AI Coordinating Council
Updated September 2026
Building on recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Group on AI (PAG-AI) and extensive community input, the AI Coordinating Council will guide AI usage across the University.
The University's AI Coordinating Council, co-led by Dr. Joan Saab, executive vice president and provost, and Dr. Keith McIntosh, vice president for information services and Chief Information Officer, is guiding a coordinated, mission-centered approach to artificial intelligence across the University.
As part of this work, the Council has established a series of AI Working Groups focused on key areas where artificial intelligence is creating opportunities, questions, and responsibilities for our community. These groups bring together faculty, staff, and institutional leaders with relevant expertise and perspectives from across the University.
Each working group has an Executive Champion and an Operational Lead. The Executive Champion helps connect the work to institutional priorities and leadership, while the Operational Lead organizes and drives the work of the group. Most importantly, each group brings together colleagues whose expertise and experience are necessary to develop recommendations that can actually work at Richmond.
While direct impact will be led through the AI Working Groups, the AICC Executive Committee, comprising the Executive Champions and Operational Leads from each working group, will provide an institutional coordinating structure.
AI Working Groups
| Working Group | Charge | Executive Champion | Operational Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Staff Learning | Develop a university-wide approach to AI learning and staff enablement, including literacy, responsible use of institutional tools, and opportunities for skill development and experimentation. | Geraldine Sullivan | Theran Fisher |
| Usage Guidelines | Develop institutional guidance for responsible AI use in administrative and operational contexts, including data privacy, approved tools, policy updates, and ongoing oversight. | Keith McIntosh | Melissa Hartz |
| Workforce Enablement | Explore how AI is changing work and identify practices to help leaders and staff build capability, adapt workflows, and become more agile. | Geraldine Sullivan | Julie Farmer |
| AI Faculty & Student Learning | Develop a comprehensive AI learning strategy and coordinate cross-campus programming and communications for faculty and students. | Joan Saab | Amy Howard & Libby Gruner |
| Scholarly & Teaching Innovation and Assessment | Ensure institutional structures for faculty evaluation remain responsive to AI’s impact on teaching and scholarship. | Joan Saab | Nicole Maurantonio & Saif Mehkari |
| Holistic Development & Well-Being | Explore how AI affects student identity formation, mental health, and co-curricular life, and develop tools to keep student well-being at the center. | Todd Adams | Dr. Aesha Uqdah |
| Student Career Readiness & Outcomes | Identify and recommend strategies and practices that equip students with the AI fluency and skills needed to succeed in internships and careers in an AI-enabled world. | Joan Saab | Aslan Lotfi & Damon Yarnell |
Staying Informed
The work of the AI Coordinating Council and its Working Groups will continue to evolve as the University learns, experiments, and responds to changes in artificial intelligence. This page will serve as a resource for the campus community, with regular updates on Working Group progress, recommendations, resources, and opportunities for engagement.
Our goal is to approach AI thoughtfully and responsibly, with our institutional mission and values at the center. Through collaboration across the University, we are working to ensure that our approach to AI supports teaching, learning, scholarship, student development, and University operations while recognizing the important questions surrounding responsible use, privacy, security, and the human dimensions of technological change.