by Rachel Ward
Artificial intelligence skills are quickly becoming essential in the workplace, with 74% of employers now requiring or strongly recommending them, according to a 2026 ZipRecruiter survey. Cedarville University is preparing students to enter this changing workforce with both confidence and discernment.
In 2025, Cedarville became the first evangelical Christian university to implement AI campus wide. This year, through chapel messages, university-funded resources and field-specific guidelines, students will learn to use AI while discussing how to guard their integrity and originality.
The university's approach extends beyond classroom policies. Cedarville President Dr. Thomas White’s new chapel series, “Built by Wisdom,” includes sessions on the biblical and ethical questions surrounding AI, encouraging students to direct the technology, not just use it. 
White recently moderated a panel discussion with campus leaders about AI. In this session, they highlighted the moral dilemma faculty and students often encounter in the classroom and workforce.
The panel discussion included Dr. John Delano, associate dean for graduate programs, and Alina Leo, assistant professor of management, who have co-written two award-winning papers introducing a framework for ethical usage of AI.
“This framework provides six principles for using AI, guiding students and other Christians toward developing their judgment,” said Delano. “We need wisdom to discern the good kind of friction — the kind that helps to form us into the kind of people God wants us to be — from the bad.”
[PU]“Rules are not enough,” AI is changing faster than we can write rules.--Daniel Leo[/PU]
Delano and Leo believe AI policies are necessary but not sufficient.
“Rules are not enough,” said Leo. “AI is changing faster than we can write rules. We are writing our book to help the readers decide when AI can serve them and how to be faithful when they use it. We want to help them develop judgment in this brand-new world.”
Other departments at the university are moving from thought leadership to testing new applications, like using Codex to improve their internal systems.
In July, Cedarville’s human resources (HR) and information technology (IT) departments, along with the office of the vice president for academics, completed the largest project so far: a centralized, searchable database of vetted adjuncts. The University needed a data management system for its adjunct workforce so academic leaders could make quick, informed staffing decisions.
Jennifer Cochran, Director of Academic Human Resource Services, searched for a solution with her colleagues for nearly two years. While the project addressed an essential need, they lacked the resources and straightforward technological solutions to execute their plans.
Finally, the solution came when Cedarville IT created a secure portal and asked them to be a test group for Codex.
“We were amazed at what we were capable of with Codex,” said Cochran. “We worked for a long time to find a solution, and AI really sped up our process. There’s significant human work behind the database to ensure it is accurate and secure, but Codex enabled somebody who wasn’t a developer to solve a very real technological issue.”
By thoughtfully leveraging AI in classrooms and internal operations, Cedarville is establishing itself as a strong voice on AI, adding to the growing conversation worldwide.
