Whitman School Offers Free Google AI Essentials Training To Faculty, Staff and Students
In a move to equip its faculty and staff with cutting-edge digital skills, the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University partnered with Google to offer the Google AI Essentials course at no cost over the summer months. Nearly 80 Whitman team members took advantage of this unique opportunity to learn about artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential applications in their work. As a result of this success, Whitman has recently expanded this opportunity to students, as well.
The Google AI Essentials course is a self-paced online training program designed to help non-STEM professionals integrate AI tools and skills into their daily work. Taught by Google AI experts, the course provides learners with a solid foundation in AI concepts and practical applications. Upon completion, participants earn a valuable Google AI professional certificate.
Syracuse University Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity, stating, “This training is a fantastic way for our faculty and staff to enhance their professional skills and stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving field of AI. By leveraging AI tools effectively, they can improve their productivity, efficiency and decision-making.”
“In order for Whitman to best prepare students for a future that will have AI front and center in business, we realized that Whitman also needed to ensure that our faculty and staff also are prepared. The fact that we had so many team members complete this certification shows our commitment to this area and a reflection of how in demand these AI skills are. We’re very excited that we’re now rolling this out to students as part of our WIRE initiative to allow them to acquire professional certifications in addition to their academic credits,” added Interim Dean Alex McKelvie.
The Whitman Industry Readiness & Excellence (WIRE) Initiative is a program showcasing the School’s commitment to innovation and preparing students for a world of accelerating change. It encourages students to pursue various professional certifications related to their majors from recognized organizations, like Google and Microsoft, in order to gain new skillsets that align with hiring trends and industry needs.
“I have been impressed with the opportunities for professional development we give our students and staff members,” says Tim Findlay, assistant director of graduate recruitment. “I, myself, am currently pursuing the Google AI Certification because, as the use of AI becomes more prevalent in the world, I want to build my knowledge and apply it to helping students in my day-to-day work.”
Students, faculty and staff can register for the Google AI essentials course through a quick, user-friendly form available through the helpdesk. According to John Reedy, executive director of IT at the Whitman School, the service desk team uses the Coursera platform to track individual progress seamlessly across user groups.
“Each week, we received detailed analytics and automated updates that keep us in the loop as to how everyone is advancing through the course,” says Reedy. “I am thrilled—and a bit blown away—by how many faculty and staff jumped on board and stayed committed to completing this certification, and the momentum seems to just keep building. I am very hopeful that we’ll see the same level of enthusiasm and participation as students sign up and begin to dive in.”