Navigating the Future Together: The Success of the AI Community Dialogue Series

In a world rapidly adapting to the rise of artificial intelligence, the Lewis & Clark community recently created opportunities to gather not just to observe the technology, but to actively shape how we live and learn alongside it.

Lewis & Clark recently hosted an important series of Community Dialogues (CD) on AI, creating a vital space for students, faculty, and staff to engage in the ethical and practical questions of our digital age.

The series was designed to bring people together for a focused dialogue on the topic of AI, offering a structured yet open environment, aiming to surface tensions, share enthusiasm and apprehensions, and collectively examine how AI is shaping teaching, learning, and work at Lewis & Clark. Participants engaged in a small group format with peers from across campus, fostering the kind of cross-disciplinary conversation that exemplifies an L&C experience.

Across the sessions, the rooms were filled with a diverse cross-section of the campus–students, faculty and staff were open and curious to share and learn about AI’s role in their learning and work experiences. Many attendees noted that this was their very first time participating in a Community Dialogue, and the experience sparked a newfound interest in the CD format as a way to wrestle with various topics as a community.

Danielle Torres presents a slide titled “Where Dialogue Lives on Campus.” Bullet points include Academic Life, Student Life & Leadership, and Campus Climate & PlanningAccording to Danielle Torres, director of the Community Dialogues initiative, “The response to the process was overwhelmingly positive. What stood out most was the enthusiasm for the conversation and the shared desire to listen and understand others’ experiences and positions when it comes to AI. It wasn’t a debate or discussion; sessions follow a scripted dialogue format that creates moments for attentive listening and deep reflection. The conversation in each session was organic, evolving and expanding as participants built upon one another’s perspectives. It was really wonderful to watch unfold.”

The discussions yielded a wealth of helpful ideas and important considerations surrounding AI on our college campus, including points related to course expectations, grading, creativity and art, office efficiency, future employment, student stressors, skill building, environmental impacts, and our liberal arts identity. The input generated during the dialogues will be shared with the L&C AI Advisory Group, which is made up of staff and faculty members working toward principled guidance of AI use on campus.

Community Dialogues create meaningful spaces for connection, reflection, and learning across our community. 

-President Robin Holmes-Sullivan

Meredith Goddard, co-leader of the L&C AI Advisory Group, partnered with Community Dialogues to launch the series. Goddard described the impact in this way: “The AI Dialogues feel like a step towards open, honest and thoughtful engagement around AI as a community that is much healthier than a culture of shame and silence. Moving forward, we plan to integrate the feedback that came from these dialogues to inform a grassroots effort to develop community-informed principles around AI use in ways that align with Lewis & Clark’s values and mission.”

The success of the AI series highlights Community Dialogues as a growing and essential initiative for the campus. By providing a platform where opportunity meets curiosity, the series has proven that we don’t have to navigate conversations–whether contentious, timely, or just plain interesting–in isolation. These outcomes reflect President Robin Holmes-Sullivan’s founding vision: that structured dialogue is a powerful tool for building a more connected and democratic campus community.

“It is inspiring to see students, faculty, and staff come together with such openness and curiosity to share their perspectives on AI. Community Dialogues create meaningful spaces for connection, reflection, and learning across our community. The energy in these conversations shows a clear desire for more opportunities to explore how AI shapes our classrooms, well-being, and shared values,” President Robin Holmes-Sullivan said.

Building on this, the future of Community Dialogues is focused on expanding dialogic principles and practices on campus, including upcoming summer 2026 facilitator trainings. Director Torres added, “As we look toward future opportunities and new topics, Community Dialogues will continue to look toward building capacity, reach and impact: as an example of how intentional dialogue can lead to clarity, connection, and a better understanding of the opinions and experiences that make up our community.”

Interested in joining the next conversation? Stay tuned to the Community Dialogues webpage for upcoming topics and events.