{"id":5800,"date":"2026-07-15T13:49:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T13:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/15\/sacua-plans-ai-committee-discusses-priorities-for-academic-year\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T13:49:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T13:49:07","slug":"sacua-plans-ai-committee-discusses-priorities-for-academic-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/15\/sacua-plans-ai-committee-discusses-priorities-for-academic-year\/","title":{"rendered":"SACUA plans AI committee, discusses priorities for academic year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The University of Michigan\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/facultysenate.umich.edu\/sacua\/\"> Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs<\/a> met Monday afternoon in the Alexander G. Ruthven building to discuss plans for a<a href=\"https:\/\/facultysenate.umich.edu\/\"> Faculty Senate<\/a> committee on artificial intelligence and SACUA\u2019s priorities for the upcoming academic year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The meeting began with a series of updates from SACUA Chair Kentaro Toyama, who announced plans to host a Faculty Senate-sponsored panel on the University\u2019s institutional neutrality<a href=\"https:\/\/record.umich.edu\/articles\/regents-vote-to-approve-institutional-neutrality\/\"> policy<\/a>. Toyama also discussed responses to a faculty survey on AI policy, and said University administrators have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/news\/academics\/sacua-discusses-ai-policy-and-exclusion-from-presidential-search\/\">continued<\/a> to ignore SACUA\u2019s requests to be included in the recently<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/news\/news-briefs\/university-president-elect-kent-syverud-steps-down-due-to-cancer-diagnosis\/\"> restarted<\/a> presidential<a href=\"https:\/\/search.regents.umich.edu\/\"> search committee<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Members then resumed discussion from the body\u2019s previous<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/news\/academics\/sacua-discusses-ai-policy-and-exclusion-from-presidential-search\/\"> <\/a>meeting, regarding the scope of the Faculty Senate\u2019s planned committee on AI policy. SACUA Vice Chair Soumya Rangarajan, clinical assistant professor of internal medicine, said she believes the committee should allow for various AI standards across colleges and departments, arguing a singular policy for the entire University could be harmful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe can do AI and teaching, AI and research, AI and clinical care, different things, but I wouldn\u2019t really say we could do one specific AI policy for every possible utilization,\u201d Rangarajan said. \u201cI think we do have to create subsections that would encompass different schools.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SACUA members disagreed over how the committee should approach AI usage. Physics research scientist Michael Schubnell argued the committee should help faculty teach students to use AI responsibly in both academic and professional.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have a responsibility to prepare our students for the real world, and the real world will use GenAI,\u201d Schubnell said. \u201cWe have to fold that in somehow. There is no value judgment here in what I\u2019m trying to say, but we have this responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">History professor Derek Peterson disagreed, and argued the committee should focus on helping faculty regulate AI use in the classroom. These regulations would include <a href=\"https:\/\/web.respondus.com\/he\/lockdownbrowser\/\">lockdown browsers<\/a> and AI-free learning communities, as called for in resolutions passed by broad faculty<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/news\/academics\/faculty-senate-approves-motions-on-ai-free-zones-early-decision-admissions-trans-students-in-intramural-sports\/\"> votes<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou can take these surveys in the summer, but frankly, no one\u2019s paying attention in the summertime to a faculty chair\u2019s newsletter,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cWhat we have is a mandate from our colleagues, who voted overwhelmingly in favor of a list of things that \u2026 myself and others put together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The meeting then transitioned to discussion concerning which issues to prioritize at an upcoming SACUA work retreat, and throughout the academic year. Rangarajan urged SACUA to address ongoing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/news\/news-briefs\/nurses-union-reaches-tentative-contract-agreement-with-michigan-medicine\/\">staffing issues<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michiganmedicine.org\">Michigan Medicine<\/a>, which she said have increased <a href=\"https:\/\/my.midmichigan.net\/mychart\/Scheduling\/OnMyWay\/widget\">wait times<\/a> for patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rangarajan said she believes these issues are the result of administrative mismanagement and a lack of focus on staff retention.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSalary plays into it a little bit, but the main reason is a lack of transparency,\u201d Rangarajan said. \u201cWhen units close, there\u2019s no transparency to the faculty. I\u2019ve had four units close in the last year now, and all of them I get like one week notice that they\u2019re closing. I have to scramble; all my colleagues have to scramble to find other work to do. It\u2019s a huge problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost of living for faculty members was also a prominent topic of discussion throughout the meeting, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/mileap\/-\/media\/Project\/Websites\/mileap\/Documents\/Early-Childhood-Education\/PDGB5\/MI-PDG-ChldCareCostStudy-508.pdf\">childcare costs<\/a> and concerns over the sufficiency of <a href=\"https:\/\/careers.umich.edu\/benefits\">benefits<\/a> provided by the University.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schubnell said SACUA should call for the University to broadly increase wages to offset the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apartments.com\/cost-of-living\/ann-arbor-mi\/\">effects<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/news\/ann-arbor\/what-does-the-data-say-about-rising-rental-rates-in-ann-arbor\/#:~:text=The%20average%20rent%20for%20a%20one%2Dbedroom%20apartment,student%20housing%20could%20help%20address%20the%20issue.\">rising<\/a> costs of living.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGroceries are so much more expensive, buying a car is out of reach for a lot of people,\u201d Schubnell said. \u201cWhen I look at our grad students, postdocs, staff, low-salary faculty, that is really a problem \u2026 I think the University should provide a flat cost of living adjustment across the board. That would really benefit where it hits the hardest, the low-income.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-3    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Peterson said SACUA should attempt to support faculty unionization efforts, citing significant<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/news\/administration\/leo-reaches-tentative-agreement-with-the-university-after-nine-months-of-negotiations\/\"> gains<\/a> the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.leounion.org\/\"> Lecturers\u2019 Employee Organization<\/a> has secured for lecturers and other workers represented by the union.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s telling that they\u2019re able to get such a deal from the institution while tenure-track faculty are not,\u201d Peterson said. \u201c(It\u2019s) because we effectively bargain individually out of the basis of our academic celebrity, and we don\u2019t form a common cause.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SACUA members decided to further discuss the University\u2019s admissions policies. While a recent Faculty Senate<a href=\"https:\/\/facultysenate.umich.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Motion-3.University-Senate.April-2026.pdf\"> motion<\/a> showed broad faculty opposition to early decision admissions, which disproportionately<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/news\/admissions\/traditional-age\/2024\/12\/20\/early-decision-rise-it-just-wealthy-students\"> benefit<\/a> wealthy students, less consensus was found around the topic of test-optional admissions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Toyama said some faculty members are concerned test-optional policies may have left their original<a href=\"https:\/\/www.future-ed.org\/why-many-top-colleges-are-sticking-with-test-optional-admissions\/\"> goal<\/a> of benefiting underprivileged students unfulfilled, and instead removed an important indicator of student success.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, SACUA members agreed to address the University\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.org\/media-center-ncaa-announces-transgender-student-athlete-participation-policy-change\/\">policies<\/a> on transgender athletes, ongoing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/warde-manuels-future-unknown-investigation-results-expected-this-week\/\">shakeups<\/a> within the athletic department and University Regent Jordan Acker\u2019s (D) continued presence on the<a href=\"https:\/\/regents.umich.edu\/\"> Board of Regents<\/a>, despite calls for his resignation \u2014 from<a href=\"https:\/\/regents.umich.edu\/files\/meetings\/07-26\/2026-07-II-10.pdf\"> SACUA<\/a> itself as well as<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1NX1H_YTb85zcn2FGJY8uH5Q_uE4mRn5ZG3iNaMludOg\/edit?tab=t.0\"> other groups<\/a> \u2014 over a series of sexually demeaning<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/apr\/17\/university-of-michigan-regent-sexual-messages\"> messages<\/a> sent over Slack.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-4    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Daily News Editor Glenn Hedin can be reached at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/news\/academics\/sacua-plans-ai-committee-discusses-priorities-for-academic-year\/mailto:heglenn@umich.edu\"><em>heglenn@umich.edu<\/em><\/a><em>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<aside>\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>Related articles<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Michigan\u2019s Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs met Monday afternoon in the Alexander G. Ruthven building to discuss plans for a Faculty Senate committee on artificial intelligence and SACUA\u2019s priorities for the upcoming academic year. The meeting began with a series of updates from SACUA Chair Kentaro Toyama, who announced plans to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1057,2910,854,296,5124,660,750],"class_list":["post-5800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-academic","tag-committee","tag-discusses","tag-plans","tag-priorities","tag-sacua","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5802,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5800\/revisions\/5802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}