Walsh College in Troy is adding a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning this fall. It’s also using the technology in the classroom.
The new undergraduate program adds to the Ph.D. in Technology — Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning program that started in the fall of 2024, and the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning program initiated in winter 2024.
All programs are online/hybrid by design to meet the needs of Walsh College students who on average are in their 30s, and balancing work and family needs.
“Walsh is an inherently nimble university, which is why we pivot so fast,” says Daniel Sem, executive director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and president of Walsh Ventures. “We are fortunate to have (David) Schippers, a visionary, who has been at the forefront of technological innovation. Uniquely, he is an academic leader with a technical and business background.”
Schippers is vice president and chief academic officer/academic dean at Walsh College.
“At Walsh, we are very focused on our students and their academic experience,” says Schippers. “We are a practical application style school, many of our courses, especially technical courses are designed to do hands-on work. We will teach you theory, but we’re also going to teach you how to do the work, how to create the product, create the code, etc.
“When I’m in the classroom, we may have some students onsite while others watch it later via a recording,” he says. “We have online learning management systems while also integrating AI-enabled teaching assistants (TeacherSIM) and textbook navigators (TextbookSIM) from csiSIM. We are integrating these into the classroom experience meaning there is an avatar of me, and it has my knowledge base. When a student is working on their homework at 3 a.m. and they have a question, they can always go to the avatar, interact with it and ask questions.”
Sem adds that Walsh College’s spin-out company developed this patent pending technology through csiSIM (csisim.com), which Walsh is deploying first.
“Our patented and industry-leading technology gives students access to the teacher and textbook author — digital twins — after hours to answer questions,” Sem says. “It leverages the teacher in a unique way and can also be integrated with our Learning Management System. Students can ask the avatar to tell them how their grade is determined or summarize the syllabus and lecture notes. The digital twin also is trained on all the textbooks relevant for the course. It is an integration of innovative AI technology and how we teach.
“We are practicing what we preach,” adds Sem. “We are putting the AI technology in our classrooms to make our teachers more efficient and to make the experience for our students richer. Our founder, Mervyn Walsh, worked alongside Thomas Edison at the start of innovation. We are innovating in how we use AI in the classroom. We plan to deploy our leading-edge technology in more of our classes moving forward.”
According to Schippers, as AI continues to evolve, old business models will change and leaders will need to adapt much like how the Internet revolution changed business.
In turn, CEOs will need to determine how to make AI work in their organizations and how to get a return on investment. Walsh College says its graduates who take the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning pathway should be well-prepared and lead the way to meet AI challenges.
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