Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – Leadership within South Texas College’s Division of Business, Public Safety and Technology (BPST) say they have developed an “Artificial Intelligence Tracker” initiative as they enter the halfway point into a year-long effort to assess AI’s potential applications in all of the Division’s programs.
Offering an update on the initiative at BPST’s recent spring 2026 division meeting, STC Advanced Manufacturing Technology Department Chair and AI liaison Erika Guerra said she developed the tracker after meeting with departments to map where AI tools fit into existing coursework.
But the expectations are much higher, according to Guerra. The effort is part of a much larger effort by the college overall to ensure that graduates are ready for changing workforce expectations.
“The purpose of this AI tracker is that we are able to identify artificial intelligence being used in very specific industries,” Guerra said. “We are all coming together to help departments design ways to incorporate AI into our curriculum, labs and projects while tracking its overall use by the program.”
Guerra noted that programs have already begun embedding AI into its curriculum, with about 34% integrating CoPilot, about 24% applying ChatGPT and 15% implementing various AI tools.
BPST division leaders emphasized that the effort is aimed at strengthening instruction rather than replacing hands-on instruction. Guerra said BPST is highly focused on ensuring that AI’s adoption is industry driven, while highlighting its enhancement to instruction.
BPST Interim Dean Joe Vela said the division began discussing AI integration as part of its broader goals and asked Guerra to serve as the point of contact for the initiative. Vela told BPST faculty that the tracker can help STC stay ahead as employers increasingly expect AI familiarity.
“From my perspective, what I see is that it’s only a matter of time before our students are coming to work and somebody says, ‘What’s your experience with AI,’” Vela said.
The AI tracker itself reflects varied levels of adoption depending on the field, Guerra said, adding that some programs are identifying industry-specific applications they want to incorporate, while others may not use AI in certain courses.
“I look forward to working with all departments and hearing that we are moving the AI needle a little bit more every semester,” Guerra said.
For more information about the utilization of artificial intelligence at STC, visit https://www.southtexascollege.edu/ai/.
Information source: STC
