Communicating Expectations (Policy)

We strongly encourage you include a course policy in your syllabus and/or for individual assignments that may allow different use of GenAI.  Your students will benefit from clarity about your expectations and deliberate engagement with your course policy as students will be enrolled in courses that expect or require GenAI usage and others have differing expectations.  

If you'd like to consult about the possibilities of GenAI in your course and/or your policy, feel free to email ctl@kent.edu.  You may also check out our GenAI & student learning site or how instructors can use GenAI, or watch a recording of our workshop on GenAI policy. 

Developing The Best Course Policy For You

GenAI Policies are not one-size fits all.  You may have very good reasons for prohibiting use of GenAI while others may want to require use of GenAI in their course.

1. Reflect on Your Course

Consider the prompts below in thinking about your GenAI policy: 

1) How do your students currently use GenAI? 

2)  How will your students use GenAI in their futures?

3)  How could GenAI support your student's learning? 

4) What may be lost or gained with students' use of GenAI?  

5) Does the KSU definition of GenAI explain GenAI in enough detail for your course?  If not, clarify. 

2. Write Your Policy

Why start from scratch when there are many good policies out there.  There are also policies that are less helpful to students than others.  These are elements you should consider having as part of your GenAI policy:  

  • Acknowledgement of bias and inaccuracies of AI:  helping to raise student awareness
  • Rationale for policy:  increases motivation as reasoning is clear
  • Statement about what happens if there is suspected unexpected use (i.e. verbal review or "regret clause").  You can learn strategies for approaching misuse here.  

Think about how you want to go about writing your policy by considering the options below:  

  • Option A - Start with Examples:  There are lots of examples available below and online of syllabus and assignment statements.  Review a few and edit as you see necessary to fit your course.  
  • Option B - Use a creator tool  that takes you through steps of deciding elements of your policy with editable examples of each element (introduction of what counts as AI in your class, how you may or may not want students to use it in your course, etc).  
  • Option C - Talk with others in your unit or departmental leads.

Engaging Students in Your Course Policy

an ai generated image of students around a head that represents AI
  1. Make your policy visible (syllabus statement, dedicated page on Canvas, visual aid - infographic, video, etc)
  2. Provide continuous reminders (announcements/emails/verbally, assignments descriptions etc)
  3. Engage students in dialogue (discuss the why of the policy, describe the purpose/value of assignments & provide space for students to ask for clarity)
  4. Add activities related to your policy (integrity quiz, scenario activity, play a "what-not-to-do" game, etc)

*You may even consider engaging students in developing or editing a policy for the course.  Student discussions about values that are important to them and/or content create and credit can help students align with your policy.

Course Policy Examples

Examples below include both example language for a syllabus and within the limited use section, examples for specific assignments and how AI can be used differently across a project.  Many of these examples were modified from a curated resource by Lance Eaton (linked at bottom) to attend to concerns expressed by Kent State University faculty. Feel free to copy or modify these examples for use in your course. 

Inputting course content into GenAI

While many students are inputting course materials into GenAI to build flashcards and study materials, you may want to build those resources yourself to ensure accuracy and/or want to remind students inputting your course materials into GenAI should only be done with your permission.  Editing the statement below, adding it to your syllabus, and having a conversation with students can help you achieve that goal:  

  • “Course materials, such as lecture notes, slides, and exams, are protected by copyright, and students are prohibited from reproducing or distributing them without the professor’s explicit written consent. Students may use the materials for their own educational use, but unauthorized distribution, including uploading materials to a generative AI tool like ChatGPT or Google’s Notebook LM, is a violation of copyright and the university’s academic integrity policy.”
Use GenAI Freely

Consider clarifying for students their responsibility related to using GenAI

  • Students are allowed to use Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) in this course if that use is properly documented and credited. For example, text generated should include a citation such as “Chat-GPT, October 1, 2025” and the exact text of prompt used. If GAI is used for other purposes, the student must also include a brief description (2-3 sentences) of how the tool was used (specific tool, prompt, settings used to generate material) and how the material was incorporated in the assignment.
  • Students may use Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) freely; no special documentation or citation is required.  You must ensure your use of GenAI-based tools does not violate any copyright or intellectual property laws.   Tools may generate false, misleading, biased outputs and illicitly reproduce copyrighted materials. You are responsible for vetting all generated responses before using them in your work.
  • I expect you to use GAI (e.g., ChatGPT, Dall-e-2) in this class.  In fact, some assignments will require it. Learning to use GenAI is an emerging skill, and I will provide basic tutorials about how to leverage it for our work.
  • Do not enter private, sensitive, or copyrighted information into AI systems, including personal information, research data, or any instructional or peer-generated materials from this course.
  • You may be asked to show proper documentation of your process as required by the assignment. This could include [retaining digital artifacts such as logs, or process documents such as  in-class drafts, version history logs in Google Docs that demonstrate your editorial intervention in AI outputs]. 
  • When using GenAI, you need to include a disclosure statement.  For example "For this assignment, I used [list of AI tools used in assignment] for [specific purpose, e.g., generating an outline, summarizing sources, grammar revision] but not for [list of student contribution, e.g., direct content creation.]"  
    • For more information on disclosure of GenAI use, review our disclosure page.  

As GenAI can be a barrier to learning and prompt students to offload the work, you may want to require student reflection.  Here are some prompts you may consider using:

  • Process-focused:  Write a paragraph discussing your initial prompt, follow-up questions, if/how you revised the GenAI model's original output for your submission and what you learned from this process.  
  • Short & Sweet Example:  Add a note indicating which GenAI tool you used and how you used it, including the prompt(s) you used and the date(s)
  • Learning Focused Example:  1) In what ways did AI help you achieve your learning goals for this assignment/project? What aspects of the learning process were not assisted by GenAI? Explain why
  • Critical Lens Example:  What steps did you take to ensure the ethical use of GenAI in your work?  How could you improve your use of AI tools in the future?
  • Use & Authorship Focused Example:  Write a brief paragraph at the end of your work (1) explaining how and why you used GenAI.  Include the prompts you used, and answer this question:  Who is the author of this work?  Then explain your answer.
GenAI Use is Permitted but Limited

You may want to consider having an overall statement in your syllabus and further clarification or reminders within specific assignments as to what GenAI uses are acceptable.  Some students have been taught how to use GenAI whereas others are not sure where to begin.  If you are suggesting or allowing GenAI in your course, you should provide guidance for students on which tools, writing productive prompts, and the limitations of the tools.  Some students may be able to provide suggestions and strategies to other students and you may just need to provide a mechanism for facilitating that communication. 

  • Students are allowed to use Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in this course only when the instructor has indicated this use is permitted in advance. Unless given explicit permission to use these tools, each student is expected to complete each assignment without assistance from GenAI.
  • In this class, unacceptable uses of artificial intelligence (GenAI) assistance will be treated the same as plagiarism and/or an academic dishonesty violation.
    • Examples of acceptable GenAI use or assistance include: 
      • Brainstorming a topic
      • Generating search terms or keywords for research
      • Formatting citations (keep in mind that while GenAI can format citations, it often includes incorrect quotations and citations within a text)
      • Finding errors and receiving general suggestions for improving without using AI tools to explicitly compose an essay or text
      • Searching for specific information as one would do with search engines, browsers, and databases
      • Generating AI artwork, audio, images, or videos with proper credits to the AI tool used
    • Examples of unacceptable GenAI use or assistance include:
      • Using GenAI to write entire essays or complete unfinished portions of an assignment, unless the use of AI is a part of the assignment
      • Using GenAI to rewrite significant portions of a text
      • Improperly crediting GenAI tools for any artistic piece used for illustrative purposes
  • GenAI Use for Essays and Discussion Board Entries:
    • Appropriate use of GenAI when writing essays or discussion board entries 
      • You are free to use spell check, grammar check, and synonym identification tools (e.g., Grammarly, and MS Word)
      • You are free to use app recommendations when it comes to rephrasing sentences or reorganizing paragraphs you have drafted yourself 
      • You are free to use app recommendations when it comes to tweaking outlines you have drafted yourself
    • Inappropriate use of GenAI when writing essays or discussion board entries
      • You may not use entire sentences or paragraphs suggested by an app without providing quotation marks and a citation, just as you would to any other source. Citations should take this form: OpenAI, chatGPT. Response to prompt: “Explain what is meant by the term  ‘Triple Bottom Line’” (February 15, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/).
      • You may not have an app write a draft (either rough or final) of an assignment for you
  • Do not enter private, sensitive, or copyrighted information into AI systems, including personal information, research data, or any instructional or peer-generated materials from this course.
  • You may be asked to show proper documentation of your process as required by the assignment. This could include [retaining digital artifacts such as logs, or process documents such as  in-class drafts, version history logs in Google Docs that demonstrate your editorial intervention in AI outputs]. 
  • When using GenAI, you need to include a disclosure statement.  For example "For this assignment, I used [list of AI tools used in assignment] for [specific purpose, e.g., generating an outline, summarizing sources, grammar revision] but not for [list of student contribution, e.g., direct content creation.]"  
    • For more information on disclosure of GenAI use, review our disclosure page.  

As GenAI can be a barrier to learning and prompt students to offload the work, you may want to require student reflection.  Here are some prompts you may consider using:

  • Process-focused:  Write a paragraph discussing your initial prompt, follow-up questions, if/how you revised the GenAI model's original output for your submission and what you learned from this process.  
  • Short & Sweet Example:  Add a note indicating which GenAI tool you used and how you used it, including the prompt(s) you used and the date(s)
  • Learning Focused Example:  1) In what ways did AI help you achieve your learning goals for this assignment/project? What aspects of the learning process were not assisted by GenAI? Explain why
  • Critical Lens Example:  What steps did you take to ensure the ethical use of GenAI in your work?  How could you improve your use of AI tools in the future?
  • Use & Authorship Focused Example:  Write a brief paragraph at the end of your work (1) explaining how and why you used GenAI.  Include the prompts you used, and answer this question:  Who is the author of this work?  Then explain your answer.
GenAI Use is Prohibited

There are good reasons you'd want your students to not use GenAI.  It is best to describe your reasoning and connect it with your learning objectives, skills necessary for this course/after graduation, and/or remind students that each course they take may have different policies.  In this transition time (students not knowing about the new policy and/or having a clear understanding of your expectations), to lead with flexibility and understanding - possibly providing students an opportunity to resubmit after a conversation.  AI "Detectors" are similarity checkers and not incontrovertible proof students used GenAI.  We recommend if you use them, make sure your students know you are using AI Detectors (as you are inputting their work into AI), use with caution, and that it is not used as an alternative to having a conversation with students.  Click here to learn more about AI Similarity "Detection".  

  • Students are not allowed to use Generative Artificial Intelligence in this course. Each student is expected to complete each assignment without assistance from others, including automated GAI tools
  • Your thoughts, opinions and personal experiences are integral to the learning process. As such, the use of generative AI is prohibited in this class. Other instructors may permit the use of this tool in their courses; however, we are asking students to engage in self-reflection that is both authentic to them and is expressed in an authentic manner.  We will not be judging grammar or written communication skills, although we may return assignments for resubmission if they do not initially meet requirements. Any student who is believed to have engaged in any form of academic dishonesty will be held accountable to the guidelines stated in the university’s policy on student cheating and plagiarism (3342-3-01.8 in the policy register).
  • Students may use AI tools to assist with [list of allowed assignments, tasks e.g., idea generation, grammar improvement, coding debugging]. [Students may only use GenAI when specifically indicated in the assignment details]. Appropriate tools include [list of approved tools].
  • Students may not use AI tools for [list of assignments or activities].  Because we’re focused on developing [skills], use of AI would undermine our goals. Students with questions or concerns regarding this should confirm policy with the instructor before using GenAI to complete any part of an assignment.
Free use, no documentation

Students are allowed to use advanced automated tools (artificial intelligence or machine learning tools such as ChatGPT or Dall-E 2) on assignments in this course; no special documentation or citation is required.

Use with caution & acknowledgement

Within this class, you are welcome to use AI in a totally unrestricted fashion, for any purpose, at no penalty. However, you should note that all large language models are biased and 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 an AI tool, its contribution must be acknowledged; you will be penalized for using a AI tool without acknowledgement. Having said all these disclaimers, the use of AI is encouraged, as it may make it possible for you to submit assignments with higher quality, in less time.  Note:  The university's policy on plagiarism still applies to any uncited or improperly cited use of work by other human beings, or submission of work by other human beings as your own.

Use with caution, acknowledgement, and summary of use

ChatGPT and other AI generators that use large language models can be useful for researching and writing papers. However, you should be aware of their limitations:

  1. Errors: AI generators make mistakes. Assume the output is incorrect unless you check the claims with reliable sources.
  2. Bias: Their output may reflect bias because the data they are trained on may reflect bias or may not include sufficient data from certain groups.
  3. Citation: These tools use existing sources without citation. Therefore using their outputs puts you at risk of plagiarism.

With these limitations in mind, you are welcome to use AI generators to brainstorm and refine ideas, find reliable sources, outline, check grammar, refine wording, and format bibliographies. Beyond bibliographies, you are not allowed to copy and paste material generated by AI and use it in your assignments. At the end of your bibliography, add a note indicating which AI tool you used and how you used it, including the prompt(s) you used and the date(s).

Prompt Reflection after Use

Provide students prompt(s) to reflect on related to their use of AI after an assignment

  • Short & Sweet Example:  Add a note indicating which AI tool you used and how you used it, including the prompt(s) you used and the date(s)
  • Learning Focused Example:  1) In what ways did AI help you achieve your learning goals for this assignment/project? What aspects of the learning process were not assisted by AI? Explain why
  • Critical Lens Example:  What steps did you take to ensure the ethical use of AI in your work?  How could you improve your use of AI tools in the future?
  • Use & Authorship Focused Example:  Write a brief paragraph at the end of your work (1) explaining how and why you used ChatGPT.  Include the prompts you used, and answer this question:  Who is the author of this work?  Then explain your answer.

Other reflection prompts to consider (modified from Charlotte AI Institute for Smarter Learning 2023)

  • Are my original ideas present in my work?
  • Am I spreading misinformation or perpetuating harmful ideas, biases, etc.?
  • How did I use the tool?
  • How did it affect my learning?
  • How did this assignment (and use of AI tools) help me advance my understanding of the content or learning objectives?
  • Have I been transparent about my use of AI tools?
  • Have I cited original authors and sources appropriately?
  • Have I cited my use of the AI tool appropriately?
  • Have I plagiarized (knowingly or unknowingly)?

AI Use is Permitted but Limited

You may want to consider having an overall statement in your syllabus and further clarification or reminders within specific assignments as to what AI uses are acceptable.  Some students have been taught how to use AI whereas others are not sure where to begin.  If you are suggesting or allowing AI in your course, you should provide guidance for students on which tools, writing productive prompts, and the limitations of the tools.  Some students may be able to provide suggestions and strategies to other students and you may just need to provide a mechanism for facilitating that communication. 

Suspected inappropriate use clauses
  • I reserve the right, based on my assessment of your assignment with or without AI detection software support, to require you to revise and resubmit all or parts of the assignment if I conclude that you have not used AI appropriately.
  • If I suspect that you have used AI inappropriately (e.g. used and not included citation, reflection is sketchy), we will meet in person or virtually to talk about the assignment. This conversation will include knowledge checks for course content.
Use with limitations (citations, not for exams/only 25% of assignment)
  • There are situations and contexts within this course where you will be asked to use AI tools to explore how they can be used.  Outside of those circumstances, you are discouraged from using AI tools to generate content (text, video, audio, images) that will end up in any student work (assignments, activities, responses, etc) that is part of your evaluation in this course.  When you are unsure, please ask BEFORE using an AI tool.  Any student work submitted using AI tools should clearly indicate what work is the student’s work and what part is generated by the AI.  In such cases, no more than 25% of the student work should be generated by AI.  If any part of this is confusing or uncertain, please reach out to me for a conversation before submitting your work.
  • For my class, a responsible use of AI-based tools in completing coursework or assessments must be done in accordance with the following:
    • You must clearly identify the use of AI-based tools in your work. Any work that utilizes AI-based tools must be clearly marked as such, including the specific tool(s) used. For example, if you use ChatGPT-3, you must cite "ChatGPT-3. (YYYY, Month DD of query). "Text of your query." Generated using OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com/"
    • You must be transparent in how you used the AI-based tool, including what work is your original contribution. An AI detector such as GPTZero (https://gptzero.me/) may be used to detect AI-driven work.
    • You must ensure your use of AI-based tools does not violate any copyright or intellectual property laws.
    • You must not use AI-based tools to cheat on assessments.
    • You must not use AI-based tools to plagiarize without citation.
Use but include information of how you used AI
  • If you use an AI model, its contribution must be cited and discussed:
    • What was your prompt?
    • Did you revise the AI model’s original output for your submission?
    • Did you ask follow-up questions?
    • What did you learn?
  • If you choose to use GenAI in this class, you MUST do the following:
    • Cite GenAI (MLA Citation, APA Citation).
    • Write a brief paragraph at the end of your work (1) explaining how and why you used GenAI.  Include the prompts you used, and answer this question:  Who is the author of this work?  Then explain your answer.  I reserve the right based on my assessment of your assignment to require you to revise and resubmit all or parts of the assignment if I conclude that you have not used GenAI appropriately.
  • If I suspect that you have used GenAI inappropriately (e.g. used and not included citation, reflection is sketchy), we will meet in person or virtually to talk about the assignment. This conversation will include knowledge checks for course content.
Use specified
  • [from KSU Writing Program Director, Jennifer M. Cunningham, Associate Professor of English] In this class, unacceptable uses of artificial intelligence (AI) assistance will be treated the same as plagiarism and/or an academic dishonesty violation.
    • Examples of acceptable AI use or assistance include: 
      • Brainstorming a topic
      • Generating search terms or keywords for research
      • Formatting citations (keep in mind that while AI can format citations, it often includes incorrect quotations and citations within a text)
      • Finding errors and receiving general suggestions for improving without using AI tools to explicitly compose an essay or text
      • Searching for specific information as one would do with search engines, browsers, and databases
      • Generating AI artwork, audio, images, or videos with proper credits to the AI tool used
    • Examples of unacceptable AI use or assistance include:
      • Using AI to write entire essays or complete unfinished portions of an assignment, unless the use of AI is a part of the assignment
      • Using AI to rewrite significant portions of a text
      • Improperly crediting AI tools for any artistic piece used for illustrative purposes
  • In this class, I encourage students to use ChatGPT for the following types of tasks:
    • Outlining content
    • Providing background knowledge (with the understanding that ChatGPT is often wrong—Wikipedia is a better resource for this right now)
    • Checking grammar and syntax.
  • AI Use for Essays and Discussion Board Entries:
    • Appropriate use of AI when writing essays or discussion board entries 
      • You are free to use spell check, grammar check, and synonym identification tools (e.g., Grammarly, and MS Word)
      • You are free to use app recommendations when it comes to rephrasing sentences or reorganizing paragraphs you have drafted yourself 
      • You are free to use app recommendations when it comes to tweaking outlines you have drafted yourself
    • Inappropriate use of AI when writing essays or discussion board entries
      • You may not use entire sentences or paragraphs suggested by an app without providing quotation marks and a citation, just as you would to any other source. Citations should take this form: OpenAI, chatGPT. Response to prompt: “Explain what is meant by the term  ‘Triple Bottom Line’” (February 15, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/).
      • You may not have an app write a draft (either rough or final) of an assignment for you
Use is expected/encouraged with detailed cautions and suggestions
  • I expect you to use AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Dall-e-2) in this class.  In fact, some assignments will require it. Learning to use AI is an emerging skill, and I will provide basic tutorials about how to leverage it for our work. However, be aware of the limits of these software systems.
    • AI is vulnerable to discrimination because it can inadvertently (or intentionally) perpetuate existing biases present in the data it is trained on. For example, if an AI system is trained on data that contains a bias against a certain group of people, the system may make decisions that are unfair or discriminatory towards that group.  There are several reasons why AI systems can perpetuate discrimination:
      • Bias in the training data: If the training data contains biases, the AI system may learn and replicate those biases in its decision-making.
      • Lack of diversity in the training data: If the training data does not include a diverse range of examples, the AI system may not perform well on diverse inputs, which may lead to discrimination.
      • Lack of transparency: Some AI systems can be difficult to understand and interpret, making it challenging to detect and correct for biases.
      • Lack of accountability: Without proper oversight and accountability, it can be difficult to identify and address discrimination in AI systems.
      • It is important to keep in mind that these biases can be unconscious, unintended and hard to detect, but they can have serious consequences if they are not addressed.
  • AI can be a valuable tool for augmenting human decision-making and critical thinking, but it is not a replacement.  AI is a tool, just like a pencil or a computer. However, unlike most tools you need to acknowledge using it.
    • Pay close attention to whatever information you use in your own work that is produced from AI, and explain how/what you used at the end of assignments.
    • My recommendation is to screen shot and save everything (i.e., what prompts you used, what answers were produced, where, why, and how). This is new territory, but basic attribution rules still apply. Cite everything, otherwise you are likely violating academic integrity policies.  
    • If you provide minimum effort prompts, you will get low quality results. You will need to refine your prompts to get better outcomes. This will take time and practice.
    • Don't trust anything the systems says. Assume it is wrong, unless you already know the answer and can verify with trusted sources. It works best for topics you deeply understand.
    • Use your best judgment to determine if/where/when to use these tools. They don't always make products easier and/or better
Prompt Reflection after Use

Provide students prompt(s) to reflect on related to their use of AI after an assignment

  • Short & Sweet Example:  Add a note indicating which AI tool you used and how you used it, including the prompt(s) you used and the date(s)
  • Learning Focused Example:  1) In what ways did AI help you achieve your learning goals for this assignment/project? What aspects of the learning process were not assisted by AI? Explain why
  • Critical Lens Example:  What steps did you take to ensure the ethical use of AI in your work?  How could you improve your use of AI tools in the future?
  • Use & Authorship Focused Example:  Write a brief paragraph at the end of your work (1) explaining how and why you used ChatGPT.  Include the prompts you used, and answer this question:  Who is the author of this work?  Then explain your answer.

Other reflection prompts to consider (modified from Charlotte AI Institute for Smarter Learning 2023)

  • Are my original ideas present in my work?
  • Am I spreading misinformation or perpetuating harmful ideas, biases, etc.?
  • How did I use the tool?
  • How did it affect my learning?
  • How did this assignment (and use of AI tools) help me advance my understanding of the content or learning objectives?
  • Have I been transparent about my use of AI tools?
  • Have I cited original authors and sources appropriately?
  • Have I cited my use of the AI tool appropriately?
  • Have I plagiarized (knowingly or unknowingly)?

Do Not Use/ Use is Prohibited

There are good reasons you'd want your students to not use AI.  It is best to describe your reasoning and connect it with your learning objectives, skills necessary for this course/after graduation, and/or remind students that each course they take may have different policies.  In this transition time (students not knowing about the new policy and/or having a clear understanding of your expectations), to lead with flexibility and understanding - possibly providing students an opportunity to resubmit after a conversation.  Please know that AI Detection software are not proof of cheating.  They are tools but are also AI - biased and inaccurate*.  We recommend if you use them, make sure your students know you are using AI Detectors (as you are inputting their work into AI), use with caution, and that it is a start of conversation with students.  

*Here are some references about AI Detection Software

Use is Prohibited
  • Your thoughts, opinions and personal experiences are integral to the learning process. As such, the use of generative AI is prohibited in this class. Other instructors may permit the use of this tool in their courses; however, we are asking students to engage in self-reflection that is both authentic to them and is expressed in an authentic manner.  We will not be judging grammar or written communication skills, although we may return assignments for resubmission if they do not initially meet requirements. Any student who is believed to have engaged in any form of academic dishonesty will be held accountable to the guidelines stated in the university’s policy on student cheating and plagiarism (3342-3-01.8 in the policy register)...

NOTE:  Please know that AI Detection software are not proof of cheating.  They are tools but are also AI - biased and inaccurate*.  We recommend if you use them, make sure your students know you are using AI Detectors (as you are inputting their work into AI), use with caution, and that it is a start of conversation with students.  

*Here are some references about AI Detection Software

Most of these examples came from this form created by Lance Eaton. Feel free to view other examples curated by clicking here. 

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