School of technology offering artificial intelligence minor in fall – The Daily Eastern News
School of technology offering artificial intelligence minor in fall – The Daily Eastern News
Publish Date: 2026-05-26 19:03:00
Source Domain: www.dailyeasternnews.com
- Eastern has approved an artificial intelligence minor starting in the fall, proposed by Interim Assistant Chair of the School of Technology Toqeer Israr.
- The minor was introduced to the university on Dec. 8, 2025, and approved on Feb. 26, 2026.
- The AI minor will consist of 18 credit hours with most courses already offered; only a new course titled AI Technologies has been developed.
- Ammar Bhutta, professor in the School of Technology, will teach the new AI course, which includes hands-on creation of an AI chatbot focused on a specific area of knowledge.
- The AI minor aims to integrate AI skills across various majors, including ethics and environmental impacts of AI.
- While Israr anticipates positive initial feedback, some students, like former Student Government Vice President Emilee Boyd, express skepticism about the minor’s execution and impact on the environment.
- The program will limit AI use in coursework to ensure responsible use and discourage plagiarism, though Bhutta suggests a graduate certificate in AI could be introduced in the future.
