Monthly Archives

November 2025

Francesca Joyce
In GenAI, SmealAI@Work

Smeal AI@Work: Microsoft Teams Beyond the Basics

Virtual collaboration and communication have become an integral part of higher education. However, staying organized while using different applications is often challenging. Take your Teams skills to the next level and learn synergistic approaches to communicating and collaborating with Microsoft Teams. During this hands-on session, you will explore different scenarios for using Teams, providing fresh ideas and the knowledge to put those ideas into practice.   

If you have not done so already, please send us your feedback about the session by completing our brief evaluation survey. Your comments are very important to us. Thank you!

 

RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS:

 

LINKS DISCUSSED DURING SESSION:

Michael Christie
In Smeal Academy Newsletter

Smeal Academy Newsletter: November 2025

AI@Smeal:
Update Edition

It’s an exciting time at Smeal as several major AI initiatives gain momentum, including the new Smeal Generative AI Hub, the Smeal BoodleBox Pilot, our Smeal AI@Work Copilot community development initiative, and our AI in Business Education effort supporting innovative teaching! These transformative efforts offer meaningful opportunities to explore, create, and collaborate with emerging technologies.

Introducing the Smeal AI Hub

The Smeal AI Hub is a new online destination designed to help the Smeal community learn about and confidently engage with generative AI. The hub provides curated resources for working, teaching, and conducting research with AI, making it easier to explore emerging tools and best practices. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your expertise, the AI Hub supports your journey into the future of business education.

Explore the Smeal AI Hub →


Smeal’s BoodleBox Pilot is Underway!

BoodleBox provides access to multiple premium AI models, including GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity, within one secure, integrated environment.

Over 190 Smeal faculty and staff have requested licenses so far, and over 110 community members attended the first training session. The next BoodleBox training session is on December 3, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. We hope to see you there!

DEC
3

BoodleBox Overview, Part 2:
Integrating Human-Centered GenAI into Work Processes

December 3, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Sign Up for BoodleBox →


Smeal AI@Work Copilot Licenses

We’re excited to share that participants in the Smeal AI@Work Series will have the opportunity to earn a Microsoft 365 (Paid) Copilot license with increased functionality beyond the free PSU Microsoft Copilot license. M365 Copilot is recommended for staff and faculty who want to leverage Microsoft suite tools for workplace productivity.

DEC
4

Next Session:
Copilot and Excel Data Management

December 4, 1-3:30 p.m.

Get a Paid CoPilot License →


Smeal AI in Business Education

The Smeal AI Hub is a new online destination designed to help the Smeal community learn about and confidently engage with generative AI. The hub provides curated resources for working, teaching, and conducting research with AI, making it easier to explore emerging tools and best practices. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your expertise, the AI Hub supports your journey into the future of business education.

Explore the Smeal AI Hub →


MAR
19

Save the Date!
Dan and Robyn Ives AI Innovation Day

On March 19, 2026, The Dan and Robyn Ives AI Innovation Day & Case Competition will bring together students, faculty, staff, and industry leaders to explore the transformative impact of Generative AI in business education and beyond. Hosted at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, this event will offer keynote addresses, interactive sessions, networking opportunities, and an undergraduate case competition where student teams share pitches for their AI-driven solutions to a real-world business case.

Learn More →

Ask eLDIG: What Should I Know About AI and Copyright?

In a recent Smeal Academy session, Danielle Steinhart, Interim Copyright Officer at Penn State Libraries, provided an accessible overview of copyright fundamentals and how they relate to generative AI.

Danielle explained what copyright protects, the importance of human authorship, and how fair use is evaluated through a four-factor test. She then connected these principles to AI training and outputs, highlighting current court cases, unresolved questions (like how much human input makes AI-assisted work copyrightable), and considerations for using AI with course materials.

The session closed with a Q&A on student and instructor use of AI tools, transparency in AI-assisted work, and how to seek further guidance from the Libraries’ copyright office.

Want to learn more? Check out the recording of our latest Smeal Academy session, AI and Copyright: What You Need to Know from 11/13.

Have questions?

Ask eLDIG →

Follow Us On LinkedIn!

Smeal Academy on LinkedIn

LinkedIn logo

Don’t forget to connect with us via Smeal Academy’s LinkedIn page, your hub for staying engaged with our mission to empower Smeal instructors with the tools, strategies, and best practices they need to excel in teaching.

Follow us for updates, resources, and opportunities to engage. We can’t wait to connect with you!

Connect With Us →

We’re Here to Help!

We can help you with course design and redesign, educational technology tools such as Canvas, Zoom, and Kaltura, strategies for assessment and evaluation, instructional best practices, and the integration of Smeal College and University-wide resources.

Let’s start a conversation about how Smeal’s eLearning Design & Innovation Group can help you.

Contact Us →

Francesca Joyce
In GenAI, Smeal Academy Sessions

AI and Copyright: What You Need to Know

Artificial intelligence is reshaping our work and also raises new copyright and ethical challenges. In this Smeal Academy session, Danielle Steinhart, Interim Copyright Officer and Head of the Office of Scholarly Communications and Copyright, guides Smeal College of Business faculty and staff through key questions at the intersection of AI and copyright. Topics include:

 

  • Uploading course materials (slides, articles, cases) into AI tools
  • Fair use vs. infringement when sharing excerpts or full works
  • Transparency when AI supports research, writing, or analysis
  • Using AI to adapt or remix OER and attribution requirements

Watch to gain practical guidance for using AI tools responsibly in teaching, scholarship, and resource creation.

 

RESOURCES DISCUSSED DURING SESSION:

Mark Deluca
In BoodleBox@Smeal

BoodleBox @ Smeal: Introduction to BoodleBox

In this 75-minute live virtual session, faculty and staff will be introduced to BoodleBox, a collaborative AI platform designed to enhance teaching, learning, and campus innovation. Participants will explore how BoodleBox supports everyday academic and administrative workflows and engage in hands-on activities to experience its core features firsthand. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how BoodleBox can be applied across various roles and disciplines, as well as practical ideas for integrating it into their own work.

Smeal faculty and staff can request access to BoodleBox by completing the online request form. You do not need access to attend the training—anyone interested in learning more about the platform is welcome to join before submitting a request.

If you have already completed the BoodleBox access request form and accepted your invitation, you can sign in directly at https://boodlebox.ai/

Supporting Resources:

  • Getting Started Resources
  • Darth Boodle Bot – helps transfer your ChatGPT information and chat history to BoodleBox.
  • Mike Bot – helps identify where a custom bot could help streamline a process and then helps to create an outline and knowledge base for that custom bot.
Francesca Joyce
In EdTech Tools & Course Delivery, GenAI, Smeal Academy Sessions, SmealAI@Work

Smeal AI@Work: Microsoft Copilot 365 for Word

This intermediate-level session is for people who are new to Microsoft Copilot 365 Copilot for Word and are ready to build their skills and confidence. This interactive session focuses on how Copilot can support the drafting, editing, and collaboration of documents in Word. Whether you’re drafting meeting agendas, polishing a departmental report, or summarizing meeting notes, Copilot can support this work.

In this session, participants will learn how to:

  • Draft, rewrite, and refine documents ranging from memos to proposals using AI assistance.

  • Summarize lengthy content into concise, actionable takeaways to support quicker decision-making.

  • Generate outlines, tables, and visuals, or expand bullet points into polished paragraphs (and vice versa).

  • Adjust tone and format to fit your audience (professional, friendly, or academic) without losing your personal or departmental voice.

  • Collaborate effectively with Copilot to enhance your writing.

This session includes live demos, hands-on tips, and examples directly relevant to Smeal workflows. Whether you’re a frequent Word user or just exploring how AI can streamline your day-to-day tasks, this session will help you build your Copilot skills.