(Clock Tower, Dordt University -- KIWA Staff Photo)Sioux Center, Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — Dordt University is launching a one-year pilot program that will give students, faculty, and staff campuswide access to BoodleBox, a collaborative AI platform designed for secure, responsible use of generative AI.
Through the pilot, participants can opt in to use premium versions of leading AI tools — including Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and others — without needing individual subscriptions. Chief of Staff Rev. Aaron Baart says the goal is to ensure everyone on campus has equal access to advanced AI resources, rather than limiting those tools to people who can afford them.
BoodleBox offers a variety of opportunities for using AI thoughtfully and ethically. Faculty can incorporate AI into cirriculum design, develop personalized learning pathways, and teach students how to evaluate AI-generated content responsibly. Students gain hands-on experience with industry-leading models, helping them build AI literacy skills that will be increasingly important in academic and professional settings.
Dordt will also hold campuswide conversations under the theme “Knowing and Being in an AI World.” Education Professor Dr. David Mulder, author of “Teach Like a Human: Playful Practice and Serious Faith in the Age of AI,” will partner with Dean of Chapel Rev. Dr. Justin Bailey to lead three sessions exploring how AI works, how large-language models function, and how Christians can think creatively about emerging technologies.
Dordt President Dr. Erik Hoekstra says the university should actively engage with AI rather than avoid it. He says AI presents both opportunities and risks, and that Dordt has a responsibility to wrestle with those tensions as a Christian institution. He adds that the pilot program is a chance for the campus community to practice responsible stewardship as AI becomes more integrated into daily life.
