Meet the CSUN Faculty AI Assistant

The CSUN Faculty AI Assistant is a customized version of ChatGPT designed to support CSUN faculty with Canvas, accessibility, and other academic technology questions.

The assistant has been configured by using curated CSUN and CSU reference materials, including Academic Technology and Faculty Technology Center guides, Canvas documentation, Universal Design Center accessibility guidance, and CSUN AI resources. It is designed to prioritize CSUN-specific information first and use vendor documentation when additional technical detail is needed.

Available 24/7

If you’re working on a course after hours, over the weekend, or just want a quick first answer, consider asking the Faculty AI Assistant. When a question needs human guidance, it can also point you toward the appropriate CSUN office or support resource.

What can faculty use it for?

• Canvas and academic technology: It can help with CSUN-specific Canvas workflows, grading, course setup, incomplete-course reopening, LTIs and integrations, Respondus LockDown Browser, GoReact, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Apporto, Microsoft Teams, Panopto, and related troubleshooting. Where local guidance exists, I prefer it over generic vendor instructions.
• Accessibility and universal design: provide help with creating syllabi, documents, Canvas content, presentations, images, tables, links, and media with accessibility in mind. My guidance aligns with CSUN UDC practices, WCAG 2.1 AA as a minimum, WCAG 2.2 where feasible, Section 508, ADA Title II expectations, and CSU ATI.
• Research support: Help analyze literature, frame research questions, develop disclosure language, think through responsible AI use, and identify privacy/IRB issues. Under CSUN guidance, AI should not be listed as an author, substantive use should be disclosed as appropriate, and AI-generated information should be independently verified.
• File analysis and content creation: Upload PDFs, spreadsheets, images, course exports, and other files; summarize or extract information; compare versions; and create documents, spreadsheets, slides, PDFs, and images when requested.

Yes, it can help with Canvas HTML

Faculty can paste existing Canvas HTML and ask the assistant to clean it up, troubleshoot it, or improve its accessibility. It can also generate accessible HTML for weekly overviews, assignment pages, course homepages, reminder boxes, and other common course elements with attention to headings, lists, descriptive links, and other accessibility practices.

Try asking…

“Create a rubric for this assignment with four performance levels.”

“Make this Canvas page easier for students to scan.”

“Help me redesign this assignment so students have to demonstrate more of their thinking.”

“Turn these lecture notes into a clear weekly module overview.”“Give me accessible Canvas HTML for this content.”

Start a conversation

You do not need special prompting skills to get started. Ask a real teaching question, follow up, and refine the result. Think of the Faculty AI Assistant as a CSUN-aware academic technology co-pilot you can turn to for brainstorming, drafting, revising, troubleshooting, and moving a teaching task forward.

Visit the CSUN Faculty AI Assistant page and give it a try!