New AI Excellence Institute announced at Sinclair Press Conference

DAYTON, Ohio – Sinclair College President Dr. Steven Johnson and other Sinclair leaders announced the schools plans for future AI implementation.

After remarking on Sinclair’s high number of graduates this past semester, Johnson welcomed Senior Vice President Melissa Tolle to the podium to introduce Sinclair’s new AI Excellence Institute.

The AI Excellence Institute has been in development for over a year as Sinclair executives fleshed out this program to best help students achieve academic success.

“We’ve engaged with more than 1000 faculty and staff, many of you in the room today are students who are our most important stakeholder group. The community leaders, business leaders, our Sinclair board, and the foundation board. All of whom have helped shape our direction,” Tolle said.

The AI Excellence Institute is made up of three “bold initiatives” aimed at addressing the schools most pressing challenges: Advancing artificial intelligence, supporting student readiness and ensuring pathways to living wage jobs and full credit transfers.

Sinclair’s concern and dedication to helping the needs of local Dayton communities and the broader South-West Ohio region has been a key driver for the direction the plan to take this new institute.

“We can ensure that students complete their educational goals and advance our alignment to living wage jobs in our region. We are positioning Sinclair, our students and community to respond to a rapidly changing world and continue to be aligned to the emerging workforce needs of the Southwest Ohio region,” Tolle said.

Dr. Christine Amato, dean of the eLearning division at Sinclair spoke on what specifically this new institute entails. She stated that AI is not only the future but is already the present, and that it is Sinclair’s duty to lead.

Sinclair will be taking decisive action to make the school one of the first for AI integrated education. The Sinclair leaders expressed confidence that this will prepare students and faculty for the new age of AI in all facets of daily life.

“Our campus community needs meaningful, rapid advancement in AI, and employers expect graduates to bring AI fluency to the workplace. The AI Excellence Institute is the answer to this call,” Amato said.

The AI Excellence Institute introduces a three-year plan reimagine every academic program at Sinclair to include essential AI skills. Both students and faculty will be versed in AI literacy, ethical understanding and practical fluency.

While there is a large amount of skepticism around the usage of AI, Sinclair carries not only an air of optimism, but also a torch intending to lead the community into a future where AI is not taking away jobs, but rather helping workers achieve the best standards in their occupation.

Noah Schlarman, executive editor