Bringing the student voice to Seneca's MyTutor launch | Student Quality Assurance Council (SQAC) | Seneca Students

By Sehban Abdus-Samad, Member, Student Quality Assurance Council (SQAC)

A week before the fall semester began, I had the opportunity to represent students at the launch of MyTutor, Seneca’s in-house AI learning assistant. The event brought together faculty, developers from Seneca’s Information Technology Services (ITS), and academic leaders to explore how MyTutor could enhance teaching and learning across Seneca. After a live demo of the tool, I joined a panel alongside Andrew Wiebe, Cloud Application Administrator, ITS, and MyTutor’s lead developer, Kent Peel and Panos Panagiotakopoulous, Seneca faculty and AI Thought Leaders; and Jennifer Peters, Manager, Library Literacies.

As the student representative, I was asked a question that came up more than once: “How do you see yourself using this tool, and how is it different from ChatGPT?” My answer was simple — MyTutor provides guardrails. Unlike open AI models, it operates in a closed environment built around course-specific materials that professors upload. That means everything I learn through it is accurate, relevant, and tied directly to what’s being taught in class. It’s not a replacement for human instruction — it’s an extension of it, like having a personalized teaching assistant available 24/7 who only knows what your instructor wants you to learn.

The atmosphere during the panel was a mix of curiosity and optimism. Faculty were eager to understand how AI could support students without compromising academic integrity, and many were inspired by the possibilities. For me, it was powerful to see that professors aren’t shying away from AI — they’re looking for thoughtful, responsible ways to bring it into the classroom.

As a member of the Student Quality Assurance Council (SQAC), I see MyTutor as a natural extension of what we strive for: improving academic quality through collaboration between students and faculty. SQAC’s role is to make sure the student perspective is part of every conversation about learning and innovation. Being on that stage reminded me that meaningful progress happens when students aren’t just the end users of change — we’re part of designing it.

For more information, check out the Student Guide to MyTutor