News Releases

Owens Embracing Artificial Intelligence with Event Attendance, New Class Offerings

With Artificial Intelligence impacting nearly every aspect of modern life, Owens Community College is offering new opportunities for its students to stay on the leading edge of AI education.

Representatives and students from Owens will take part in the Great Lakes AI Week, a week-long event beginning on Monday, November 3, that will bring together professionals and learners, hosted by Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo. The event will feature a variety of speakers, panels, hands-on workshops and networking opportunities.

While tickets to the event cost more than $100, Owens students received an opportunity to attend for free. Bill Taylor, dean of the School of Business, Hospitality Management and Public Safety at Owens, said it’s a great opportunity for Owens students to understand the possibilities presented by AI. Taylor is also part of the Great Lakes AI Week planning committee.

“We want to expose our students to the uses of AI to make sure our graduates are competitive in the job marketplace,” Taylor said.

The conference is expected to draw more than 1,000 attendees, Taylor said. Sponsors of the event include JobsOhio, Enterprise Technology Association, Actual Reality Technologies, Big Kitty Labs, Nexigen, EmpoweredAI, Hanson, SSOE, Fifth Third Bank, ConnecToledo, Rudolph Libbe Group, Sogeti, JumpStart, Transform Labs, Regional Growth Partnership of Northwest Ohio and the Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium.

Taylor said educators need to move past the use of AI as a tool for plagiarizing and cheating to its capabilities as a tool for success in the workforce. He compared current technology to the use of calculators in the 1940s, a revolutionary tool that can be used to expand horizons.

“These tools are not going away,” he said. “We need our students exposed to the possibilities with AI. This conference is important for them to hear from leaders in the business world on the various uses of AI.”

AI is already being used in the Owens classrooms for digital marketing classes, according to Taylor. It’s only going to grow from there, eventually finding its way into most classrooms.

While it does present exciting glimpses into what the future can hold, Owens leadership has acknowledged the need for guidelines in the use of AI. The college is in the process of adopting a college-wide AI policy, according to Owens provost and vice president for academic affairs Dr. Denise Smith. The policy has been approved by executive leadership and is in review by the academic standards committee. A final policy will be posted to the college’s website upon completion.

Owens Workforce and Community Services is diving into the AI world as well with a four-part continuing education series called, “AI and The Future of Work.”

The classes, which are designed to help professionals understand and apply AI, will be taught by LeSean Shaw, an Owens graduate and co-founder of Actual Reality Technologies and Empowered AI. Classes are $30 each or $100 per person for all four, if registered at the same time. They’re available in-person or virtually.

The four classes and their dates are:

• Demystify Artificial Intelligence: Past, Present & Future: February 11, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Artificial Intelligence: Fundamentals & Tools: February 18, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Building Your Own GPT or Agent: February 25, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Artificial Intelligence Integrations for Efficiency: Make Your Job Easier (and WOW Your Boss): March 4, 6-7:30 p.m.

Students will receive a certificate upon completion of all four classes.

Find more information and register for the AI classes at owens.edu/workforce_cs.