with AI in ways that are culturally responsive, equitable, and ethical.

Laptop on a desk.

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

The term Artificial Intelligence (AI) was coined in the 1950s by Alan Turing through a publication Computer Machining and Intelligence which garnered popularity through the 2014 film The Imitation Game. AI refers to a branch of computer science that emphasizes the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans. This includes learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) is described as a machine-learning model that is trained to create new data, rather than making predictions, in the form of text, music, and images. Prompt engineering, which originated in November 2022 and is rapidly increasing in usage, is the process of making a specific request to create a product such as text, images, or music. Though campuses today are grappling with a myriad of considerations surrounding AI usage, there are tools that can be used in ethical and compliant ways especially when these tools can be used in ways that align with servingness goals–defined as the ways HSIs are strategically and intentionally serving Latine students by transforming the structures for serving them. 

Connecting AI + Servingness 

For a final project in Dr. Cynthia Villarreal’s special topic course on Minority-serving Institutions in fall 2024, Tammy conducted interviews with HSI employees within her personal network, and with their permission compiled her findings using a tool called NotebookLM to create AI-generated podcasts. In Tammy’s final project and in this blog post, we strive for transparency in stating that AI tools were used to synthesize and organize ideas, always prioritizing ethical AI integration that supports and fosters inclusive education. We caution readers to recognize that ours is not an all-inclusive list of resources, and we urge leaders to be mindful of their own student populations for what resources would be most beneficial. Neither HSIs nor Latines are a monolith. Lastly, cautious optimism regarding GAI's application is warranted, as biases and stereotypes related to ethnicity, gender, and appearance may manifest in its outputs, influencing terminology and connotation. It’s important that we are thinking critically about these outputs and the impacts they have on Latine students and their families. Next, we provide a synthesis of key takeaways from Tammy’s interviews, summarize considerations and opportunities that resulted from these conversations about AI + Servingness, and make recommendations for how HSIs can use AI to serve their students. 

Using AI for College Access & Linguistic Servingness

Leveraging AI technologies can be a transformative strategy for supporting first-generation Latine college students, particularly in the critical college access phase. By implementing intelligent translation services and multilingual chatbots, HSIs can break down linguistic barriers that often prevent students from fully understanding the complex college application processes. Certain AI-powered tools can automatically translate web pages, financial aid documents, and FAFSA materials, while providing interactive support in a family’s preferred language. A simple statement on the website directing students to use these resources could be an indication of a nurturing and supportive environment. For example, admissions pages might encourage use of the Chrome browser which would allow prospective students and their families to view a website in their native language. 

In addition, as students and their families navigate the college process, HSIs can encourage the use of tools like Google and Gmail to translate emails they receive from the college. In addition to translating across linguistic boundaries, AI can be used to translate scholarly terminology into simplified language since academic concepts and jargon may be incomprehensible even to English-speakers. Chatdoc allows students and their families to review documents from the college or university in Spanish and ask questions for clarification. This is a resource that HSIs can provide for aspiring students as well as those already enrolled. With the aim of providing a more accessible and supportive environment that helps level the playing field, giving first-generation Latine students and their families the technological scaffolding they need to confidently navigate college enrollment and financial aid systems is vital.

Using AI for Navigating and Enriching the Student Experience 

Once students are enrolled however, HSIs should consider different AI technologies and tools to serve students along the journey to college completion. By leveraging GAI for activities both inside and outside of the classroom, campuses can provide student services that enrich college-going at an HSI. There are numerous ways to support students in the curriculum (a vital structure for serving in the servingness framework). Tutoring centers might consider platforms like Studyable for a tutoring resource with translation capabilities, and Unstuck for helping synthesize and make sense of materials such as videos, lecture slides, lecture notes, and audio. In addition to tutoring services, campus libraries might consider resources like Connected Papers to aid in scholarly exploration by providing a network map of related articles. 

Student services can also use AI to enhance the co-curricular experience for students. Campus life can leverage Microsoft Copilot for student organization development and management as well as AI tools for transcribing and summarizing meetings like Otter.AI. Beyond tools to assist with translating languages and content, Goblin.tools can be encouraged by all student services to help students develop independent study and time management skills, which are particularly crucial for those transitioning from structured high school environments to more autonomous college experiences. These technological solutions do more than provide practical assistance; they play a role in instilling academic confidence and belonging for students who may otherwise face institutional barriers while pursuing their college degrees. Across all student services, communication and accessibility can also be enhanced by employing closed captioning and live transcription on platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet. However, it is important to recognize that to comply with Section 508 criteria, AI generated captioning must have 98% accuracy. 

Establishing Equitable and Ethical Access to AI

Developing awareness on campus about the uses and critiques of GAI is an important and ongoing conversation that needs to be taking place at HSIs. While over reliance on GAI could hinder students' acquisition of important skills necessary for future professional success, ethical use of AI on campus by leaders that scaffold and develop student learning is strongly encouraged at HSIs and beyond. Knowing how HSIs approach the ethical use of GAI, especially when considering potential biases or inequities in how GAI impacts Latine students, should be considered. The implications of GAI on educational integrity are significant, particularly regarding assignment completion without genuine engagement. Concerns regarding academic integrity are warranted. Additionally, there remains the issue of unequal access to AI tools and their potential adverse effect on Latine students. 

As with anything AI, it is imperative to remember that there are free and cost options for services. Many AI tools operate on what is described as a "freemium" model, limiting free access and prompting subsequent payment for use. This limitation may disadvantage lower-income students from all demographics in utilizing GAI for academic support unless their campus provides access through various student services. Concerns about bias and misinformation, also known as AI hallucinations, can also exist in the output of content. But GAI translation overall holds significant potential for aiding all students, thereby reducing barriers from entry to completion. As GAI adoption progresses, equitable access must be prioritized to prevent disparities among students in leveraging these technologies to begin bridging this gap to AI access. This includes public policy changes, private sector initiatives, and community projects to name a few.

Concluding Thoughts & Next Steps

While it can feel as though a cloud of uncertainty hovers over the integration of AI in education, that concern is justified. Any innovation with the immense capability and influence of AI deserves careful examination and implementation, especially when thinking about how to serve populations that often face barriers and inequities in educational settings. With all of this in mind, it is important to remember it takes all of us to make a difference. Regardless of position, role, discipline, or even institutional type, leaders and educators at HSIs are critical to student success. We leave you with a few suggestions for next steps as you navigate AI + Servingness with your Latine students:

• Create a strategic plan for AI on campus or within your department that aligns with your plan for servingness.

• Develop AI syllabus statements that encourage and support students ethical use and creativity.

• Promote faculty and staff development around AI + Servingness, ethical use, and cheating prevention strategies through strategic course development.

• Build resources with student services to support the academic journey from inquiry to completion.

• Develop, collaborate, or host AI summits for all higher education employees on your campus and others to keep the conversation and resource development growing.

• Utilize AI to effectively communicate and serve Spanish-speaking families.

• Create or share videos on AI ethics for students that provide support and guidance as they begin or continue using these powerful tools.

Author Bios

Tammy Taber is a Doctoral Student at Northern Arizona University in the Educational Leadership Program focused on Community Colleges and Higher Education.  She was an adjunct faculty member at Northern Arizona University in Educational Technology and an adjunct faculty member for the Maricopa County Community College District with an emphasis on Teaching and Learning in the Community College. She is currently an Instructional Designer Technologist with a focus on Artificial Intelligence which aligns with her scholarship focus.

Cynthia D. Villarreal, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at Northern Arizona University in the department of Educational Leadership. Her scholarship examines organizational structures within Hispanic-serving Institutions and interrogates issues of racial equity impacting Latine students and faculty. She is a critical, feminist, qualitative researcher and storyteller who strives to document the lived experiences of Latines at HSIs in the Southwest and along the border.