Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College awarded $1.8 million grant to launch AI initiative

Southern’s Grant Coordinator, Judith Runyon, outlines the grant and its potential to members of Southern’s President’s Cabinet.

WVOW News

LOGAN Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College is launching a four-year, institution-wide Artificial Intelligence Readiness and Capacity Initiative aimed at integrating AI into academic programs and student services.

The effort is supported by $1.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education grant program.

College officials say the initiative is designed to support students in Southern’s rural service area, where many students are first-generation, low-income, and balancing school with work and family responsibilities. Interim President Dr. Corley Dennison said the investment “allows Southern to intentionally and responsibly leverage artificial intelligence in ways that directly support our students and faculty.” The program is intended to improve teaching, learning, retention, and access to support services.

As part of the initiative, Southern plans to expand the use of AI tools in high-impact programs such as nursing, Allied Health, business, information technology, and general education. Faculty will take part in phased professional development, with the college projecting that at least 75 percent of faculty will be using AI-supported instructional strategies by the third year. New AI-focused courses or certificates are also planned for the college.

The initiative also includes expanded student support services, including a 24-hour AI-powered chatbot, predictive analytics to identify at-risk students, and AI-assisted administrative tools. College leaders project a five percentage point increase in first-year student retention by the end of the grant period.

Southern will establish a college-wide AI task force and develop policies to guide responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence, with ongoing evaluation throughout the four-year initiative.

PHOTO | Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College