Center for AI Collaboration (CAIC)

Welcome to the Center for AI Collaboration (CAIC), Northern Arizona University’s strategic hub for advancing artificial intelligence across our administrative and operational functions. We are dedicated to ensuring that AI integration at NAU is responsible, effective, and deeply collaborative.

Our Mission and Vision

The CAIC serves as the institutional engine for AI adoption, knowledge sharing, and innovation. We aim to sustain the momentum of the Year of AI Empowerment by providing staff with the education, technical support, and coordinated governance necessary to thrive in an AI-enhanced environment.

Vision: To establish NAU as a leader in responsible AI adoption within higher education.
Culture: We foster a culture of continuous learning and cross-divisional collaboration.
Sustainability: We are committed to sustainable AI practices that enhance operational excellence and institutional effectiveness.

Strategic Priorities

CAIC was established to address two critical institutional imperatives:

Sustain Momentum: We provide the infrastructure to maintain AI adoption velocity and transition from the launch phase to sustained excellence.
Scale Adoption: We enable systematic scaling of AI capabilities across all administrative and operational units through coordinated support.

Core Programs and Services

We offer a range of services designed to build AI literacy and technical capability at all levels of the university:

AI Education & Training: Includes fundamentals workshops for staff, Microsoft Copilot educational pathways, and advanced technical training for power users.
Knowledge Sharing: We facilitate learning through AI Use Case Exchange forums and a centralized repository of NAU AI success stories.
Community Building: We support communities of practice for AI adopters and provide best practice documentation and templates.
Hybrid Delivery: Our programs are offered in in-person, virtual, and asynchronous formats to maximize accessibility.

Specialized Subcommittees

CAIC drives innovation through focused subcommittees that tackle specific institutional needs:

Subcommittee	Primary Focus Areas
Technical AI & Data Engineering	Advanced Copilot Studio configurations, agent development, Power Platform automation, and AI-enhanced reporting.
AI & Sustainability	Leveraging AI to advance NAU’s sustainability goals while developing energy-efficient and responsible computing practices.

Leadership and Governance

The CAIC operates under a co-leadership model:

IT Co-Director: Andrea Stalker, Director of Strategic AI & Data Intelligence, and Engineering.
HR Co-Director: John Gartin, Director of HR.

Strategic oversight is provided by the AI Coordinating Council, which guides priorities and ensures cross-divisional policy alignment.

A Specialized Approach: While CAIC focuses on administrative staff and operations, we work closely with the Institutional Academic AI (IAAAI) committee to ensure faculty and academic applications are coordinated and aligned across the university. In additional to the IAAAI, we work closely with university leadership and our Northern Arizona AI Alliance for collaborating on AI throughout the region.