DWU launches campus-wide AI initiative reaching hundreds of students, employees

June 13, 2026

MITCHELL, S.D. – As AI adoption accelerates across university campuses, Dakota Wesleyan University is investing in and prioritizing responsible AI use by providing more than 1,000 students, faculty members and staff with access to BoodleBox, a collaborative AI platform specifically built for higher education as a tool that’s private, safe and secure. This institution-wide implementation strengthens DWU’s position at the forefront of educational innovation and enables the transparent, ethical use of AI in teaching, learning and research.

DWU is the first, and, at this time, the only university in South Dakota launching a campus-wide AI initiative with BoodleBox, offering an AI platform to students, faculty and staff. For nearly a year, a group of DWU faculty and staff has been testing the platform to fully understand its features and usability.

According to DWU President Dan Kittle, “Beginning with the upcoming school year, all students will have access to BoodleBox, which will standardize engagement with AI resources, reduce barriers and ensure equitable access. This includes undergraduate and graduate-level students. Now, students won’t have to worry about paying for a premium ChatGPT subscription and competing with their peers who do.”

This initiative will not only enhance current learning outcomes but also establish a foundation for lifelong learning in critical areas:

• AI-Powered Learning Innovation: Faculty can integrate AI tools into curriculum design to enhance teaching and create more personalized learning pathways — from adapting course materials to developing specialized bots — that meet diverse student needs.
• Responsible Student-AI Collaboration: Students gain access to industry-leading AI models (including GPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and more), empowering them to develop essential AI literacy skills and responsibly evaluate AI-generated outputs.
• Transparent Assessment Frameworks: Students can cite and share AI-assisted work, allowing professors to evaluate both process and product — from individual AI interactions to group projects — while maintaining academic integrity and fostering skill development.

Lori Wehlander, DWU’s teaching and learning specialist, is excited. “BoodleBox will allow students to enter the job market knowing the common AI terms and technology. This will set them apart, as businesses and organizations are still learning how to apply AI tools ethically and effectively. DWU students can familiarize themselves with a long list of AI tools, so they are entering the workforce better equipped.”

BoodleBox for Higher Education launched in July 2024 to democratize AI access and knowledge across academic institutions and workspaces. Over 70,000 professors and students from more than 1,300 colleges and universities have come to rely on BoodleBox. The platform's commitment to accessibility, security and sustainability ensures institutions can confidently integrate AI while maintaining the highest standards of data security and student privacy.

One reason the BoodleBox platform was appealing to DWU is its commitment to token reduction technology. According to France Hoang, CEO and Founder of BoodleBox, “Dakota Wesleyan approached this partnership with a clear sense of mission — not just to adopt AI, but to do it responsibly. That kind of intentionality is exactly what we built BoodleBox for. Our token optimization technology reduces the computational demands of AI interactions by up to 96%, which means less energy, less water consumption, and a dramatically smaller environmental footprint per chat. We're grateful to partner with an institution that cares about being a good steward, of its students, its community, and the planet.”

For more information about BoodleBox, visit https://boodlebox.ai/edu.