Finetuning Generative AI Tools to Serve ESL Students’ Needs

By

Geoffrey Sauer

English departments often top American universities’ demographic statistics for diversity. After the Social Justice Turn, we are theoretically prepared to foster counterhegemonic practice. But our programs’ documentation must also change, to more effectively invite and welcome diverse students.

This paper will describe a research study currently gathering data about a locally- hosted, open source generative AI system currently being finetuned to support ESL  graduate students as they seek to understand the policies and procedures of R1 TPC graduate degree programs. This paper will argue we should not debate whether materials should be polyglossic, but instead must discuss how TPC can bridge borders less incompletely.