College Students and Educators Worldwide Start Fall Semester with Elon’s Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a key part of higher education, more than 21,000 educators and students across the globe are using a new resource to support their learning and teaching efforts. The Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence, created by Elon University in collaboration with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), is now adopted by around 4,000 colleges, universities, schools, and organizations.
This free guide has attracted over 60,000 visitors to its website, reflecting the growing demand for clear, accessible AI literacy resources in academic settings. By mid-August 2025, 97 institutions had requested custom editions to distribute on their campuses, ranging from community colleges to flagship state universities.
Development and Purpose of the Guide
The guide was developed by Elon’s Imagining the Digital Future Center with input from educators in 14 countries who bring extensive AI experience. Students from Elon and other universities also contributed, ensuring the guide addresses real student needs.
Elon University President Connie Book highlighted that the guide is grounded in principles established at the 2023 United Nations Internet Governance Forum. These principles emphasize higher education’s role in preparing society for AI and call for fostering AI literacy in colleges and universities.
“The Student Guide to AI is a practical, student-centered resource,” Book said. “Its widespread adoption shows the strong demand for this kind of support as AI continues to develop.”
Key Features and Updates
The guide covers essential topics such as building AI skills, maintaining academic integrity, understanding AI ethics, and preparing for careers influenced by AI technologies. The first edition was published in August 2024, followed by an updated 2025 edition released in May to assist educators in preparing for the fall semester.
Dan Anderson, special assistant to the president and lead author of the guide, shared that professors, academic staff, and administrators worldwide are incorporating the guide into their teaching and student support efforts. Faculty members, curriculum developers, librarians, and campus technology leaders are adapting the guide’s materials to fit their institutions’ needs.
Expanding Global Reach
The guide’s impact continues to grow internationally. With help from faculty at Complutense University and Charles III University in Madrid, a Spanish edition was published in June 2025. The American University in Cairo developed a multimedia curriculum based on the guide’s framework.
In the United States, hundreds of preceptors and program directors from the Veterans Administration Pharmacy Residency Program engaged in training sessions on applying the guide with their students. This shows the guide’s versatility across different educational contexts.
Integration on Elon’s Campus
On Elon’s campus, Mustafa Akben, director of artificial intelligence integration, incorporates the guide into workshops and meetings with students and faculty. He points out that the guide reflects Elon’s core AI principles, such as prioritizing human-centered learning, supporting lifelong technology education, and promoting ethical AI use and development.
Additionally, Elon included information about its custom version of the guide in the summer newsletter for incoming first-year students, embedding AI literacy into the new student experience from the start.
Endorsements and Partnerships
Alongside Elon’s collaboration with AAC&U, the 2025 Student Guide to AI carries endorsements from several prominent organizations:
- The American Library Association
- NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
- EDUCAUSE
- Online Learning Consortium
- AMICAL Consortium – American international liberal arts institutions
For educators looking to deepen their own AI knowledge or find related training opportunities, resources like Complete AI Training’s latest courses offer a range of practical, skill-focused options.
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