\u201cDemocracy Roundtable: A New Forum for Youth Engagement\u201d was built on the success of the inaugural 2024 roundtable<\/a>, offering students the opportunity to engage directly with the democratic process. The 2024 roundtable made an impression on Maxwell student Christian Vazquez Jr., who attended the event as a junior and returned this year with a new perspective on his future.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing here before really opened my eyes to college,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, I am coming to St. John\u2019s this fall and am very excited about all the activities on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n The four-hour event on March 14 brought 25 students to the University\u2019s\u00a0Queens<\/a>, NY, campus. It \u00a0featured discussions, policy debates, and competing small-group presentations about safe and appropriate artificial intelligence (AI) use in school homework.\u00a0<\/p>\n Students began the day by hearing from faculty members Meghan M. Dunn, Ph.D.<\/a>, Assistant Professor, and Elisabeth Fondren, Ph.D.<\/a>, Associate Professor, both of the Division of Mass Communication<\/a> in The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies<\/a>. The faculty members portrayed key stakeholders\u2014an educator and a technology entrepreneur\u2014with competing perspectives on the use of AI in education. While one argued that AI can support learning and creativity, the other raised concerns about what an overreliance on AI could mean for students\u2019 ability to think independently.<\/p>\n \u201cConcepts like democracy can feel distant or overly complicated,\u201d said Luca Iandoli, Ph.D<\/a>., Dean, the Collins College of Professional Studies, and Professor, Division of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Science<\/a>. \u201cWhat we want to do is allow students the opportunity to experience that complexity firsthand and understand how different perspectives come together and how policy is shaped.\u201d<\/p>\n Students were divided into small groups to discuss the issue and create policy proposals that were later presented to the entire assembly. While opinions varied, most groups supported the use of AI in education, emphasizing its responsible use with clear guidelines. Some groups concentrated on developing such plans, while others developed broader policy approaches.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Dr. Dunn said the event provided valuable insight into how students already engage with AI.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a great opportunity for students to be thinking about these kinds of issues early,\u201d Dr. Dunn said. \u201cAI is going to be such a pervasive tool, and understanding its impact on learning and development is incredibly important.\u201d<\/p>\n The roundtable also gave students a voice in conversations that directly affect them.<\/p>\n![\"Student](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/dsc_0105_960x640.jpg\")
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