During last week’s meeting, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved $3.4 million in System Innovation Fund grants for seven groundbreaking projects through the Innovations with AI Program, a strategic initiative designed to foster AI implementation and advancement at Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities.
“Providing these ‘seed money’ grants for comprehensive AI-driven projects represents a bold step to position state system colleges and universities to maximize the impact and sustainability of AI applications in higher education,” said State Regents’ chair Courtney Warmington. “By investing in technology innovations today, we are preparing our campuses and the students they serve for new workplace frontiers tomorrow.”
The Innovations with AI Program aligns directly with goals outlined in the State Regents’ Blueprint 2030 strategic plan,specifically focusing on leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance educational outcomes, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making across the state system. Grant awards will be distributed in equal allocations over two fiscal years, contingent on annual availability of funds.
Growing demand for AI programs is fueled by the widespread adoption of machine learning technology across various industries, including health care, finance, manufacturing and aerospace. In Oklahoma, more than 19,000 jobs currently require AI skills, with median annual earnings of nearly $106,000. The number of AI-related positions in our state is expected to increase 21% over the next decade.
“Blazing the trail, our public higher education system was the first in the country to establish a statewide committee focused on AI impacts in higher education,” said Chancellor Sean Burrage. “This investment reinforces our role as a national leader in AI integration to produce the skilled graduates required to meet current and future AI workforce needs.”
Approved Innovations with AI Program projects are:
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center – The ScissorTAIL Enclave: Trusted AI for a Learning Healthcare System ($500,000)
This project establishes Oklahoma’s first regulated, HIPAA-compliant computing enclave, using GPU-accelerated servers for AI development. The infrastructure enables secure, high-performance training of AI models using sensitive patient data for clinical research and professional training.
Oklahoma State University – Intelligent Futures: Embedding AI Proficiency in Higher Education Pathways ($497,378)
This systemwide collaboration uses a Trainer of Trainers model to embed generative AI competencies into over 60 academic programs to explicitly strengthen student workforce readiness in AI ethics and application. The model accelerates faculty capacity, ensuring they can effectively integrate generative AI within instruction and curriculum design.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University – Southeastern AI: Advancing Education, Efficiency, and Economic Growth ($499,463)
This initiative develops an AI-powered evaluator to assure online course quality and creates a tool to securely aggregate and analyze data from disparate university systems, allowing leaders to simulate various operational scenarios and determine potential impacts on financial health and student success outcomes.
University of Central Oklahoma – Building Oklahoma’s Future Workforce Through AI-Enabled Student Success ($500,000)
This model is designed to provide a 24/7 intelligent admissions support system that removes systemic barriers to entry for prospective students, offering seamless, on-demand personalized guidance throughout a student’s journey. The AI maps UCO’s academic offerings to real-time skills demanded by Oklahoma employers.
University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma – Bridging Pathways: AI-Powered Student Success & Workforce Alignment Initiative ($500,000)
This initiative pioneers the systematic integration of labor market analytics into USAO curriculum, providing prospective and current students, families, and high school counselors with continuous, personalized guidance. This model creates transparent, competency-based educational pathways and a 24/7 resource to guide students and K-12 partners toward in-demand programs.
Murray State College – Operational Excellence Through AI Initiative ($447,900)
This initiative implements an AI platform to automate the extraction, validation, and transfer of information from documents such as transcripts, applications, and financial aid forms. The model will integrate seamlessly with MSC’s existing technology ecosystem, enhancing both operational efficiency and student experience.
Rose State College – AI for Access: Transforming Teaching and Learning through Innovative Course Design ($500,000)
The project establishes an AI and Accessibility Coordinator and deploys AI tools to streamline and automate digital accessibility compliance tasks across all course materials, allowing faculty to focus on pedagogy. The model, which is designed for replication, will produce an “AI for Access Toolkit,” and Rose will host a statewide showcase to disseminate findings.
In May 2023, Oklahoma established a systemwide committee to study AI implications for higher education. The AI Impact in Higher Education Committee focuses on developing and refining institutional policies and practices regarding AI governance, operations, and pedagogy. For more information about the committee and access to the Online Consortium of Oklahoma’s AI resources for educators, visit ocolearnok.org/priorities/artificial-intelligence/.