Nevada State receives $2.9 million grant to expand AI literacy and student support
Nevada State University students will have new opportunities to build artificial intelligence skills through a five-year, $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The grant will fund SPARC — Shaping Professional AI Readiness & Competence — an initiative that will expand AI literacy among students, faculty and staff while improving processes that support degree completion.
“Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how we learn, work, and engage with the world, and we have a responsibility to ensure our students are prepared for that future,” said Dr. Sandra B. Richtermeyer, President of Nevada State University. “This $2.9 million investment represents an exciting opportunity to make AI literacy an integral part of the Nevada State experience, empowering our faculty, strengthening student success, and equipping our graduates with skills that will serve them throughout their careers. Just as importantly, we are making these opportunities accessible to all our students. I am especially grateful to Dr. Gregory Robinson and the dedicated team whose vision and hard work made this grant possible.”
Bringing AI literacy into the classroom
SPARC will establish Faculty AI Teaching and Learning Institutes to train more than 80 instructors over five years. Through Assignment Redesign Labs, instructors will incorporate AI literacy into existing courses. A new AI Resource Repository will help faculty share assignments and teaching resources across campus.
The grant will also compensate adjunct instructors for integrating AI literacy into their courses.
“We want our students to develop the skills and judgment to use artificial intelligence well, and to know when not to use it,” said Dr. John Miller, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “This grant helps our faculty bring AI literacy into their courses, so students get real practice with tools they’ll use here at Nevada State and long after they graduate.”
Creating opportunities for students
All Nevada State students will have access to AI training leading to microcredentials they can share with prospective employers.
The Office of Student Academic Success will also launch an AI Scholars Program, serving a cohort of 25 students each year through a summer bridge program featuring AI-themed activities.
Together, these opportunities will help students build AI literacy through both coursework and additional learning experiences.
Supporting progress toward graduation
SPARC will also support the adoption of AI tools for transcript processing, evaluations of credit for prior learning and academic advising. These efforts aim to shorten processing times, improve accuracy and help students plan and complete their degrees.
The grant will fund three positions for its five-year term: an AI operations strategist, an AI student learning strategist and a program coordinator.
Dr. Gregory Robinson, Vice Provost of Student Academic Success, will serve as project director. Robinson was also the lead author of the grant proposal.
SPARC is funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III Strengthening Institutions Program, which supports efforts to strengthen academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability at colleges and universities serving large numbers of low-income students.
About Nevada State University
Nevada State University (Nevada State), an independently accredited public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Nevada State is located on a developing 500-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, and will be opening a campus in the City of North Las Vegas in the fall of 2027. Nevada State emphasizes high-quality instruction, exemplary service, engaging learning experiences, and innovation in support of Nevada’s growing workforce needs. Nevada State offers more than 65 majors and minors, as well as select graduate programs, and continues to expand its physical campus and reach across the state. Committed to fostering a personal learning environment, students are taught by faculty who serve as mentors and guides in classrooms with an average class size under 25 students. Nevada State serves more than 8,400 students and has more than 10,000 alumni. For more information, visit https://nevadastate.edu.
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