Examples of Syllabus AI Policies
Overview
Faculty at SUNY Oneonta are taking a range of approaches to artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the classroom. Some courses might prohibit the use of these tools, while others might permit or require them for specific assignments. We encourage faculty to be clear about course expectations from the beginning of the semester by including an AI Course Policy statement in their syllabus. The Faculty Center staff has curated a set of examples that fall along a spectrum of AI engagement. You can explore the statements below and modify them to fit your course’s needs.
Generative AI use is not permitted in this course
- Please prepare and submit your own original work for this course. Do not use generative AI tools to complete any portion of an assignment or examination. Any use of AI tools will be considered plagiarism. Please contact me with any questions.
- “All assignments should be fully prepared by the student. Developing strong competencies in the skills associated with this course, from student-based brainstorming to project development, will prepare you for success in your degree pathway and, ultimately, a competitive career. Therefore, the use of generative AI tools to complete any aspect of assignments for this course is not permitted and will be treated as plagiarism. If you have questions about what constitutes a violation of this statement, please contact me.” (UT-Austin CTL)
Generative AI use is permitted in specific situations
- In this course, some assignments will invite you to engage with AI tools from a critical perspective. Individual assignment handouts will provide more information, including guidance on citing text generated by AI tools such as ChatGPT. Any other use of generative AI constitutes plagiarism. Please contact me in advance with questions about appropriate AI use.
- You may use generative AI tools to prepare and polish your work throughout this course. For instance, you might use AI tools such as ChatGPT to help you brainstorm ideas, create a project outline, or revise and edit an essay. Please submit only your own original writing; in other words, do not copy and paste or directly reproduce AI-generated text—and use MLA- or APA-style citations to indicate when and how you’ve engaged with generative AI.
Generative AI use is encouraged
- I encourage you to use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT in this course. You might use these tools to brainstorm, outline, edit, and generate text for any assignment. If you do, be sure to highlight AI-generated text in an alternate color and include MLA- or APA-style citations. You should also check AI text for accuracy. You are responsible for the content of your work.
- “I expect you to use AI (ChatGPT and image generation tools, at a minimum) in this class. In fact, some assignments will require it. Learning to use AI is an emerging skill, and I provide tutorials in Canvas about how to use it. I am happy to meet and help with these tools during office hours or after class.
- Be aware of the limits of ChatGPT: If you provide minimum-effort prompts, you will get low-quality results. You will need to refine your prompts to achieve better outcomes. This will take work.
Don’t trust anything it says. If it gives you a number or fact, assume it is wrong unless you either know the answer or can check with another source. You will be responsible for any errors or omissions provided by the tool. It works best for topics you understand.
AI is a tool, but one that you need to acknowledge using. Please include a paragraph at the end of any assignment that uses AI explaining what you used the AI for and what prompts you used to get the results. Failure to do so violates the academic honesty policies.
Be thoughtful about when this tool is useful. Don’t use it if it isn’t appropriate for the case or circumstance.” (Ethan Mollick, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania)
