AI Writing and Digital Literacy Fellows Celebrate End-of-Year
Cypress College recognized the achievements of its AI Writing and Digital Literacy Fellows during a special celebration held May 8 in the pond event tent. It marked the culmination of a year-long effort to explore the role of artificial intelligence in writing instruction across higher education.
The fellowship program brought together approximately 45 faculty members from Cypress College, Fullerton College, North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE), California State University, Fullerton, and the University of California, Irvine. Participants, all of whom teach writing-related courses, have spent the past year working through a grant-funded initiative focused on integrating artificial intelligence into the classroom while promoting academic writing and AI literacy.
The project is designed to help students develop stronger writing skills and greater digital literacy through the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools. Faculty fellows collaborated throughout the year to examine best practices, share instructional strategies, and contribute to the ongoing development of AI-supported learning resources.
Project leaders aim to iteratively develop, implement, and evaluate PapyrusAI as a resource that can improve both academic writing and digital literacy across California’s public higher education systems. The platform and related instructional materials are being expanded to support foundational writing courses, including first-year English and ESL composition, as well as writing-intensive courses across a range of academic disciplines.
The initiative also emphasizes collaboration among educators. Faculty teams from selected departments at UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, and the North Orange County Community College District are participating in faculty learning communities. These groups are using PapyrusAI in their courses, gathering and analyzing student outcomes, and helping refine the platform and its accompanying resources.