AI Syllabus Policy

In today’s evolving educational landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral tool in higher education as well as the workforce of today. As this technology grows in capability and accessibility, it is essential for faculty to address its use explicitly within their syllabi. A clear and comprehensive AI policy in your syllabus sets the stage for transparency, ensuring that students understand the expectations, benefits, and limitations of AI use in your course. 

As educators, it is our responsibility to guide students in understanding and using AI as a tool that will shape their personal and professional futures. By modeling ethical and effective use of AI, we equip students with the skills to navigate an increasingly AI-driven world thoughtfully and responsibly.

To ensure students are fully aware of the policy, it is crucial to emphasize its importance during the first class session and include opportunities for students to ask questions or seek clarification. Strategies such as requiring a signed acknowledgment of the syllabus or incorporating a brief quiz on key policies can reinforce understanding and accountability. 

In order to effectively address unauthorized use of AI a clear process should be outlined in the syllabus to address the situation. This process might include gathering evidence and providing students an opportunity to explain their work, both their process and their understanding of your content. By establishing a consistent and fair approach, faculty can navigate these challenges effectively while maintaining the integrity of the learning process.

Embracing AI in education is not about limiting its use but guiding students in leveraging it responsibly. By including a thoughtful AI policy in your syllabus, you help prepare students for a future where technological proficiency and ethical considerations go hand in hand.

Sample Syllabi Policies

Sample #1

Artificial Intelligence Statement

This course recognizes the potential of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to enhance the writing and learning process. However, their use must be guided by ethical and responsible practices. The primary aim is to foster meaningful learning while developing your critical thinking, communication, design, and creativity. To achieve this, AI tools should serve as a support to your efforts, not a substitute for them.

Permitted Uses of AI Tools:

  • Brainstorming ideas and refining your thoughts.
  • Developing outlines to organize your writing.
  • Checking grammar and style for clarity and correctness.
  • Researching topics and gathering information.

Prohibited Uses of AI Tools:

  • Writing entire drafts or sections of your assignments.
  • Generating content that you submit as your own work.
  • Using AI to impersonate you in discussions or group work.

Transparency and Documentation:

Every assignment must include a statement indicating whether AI tools were used and, if so, in what capacity. This should be a brief reflection (approximately 200-300 words) on how the AI tool contributed to your learning process.

Academic Integrity:

Using AI tools in the “prohibited use” portion of these guidelines will be considered a breach of academic integrity. If you are unsure about whether a particular use of AI is acceptable, please seek clarification before proceeding.

By adhering to these guidelines, you will learn to harness AI tools effectively while maintaining the integrity and originality of your work. This statement sets clear boundaries for the use of AI, encourages transparency, and aligns with the learning outcomes of this course.

AI and Academic Integrity Process

If Prohibited Uses of AI are Suspected. The following steps will be taken:

  1. Have a one-on-one conversation with me, your faculty member, either in person or virtually, to discuss your writing process and how you integrated AI tools into your work. This meeting is an opportunity to share your thoughts and insights about your essay, including your unique perspective on the topic. I will ask questions to better understand your ideas and support your learning journey.
  2. If there are concerns about the use of AI in your writing, you’ll have the opportunity to work more closely with me to strengthen your skills. You may be invited to visit me during my support hours to draft or rewrite the assignment with guidance. For online students, this process can take place in a shared Google document, where I can provide support and feedback while observing your progress through the “version history” feature. This approach is designed to help you grow as a writer and ensure your success.
  3. Students are encouraged to submit work that reflects their own efforts and understanding. If a student submits writing that is not their own multiple times, they may forfeit the opportunity to draft or rewrite that particular assignment. This policy underscores the importance of originality and integrity in the learning process while ensuring fairness for all students.

If you choose to use generative AI tools to assist you in stages such as brainstorming, planning, or reviewing during the writing process, you must acknowledge this by citing the AI tool on your works cited page. (Please note: copying and pasting text generated by AI directly into your writing assignment is not allowed.) This ensures transparency and supports the integrity of your work.

Sample #2

Artificial Intelligence Statement

AI will impact you in any career you are seeking. We have the power to shape how AI develops when we engage with it thoughtfully. In this course, I encourage you to creatively experiment with AI keeping a couple of things in mind.

AI is a powerful tool that can be used to assist you in the learning process. It can provide initial answers to questions, help clarify concepts, and provide resources and suggestions for further study.

However, AI is not a substitute for human interaction or critical thinking. As a student in my course, you must use generative AI tools with caution and be mindful of their limitations.  It is expected that you use AI as a tool to support your learning, actively engage with course material, and use AI as a tool to supplement, not replace, their own efforts. 

Misuse of AI includes copying answers without understanding the material or relying on it too heavily. This is the definition of academic dishonesty and may result in loss of credit and other sanctions. Any evidence of cheating, plagiarism, misuse of AI or other academic dishonesty will be taken seriously and may result in disciplinary action.

By continuing in this course, you agree to abide by this policy and to use generative AI in a manner that supports your learning and academic success but does not replace your learning, critical thinking, or the requirement that you demonstrate to me your learning. 

*contributed by Roxanne Klassen, MCC Faculty of Mathematics

Sample #3

AI Policy

Within this class, you are welcome to use foundation large language models (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Firefly, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, Copilot, etc.) in a totally unrestricted fashion, for any purpose, at no penalty. However, you should note that all large language models still have a tendency to make up incorrect facts and fake citations, code generation models have a tendency to produce inaccurate outputs, and image generation models can occasionally come up with highly offensive products. You will be responsible for any inaccurate, biased, offensive, or otherwise unethical content you submit, regardless of whether it originally comes from you or a foundation model. If you use a foundation model, its contribution must be acknowledged in the handin; you will be penalized for using a foundation model without acknowledgement. Having said all these disclaimers, the use of foundation models is encouraged, as it may make it possible for you to submit assignments with higher quality in less time.

The district policy on plagiarism and cheating still applies to any uncited or improperly cited use of work by other entities.

*note: syllbus statement by Ryan S. BakerLinks to an external site., University of Pennsylvania,  Creative Commons 4.0 By & Share Alike

Sample #4

Policy on the use of generative artificial intelligence tools:

Using an AI content generator such as ChatGPT to complete assignment without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in this class, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any tools and sources.

Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society. Be aware of the limits of conversational, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.

  • Quality of your prompts: The quality of its output directly correlates to the quality of your input. Master “prompt engineering” by refining your prompts in order to get good outcomes.
  • Fact-check all of the AI outputs. Assume it is wrong unless you cross-check the claims with reliable sources. The currently AI models will confidently reassert factual errors. You will be responsible for any errors or omissions.
  • Full disclosure: Like any other tool, the use of AI should be acknowledged. At the end of your assignment, write a short paragraph to explain which AI tool and how you used it, if applicable. Include the prompts you used to get the results. Failure to do so is in violation of academic integrity policies. If you merely use the instructional AI embedded within Packback, no disclosure is needed. That is a pre-authorized tool.

Here are approved uses of AI in this course. You can take advantage of a generative AI to:

  • Fine-tune your research questions by using this tool https://labs.packback.co/question/  Enter a draft research question. The tool can help you find related, open-ended questions
  • Brainstorm and fine tune your ideas; use AI to draft an outline to clarify your thoughts
  • Check grammar, rigor, and style; help you find an expression

*note: syllabus statement by Alexa Alice JoubinLinks to an external site., George Washington University