Blab Tech
College of Charleston Business School Embraces Generative AI to Transform Teaching and Student Innovation
The College of Charleston’s School of Business has shifted from cautious observation to hands‑on experimentation with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). In late 2024, Provost Suzanne Austin launched a campus‑wide task force that seeded each school with modest funding to probe AI’s potential.
Faculty enthusiasm erupted almost immediately. Within days, the Office of the Dean received twelve proposals for classroom projects that would weave GenAI into the curriculum, ranging from prompt‑engineering workshops to AI‑assisted tax analysis.
A turning point arrived when the Dreyfus family approached the school to learn how it was preparing students for an AI‑driven workforce. Their donation gave birth to the Teaching with AI Professional Learning Community, a platform that lets faculty test pedagogical strategies covering ethical use, prompt engineering, data analysis, and quantitative analysis. The community’s mission is to empower both students and faculty with hands‑on training on a broad array of AI tools.
Assistant Professor of Accounting Roy Martin used the gift to design a summer project for his tax class. The project was structured in three stages:
1. Students completed a brief AI‑prompting course offered by EY, covering prompting strategies, appropriate use cases and ethical considerations. 2. They tackled a complex tax scenario with AI, documenting their prompting strategy, reasoning, AI output and their own assessment of the output. 3. Finally, students edited the AI output into a client‑ready report.
Martin says, “AI will never replace a knowledgeable professional. It will, however, change how professional work is completed.” He stresses that AI can accelerate writing and spark ideas, but human judgment, source verification and accountability remain essential.
Other faculty have adopted similar models. Project‑management instructor Debby Marindin’s fall 2025 capstone course included a discussion of AI’s role in practice and a bonus activity where students reflected on AI use. Students reported using AI for outlines, formatting, financial analysis and risk assessment.
Marketing assistant professor Kelley Cours Anderson explored how to keep classrooms unplugged while still meeting accessibility needs. She tested Zoom’s AI‑powered meeting notes feature, turning on the AI Companion and reminding students that the session would be unplugged. Anderson reports, “The result was simple, inclusive and effective… a small win for digital wellness that didn’t compromise accessibility.”
Student interest has grown alongside faculty experimentation. In November 2025, the School of Business launched AI Month, featuring student ideas, startup pitches and industry voices. The Center for Entrepreneurship hosted the AI Innovation Challenge, receiving more than sixty submissions that propose AI‑driven solutions to real business problems.
The challenge was supported by a generous gift from Richard Maclean ’88. Winners received a grand prize of $5,000. The event highlighted students’ entrepreneurial creativity and the practical application of AI.
The College of Charleston’s approach mirrors a broader trend in higher education, where institutions are moving from blanket bans on AI to structured, ethical integration. By combining faculty‑led projects, professional learning communities and student competitions, the School of Business aims to equip graduates with the skills to navigate a world where AI tools are increasingly common.
As AI technology continues to evolve, the College of Charleston remains committed to providing students with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive. The school’s ongoing initiatives—faculty projects, the Teaching with AI community, AI Month and the Innovation Challenge—demonstrate a sustained effort to integrate AI responsibly into business education.
The current landscape shows that the College of Charleston is actively preparing students for an AI‑enhanced professional environment while maintaining rigorous standards for judgment, ethics and accountability. The next steps include expanding the AI Innovation Challenge, deepening faculty training, and exploring additional partnerships with industry to keep the curriculum aligned with emerging AI applications.
Faculty enthusiasm erupted almost immediately. Within days, the Office of the Dean received twelve proposals for classroom projects that would weave GenAI into the curriculum, ranging from prompt‑engineering workshops to AI‑assisted tax analysis.
A turning point arrived when the Dreyfus family approached the school to learn how it was preparing students for an AI‑driven workforce. Their donation gave birth to the Teaching with AI Professional Learning Community, a platform that lets faculty test pedagogical strategies covering ethical use, prompt engineering, data analysis, and quantitative analysis. The community’s mission is to empower both students and faculty with hands‑on training on a broad array of AI tools.
Assistant Professor of Accounting Roy Martin used the gift to design a summer project for his tax class. The project was structured in three stages:
1. Students completed a brief AI‑prompting course offered by EY, covering prompting strategies, appropriate use cases and ethical considerations. 2. They tackled a complex tax scenario with AI, documenting their prompting strategy, reasoning, AI output and their own assessment of the output. 3. Finally, students edited the AI output into a client‑ready report.
Martin says, “AI will never replace a knowledgeable professional. It will, however, change how professional work is completed.” He stresses that AI can accelerate writing and spark ideas, but human judgment, source verification and accountability remain essential.
Other faculty have adopted similar models. Project‑management instructor Debby Marindin’s fall 2025 capstone course included a discussion of AI’s role in practice and a bonus activity where students reflected on AI use. Students reported using AI for outlines, formatting, financial analysis and risk assessment.
Marketing assistant professor Kelley Cours Anderson explored how to keep classrooms unplugged while still meeting accessibility needs. She tested Zoom’s AI‑powered meeting notes feature, turning on the AI Companion and reminding students that the session would be unplugged. Anderson reports, “The result was simple, inclusive and effective… a small win for digital wellness that didn’t compromise accessibility.”
Student interest has grown alongside faculty experimentation. In November 2025, the School of Business launched AI Month, featuring student ideas, startup pitches and industry voices. The Center for Entrepreneurship hosted the AI Innovation Challenge, receiving more than sixty submissions that propose AI‑driven solutions to real business problems.
The challenge was supported by a generous gift from Richard Maclean ’88. Winners received a grand prize of $5,000. The event highlighted students’ entrepreneurial creativity and the practical application of AI.
The College of Charleston’s approach mirrors a broader trend in higher education, where institutions are moving from blanket bans on AI to structured, ethical integration. By combining faculty‑led projects, professional learning communities and student competitions, the School of Business aims to equip graduates with the skills to navigate a world where AI tools are increasingly common.
As AI technology continues to evolve, the College of Charleston remains committed to providing students with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive. The school’s ongoing initiatives—faculty projects, the Teaching with AI community, AI Month and the Innovation Challenge—demonstrate a sustained effort to integrate AI responsibly into business education.
The current landscape shows that the College of Charleston is actively preparing students for an AI‑enhanced professional environment while maintaining rigorous standards for judgment, ethics and accountability. The next steps include expanding the AI Innovation Challenge, deepening faculty training, and exploring additional partnerships with industry to keep the curriculum aligned with emerging AI applications.
