Thomas College receives $3 million federal grant to embed AI across all academic programs

Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, announced Tuesday that it accepted a $3 million Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant to build artificial intelligence into all academic programs. The college said the grant starts a multi-year project to teach practical, critical and ethical AI literacy. The funding will support multiple full-time positions, including an AI specialist in residence, and professional development for faculty.

This is a concrete college-level move to write AI literacy into every program, backed by a federal grant and new positions, which changes conditions for faculty training, curriculum integration and talent supply. For education product practitioners, a college-wide push can expand teaching tool and faculty support needs from individual courses to all departments. The original text provides no timeline, curriculum details or outcome data, so the scope and results remain to be seen. All academic programs at Thomas College will gradually include AI literacy content, and faculty will need corresponding training. New roles including an AI specialist in residence and a project manager offer a reference model for other colleges.