Rachel McBride, convenor and teacher of BSNS 350 Special Topic: Business Decision-Making in an AI-Enabled World, says having industry representatives interact with tauira is one of the highlights of the pre-Christmas Summer School paper.
Love it or loathe it, AI is changing how businesses operate, and tauira will need to know what to expect – and what is expected of them – when they join the workforce, Rachel McBride says.
Which is where BSNS 350 Special Topic: Business Decision-Making in an AI-Enabled World comes in. This is a new paper, being offered for the first time as part of the Pre-Christmas Summer School programme .
Rachel – who is the convenor and teacher of the course – says the paper’s status as a “Special Topic” means the content can be flexible.
“The world of AI is changing daily (hourly!) and we were able to create and deliver this paper without some of the processes and structure required for standard papers.
“This means I can be extremely adaptable and change the content literally as we teach, reacting to everything that is happening in the fast-changing world of AI.”
AI is changing every single workplace, every job that every student goes into, and will affect all of us, she says.
“This course offers a perspective, grounded in the reality of New Zealand in 2026. If you’re an AI sceptic you can still do this course and hear from some incredible leaders and think deeply about your position on AI and what that means for you.”
Students from any programme can take the paper so long as they’ve completed 54 points at a 200 level. It’s completely online, with interactive lectures. Instead of exams, students complete group work, presentations and assessments designed to simulate the workplace they’ll be entering.
“AI use is encouraged, but students need to know why they’re using it. Each week we’ll explain what AI can be used for in that work and why. They’ll need to question what it produces, explain their choices and stand behind what they submit.”
Some of the questions to be raised during the course include: where does AI belong in a business and how did it get there?; how does a business use analytics?; what can AI do and not do?; is AI use responsible to your people and to Māori under Te Titiriti?; and what do employers actually want from you?
While Rachel is teaching the paper, there will also be academic oversight from Dr Mathew Parackal and Damien Mather of the Department of Marketing.
“The area of AI is one that requires many different perspectives.”
“Additionally, we’ve had Educational Designer Julie Timmermans helping us. And finally, Professor Grant Dick who is the Head of the School of Computing.
“The area of AI is one that requires many different perspectives.”
With this in mind, industry representatives will also be involved, including those from One NZ, Dairyworks, Les Mills, Deloitte and Ngāi Tahu.
“They can discuss what they’re building, what they’ve stopped, what they got wrong. Students can ask them questions and hear what they want from graduates like themselves.”
It is unbelievably valuable to hear from the "horse’s mouth" and have the opportunity to ask them questions, Rachel says.
“This is not a polished case study. It is the messy, unpredictable reality of being in business and making decisions with many competing factors – specifically around AI.
“The industry input will show how complicated this is. There’s a fine balance of people, costs, evidence and responsibility, as well as technology.”
Rachel welcomes the chance to close the gap between business and students and to generate enthusiasm for the world they’re entering.
“It’s such an exciting time to be entering the workforce. I’m slightly envious – my first job was just reviewing legislation and policies and doing research for 35 hours a week.
“If I could have entered a business and helped them solve really important problems in new and interesting ways – like you can do now – I can tell you what I would rather do.”
* The deadline for signing up for Pre-Christmas Summer School papers is 11 November.
– Kōrero by Internal Communications Adviser Laura Hewson
Pre-Christmas Summer School papers
BSNS 350 Special Topic: Business Decision-Making in an AI-Enabled World
BTNY 303 Topics in Field Botany
CHTH 217 Special Topic: Theology and Science
CHTH 317 Special Topic: Theology and Science
CLAS 346 Power and Politics in Roman and Modern Times
RELS 203 Ancient Religion: Egypt to Mesopotamia
RELS 303 Ancient Religion: Egypt to Mesopotamia (Advanced)
Papers being offered for 2027 Summer School (11 Jan to 20 Feb)
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