FIT’s Collaborative Approach to AI

FIT’s development of AI guidance is a truly collaborative effort. We believe that the ethical, secure, and responsible use of AI should reflect the diverse perspectives, disciplines, and needs of our community. To achieve this charge, FIT created the AURA Committee. AURA (AI Usage, Responsibility, & Adaptation) is a cross-divisional working group, dedicated to leading our institutional response to AI developments. 

AI Usage, Responsibility, and Adaptation (AURA)

AURA brings together faculty, staff, and administrators from across the college to ensure our approach to AI is thoughtful, inclusive, and aligned with FIT’s academic and ethical values. A diverse committee ensures broad input and coordination on this important effort. To further support this work, three subcommittees were established to focus on key areas:

  • Supporting AI Guidance and Ethics (SAGE): Develops and maintains public facing guidance and educational materials to help our community use AI responsibly and securely and in support of FIT policies.
  • AI in Instruction and Mentorship (AIM): Explores the evolving role of AI in teaching, learning, and academic support. 
  • Framework for Ongoing AI Risk and Technology (FORT): Focuses on cybersecurity, data governance, and long-term risk management for the use of AI. 

Each subcommittee is composed of AURA members and additional subject-matter experts from across FIT, creating a collaborative structure that balances strategic partnership with practical implementation.  

As time progresses, we aim to adapt to emerging technologies, ensure equity and security in AI use, and support a culture of shared responsibility, accountability, and innovation.  This is just the beginning. FIT’s efforts will continue to evolve, and we’ll evolve with them together. 

AURA Committee Structure

AURA is FIT’s central working group focused on guiding the ethical, effective, secure, and community-informed use of artificial intelligence across the institution. It is a cross-functional leadership body responsible for setting strategic direction, identifying emerging risks and opportunities, and coordinating institution-wide responses to AI developments. 

Primary Goals

  • Promote responsible and transparent use of AI aligned with FIT’s academic and ethical values.
  • Develop guidance, recommendations, and frameworks that support faculty, staff, and students in understanding and applying AI tools in a secure and ethical way.
  • Ensure coordination across departments to proactively address compliance, equity, academic integrity, information security, and innovation.

Jeffrey Riman, President, Faculty Senate; Coordinator, Center for Excellence in Teaching
Larry Baach, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Yasemin Jones, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs

Calvin Williamson, Professor, Science & Math, School of Liberal Arts
Helena Minerva, Manager of Policy and Training, Office of Policy and Compliance, Division of Legal Affairs 

Brian Emery, Associate Professor, Photography
Brian Fallon, Director of Faculty Development, Center for Excellence in Teaching
Devon Vidal, Assistant Dean for Curriculum, Academic Affairs
James Pearce, Technical Manager, Technology Development, Information Technology
Laticha Brown, Department Chairperson, Fashion Merchandising Management, School of Business and Technology
Myla Skeiker, Executive Director, Academic and Faculty Affairs, Academic Affairs
Philippa Lindenthal, Associate Professor, Fashion Design - Apparel, School of Art and Design
Rakesh Kumar, Assistant Vice President for IT Infrastructure Services and Chief Information Security Officer, Information Technology
Randi Miller, Director, Human Resources
Sidney Grimes Jr., Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Steve Willner, Assistant Vice President for Education and Enterprise Technology, Information Technology 

Subcommittee Structure

To support AURA’s charge, three subcommittees were established to focus on specialized areas of AI implementation and impact. Each member of AURA serves on one subcommittee, and is joined by ad-hoc appointees to ensure a wide breadth of perspective and knowledge to inform subcommittee goals. 

Subcommittee Focus: Development of practical, public-facing guidance and educational resources for the FIT community in support of FIT policies and AURA’s primary goals. This group will develop AI guidance documentation to support FIT policies and provide clear, practical resources for faculty, students, and employees to guide ethical, responsible, and secure AI use.

SAGE Committee Chairperson:
Annarese Marcano, Coordinator, Office of Policy and Compliance, Division of Legal Affairs

SAGE Committee Members:
Brian Emery, Associate Professor, Photography
Devon Vidal, Assistant Dean for Curriculum, Academic Affairs
Myla Skeiker, Executive Director, Academic and Faculty Affairs, Academic Affairs
Randi Miller, Director, Human Resources

Subcommittee Focus: Exploration of AI’s role in teaching, learning, and academic content creation. As AI continues to evolve, this subcommittee will take a long-term, iterative approach to ensure FIT’s academic frameworks remain adaptable and forward-thinking.

AIM Committee Co-Chairs:
Brian Fallon, Director of Faculty Development, Center for Excellence in Teaching
Philippa Lindenthal, Associate Professor, Fashion Design - Apparel, School of Art and Design

AIM Committee Members:
Laticha Brown, Department Chairperson, Fashion Merchandising Management, School of Business and Technology
James Pearce, Technical Manager, Technology Development, Information Technology
Subhalakshmi Gooptu, Assistant Professor, English and Speech, School of Liberal Arts

Subcommittee Focus: Institutional policy alignment, cybersecurity, data integrity, and AI-related risk management. This group will address key security/risk considerations, focusing on both immediate needs and long-term safeguards. Their work will be ongoing and adaptive, shaping FIT’s approach to AI security, procurement, and data governance over time.

FORT Committee Chairperson:
Rakesh Kumar, Assistant Vice President for IT Infrastructure Services and Chief Information Security Officer, Information Technology

FORT Committee Members:
Alicia O’Connor, Associate General Counsel, Legal Affairs
Joseph Iannini, Executive Director, Internal Controls and Management Analysis, Division of Legal Affairs
Sidney Grimes Jr., Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Steve Willner, Assistant Vice President for Education and Enterprise Technology, Information Technology
Sam Li, Director, Procurement Services

Acknowledgements

FIT’s AI guidance webpages were developed to offer our community clear, practical guidance on the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence in academic, creative, and administrative contexts.

To ensure our resources reflect a broad range of perspectives and best practices, we reviewed publicly available AI guidance from colleges, universities, and professional organizations across the country, reflected below. Our approach was collaborative and iterative, combining human insight with the support of AI tools such as ChatGPT to enhance clarity, accessibility, and tone. Any content refined through AI assistance was carefully reviewed and finalized by members of the AURA committee and its subcommittees. 

We are deeply grateful for the transparency and leadership shown by peer institutions in making their resources available, which helped inform and shape FIT’s approach.

Ongoing Updates and Version Control

FIT’s AI guidance is a living resource. As technology evolves and our understanding deepens, we are committed to regularly reviewing and refining this repository to reflect new developments, community needs, and regulatory expectations. Updates will be reviewed by the AURA committee and published at least once per academic year. Each update will be clearly marked with a version number and date to ensure transparency and consistency over time.