Build Confidence.
Lead What’s Next.
Two programs. One purpose.
Whether you're building your own AI practice or preparing to support an entire institution, the AI First pathway moves you from uncertainty to clarity — and from clarity to leadership.
This isn't about learning every tool. It's about becoming someone who can use AI, and guide others, in ways that actually matter.
Individual practice.
Institutional capacity.
Institution-wide leadership.
AI is moving fast. Most people are trying to keep up. A few are learning to lead.
The AI First program is built for the few.
It starts with your own practice — building real confidence and skill in the work you do every day. It grows into the ability to support your colleagues. And for those ready to go further, it scales into institution-wide strategy and leadership.
THE PATHWAY
Build. Support. Lead.
AI First builds your practice.
AI First Responder equips you to support others.
AI Master positions you to lead.
INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE CREDENTIAL
AI First
Most people learn AI through trial and error, watching tutorials, trying things out, and hoping something sticks. AI First is a structured, practice-based credential that changes that.
You'll build genuine fluency in teaching, research, or administrative work — not by covering every tool, but by developing a practice that's actually yours.
What AI First builds:
Confidence using AI across real tasks in your work
Clarity on when, how, and whether to use it responsibly
A practical workflow you can apply immediately
A foundation for deeper leadership and support roles
Who it's for:
Faculty, staff, and professionals building their own AI practice
Individuals ready to move beyond trial-and-error
Anyone who wants to use AI with clarity, confidence, and purpose
Three focus areas. One badge each.
AI First: Teaching
For faculty integrating AI into their teaching practice
~8 hours
AI First: Research
For scholars transforming their research and writing workflow
~8 hours
AI First: Administrative
For staff and administrators redesigning how work gets done
~8 hours
How earinging works.
1
Complete
8 hours of self-paced modules at your own pace
2
Apply
what you're learning in your real work as you go
3
Submit
one artifact from your actual work
4
Recieve
verifiable digital badge sharable on LinkedIn
All enrollments include community access and periodic AI updates.
One credential builds your confidence.
The next builds your institution's capability
INSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP CREDENTIAL
AI First Responder
Become the person others rely on.
Strong AI adoption doesn't come from one expert at the top. It comes from equipping people across the institution to respond with clarity, confidence, and integrity when colleagues need guidance.
That's what an AI First Responder is.
We're not training users.
We're building your internal AI leaders.
An AI First Responder is a trained guide — someone others turn to when they feel uncertain, stuck, or unsure how to use AI in their work. They don't need to be experts. They need to know what to ask, what to say, and where to guide people next.
The moments that need a First Responder
These conversations are happening right now — in offices, in hallways, during advising appointments and faculty meetings.
"I used AI and now I'm stuck. I don't know how to move forward."
"The rules are different everywhere. What's actually okay?"
"I'm worried I'll get in trouble if I'm honest about using AI."
These moments don't call for judgment or technical lectures. They call for calm guidance, ethical framing, and practical next steps.
People come to AI First Responders because they want to do the right thing; they just need help understanding what that means in their specific context.
What AI First Responders do
They do:
Normalize confusion instead of escalating fear
Ask questions about process, not just product
Help colleagues think with AI rather than hide it
Model ethical, transparent AI use
Know when to reassure — and when to escalate
Connect AI questions to broader institutional skills and values
Create documentation trails when appropriate
They don't:
Police or interrogate colleagues
Make assumptions about intent
Interpret policy beyond their role
Replace human judgment
Turn every conversation into an AI seminar
Make colleagues feel ashamed for asking
Provide definitive answers outside their scope
Override institutional guidelines
The credential
AI First Responder program is built on three foundation badges — Assess, Build, and Lead — plus a deeper focus track in Teaching, Research, or Administration.
Assess
Diagnosing AI problems, peer support, the Scene Assessment framework
~9 hours
Build
Prompt engineering, workflows, multimodal AI, how it actually works
~9 hours
Lead
Ethics, institutional judgment, policy, decision-making
~9 hours
Then choose your focus track:
Teaching
Supporting faculty in AI-integrated teaching and academic integrity
Research
Supporting colleagues in responsible AI-assisted research
Submit
Supporting teams in AI-integrated operations and workflows
Complete all three foundation badges + one focus track
~37 hours
Every AI First Responder credential includes:
All foundation and focus track modules
Verifiable digital badge via Certifier
Artifact review and feedback
12 months of community access — including monthly live webinars on AI developments and access to the Common Calls Library
Because the field doesn't stop moving, and neither should you.
Why institutions need a network of Responders.
This isn't a credential for one person. Institutions need Responders distributed across roles — in the library, in the writing center, in advising, in faculty ranks, and in administrative offices.
A librarian handles AI questions about research integrity.
A writing center tutor guides a student through using AI without losing their own voice.
A department administrator helps a colleague figure out which tools are safe to use.
A faculty member in the CTL supports peers through assignment redesign.
Each one is a First Responder. Together, they're how AI adoption actually scales.
AI First Responder cohorts launch Fall 2026.
Seats are limited.
AI Masters don't just respond to questions.
They define direction.
INSTITUTION-WIDE LEADERSHIP CREDENTIAL
AI First Responder - Master
Lead AI at the institutional level.
The AI First Master credential is designed for leaders responsible for shaping how AI is understood, governed, and integrated across an institution. This is not about using AI well. It's about guiding how AI is used — at scale.
What AI First Master builds:
They do:
A clear, mission-aligned AI strategy
Institutional frameworks for responsible AI use
Alignment across leadership, faculty, and teams
Confidence in high-stakes AI decision-making
Systems that sustain AI practice beyond individual initiatives
They don't:
Provosts, deans, and senior academic leadership
Innovation leaders and strategic initiatives teams
Those responsible for AI policy, governance, and institutional direction
Individuals ready to move from support to system-level leadership
AI First Master requires completion of all three AI First Responder focus tracks.
Three credentials. One direction. Here's how they connect.
THE PATHWAY
Not sure where to begin?
This isn't three separate programs. It's one journey with three levels of impact. These credentials are designed to build on each other. You don't have to know where you're going when you start, but every step you take counts toward the next one.
Start with AI First and build your own practice. When you're ready to support others, your AI First investment applies directly to AI First Responder. When you're ready to lead at the institutional level, your Responder credential carries you into Master.
Nothing you earn here is wasted. Every credential is a step, not a standalone.
Start where you are.
Go as far as you need.
Ready to start?
Join the waitlist and be first to know when seats open.
All credentials issued as verifiable digital badges. Sharable on LinkedIn. Permanent.
