Redesigning learning for an AI-enabled future
The Raymond A. Mason School of Business and its Academic Innovation team recently hosted the second annual Teaching and Research with Generative AI Sprint (TARGAS II), a two-day faculty-and-student experience designed to rethink higher education for an AI-enabled future.
Dean Todd Mooradian delivered opening remarks at the event, emphasizing William & Mary’s commitment to preparing students and faculty for a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. He accentuated that AI is already influencing how knowledge is created, how work gets done, and how students learn. Engaging with these changes thoughtfully is essential to the university’s mission.
TARGAS II moved beyond the question of whether AI belongs in higher education. Instead, participants explored a more consequential challenge: What becomes worth doing in a world where AI is integrated into how we learn and work?
The sprint brought together faculty from across disciplines alongside the inaugural cohort of AI Student Fellows to redesign existing assignments, experiment with agentic AI applications, and prototype new approaches to advising, assessment, and program mapping. The result was not simply a discussion about tools, but a deeper examination of what faculty and students should practice, demonstrate, and ultimately value in higher education.
“Every assignment reflects what we value about learning,” said Dawn Edmiston, marketing professor and chair of the School’s AI Steering Committee. “By centering students as collaborators, we are designing learning experiences that emphasize creativity, judgment, and ethical responsibility alongside technical fluency.”
AI Student Fellows as partners in innovation
A defining feature of TARGAS II was the active role of William & Mary’s AI Student Fellows, a highly selective group of undergraduate and graduate students nominated by faculty for their leadership, curiosity, and commitment to responsible AI use.
For Caroline Cromwell, a senior studying American Studies and Marketing, the experience reshaped her view of her role in the classroom.
“TARGAS II allowed me to connect with professors in a way I have never been able to before,” Cromwell said. “In this environment, we were teaching them our perspective on how AI affected our own learning as well as our moral beliefs on how it should be used in education. It is incredibly rewarding to give back to educators who care so much about their students.”
Her reflection captures a central feature of the sprint. The flow of learning moved in both directions. Faculty shared disciplinary expertise, while students shared lived experience navigating AI in real time.
Tucker Peters, a sophomore studying Finance and Government, said one of his biggest takeaways was witnessing faculty curiosity in action.
“The curiosity that filled the room was outstanding,” Peters said. “It was refreshing to see faculty members so engaged and willing to learn. Most of the time, you see them teaching rather than learning. They modeled what William & Mary truly is: a place for critical thinking and learning, not just for students.”
Peters was particularly struck by how open the faculty were to incorporating student feedback into their teaching. “They genuinely wanted to learn what we thought and were ready to integrate that feedback,” he said. “That kind of dialogue is incredibly important.”
The inaugural cohort of AI Student Fellows includes Caroline Cromwell, William Evans, Ida Guerami, Ally Hovdestad, Olufemi Isijola, Latisha Khorana, Anmol Motwani, Sullivan Naef, Mann Pawar, Tucker Peters, Sydney Revels, Christian Schneider, Tiffany Shen, Aveek Sur, Donald Whitley, and Zuyao Zhang.
From insight to action
Day One focused on assignment redesign. Faculty teams partnered with Fellows to examine how generative AI could support research and ideation while preserving core learning objectives. Conversations centered on transparency in AI use, assessment criteria, and structured student reflection to ensure that AI enhances rather than replaces critical thinking.
Rachel Chung, professor of information systems and TARGAS II facilitator, framed the balance between deep learning and productivity with a timely analogy. The evening after TARGAS II concluded, professional climber Alex Honnold successfully free soloed Taipei 101.
“If you want to climb Taipei 101 as Alex Honnold did, you train slowly and deliberately for years,” Chung said. “If you simply want to get to the top as fast as possible, you take the elevator. The same is true in education. If you want to learn a skill truly, you go slow and study deliberately. If you want to be productive and get work done efficiently, you use AI.”
That distinction resonated with students as well. Peters noted that the sprint reinforced how deeply AI is reshaping business education and nearly every professional field. “It touches almost every profession and area of study,” he said. “Incorporating it into our education now is crucial to preparing students for the future.”
Day Two expanded the focus to institution-level innovation. Interdisciplinary teams identified high-impact opportunities where AI could strengthen academic advising, interactive assessment, and program design. Each group developed a prototype for piloting AI-enabled solutions in the upcoming academic term.
Faculty described the experience as uniquely energizing.
“TARGAS II was wonderful in every single way,” said Phil Wagner. “So many of us long for true interdisciplinary connection, and this was the most interactive and engaging professional development I have experienced since coming here.”
Bill Skimmyhorn agreed. “TARGAS II was intentionally designed, impressively organized, insanely collaborative, and immensely helpful. I am incredibly grateful.”
Positioning William & Mary as a leader in responsible AI education
TARGAS II reflects William & Mary’s broader commitment to preparing students not only to use AI tools, but to lead thoughtfully in AI-shaped organizations and societies. By embedding students directly into the design process, the university is modeling an approach recommended by higher education and workforce experts: treating AI literacy as a shared and evolving practice rather than a fixed technical skill.
Feedback from participants are of a forward-looking mindset: building on early momentum while recognizing that meaningful progress in AI comes through iteration, learning, and responsible application over time. “I am excited to continue my work as an AI Fellow,” Cromwell said.
The ideas generated during TARGAS II will inform future curriculum development and deepen interdisciplinary collaboration across the university. As AI reshapes industries and institutions, William & Mary is empowering its community to use these tools creatively, wisely, and responsibly.