GenAI Syllabus Statement Guidance

As more AI tools become integrated in our lives, it may help to critically think about their use and the impact of the technology before talking to your students. While generative AI can advance our ability to do certain tasks, that advancement may come at a cost. To be better able to use these tools effectively, ethically, and appropriately, you will want to think critically about what the technology can do well, what it does not do well, and what we are giving up or trading when we use it. You may also want to reflect on how a particular technology might impact our ability to innovate and create as a society. Faculty recognize the usefulness of generative AI tools, but should also guide students to be critically thoughtful users and consumers of its output. You may want to co-create with your students some expectations for the possible integration of generative in your course.

One of the most common access points is to talk to your students about AI-generated content on the first day of class during the syllabus review session. In this conversation, it is important to clarify your expectations of the class with respect to AI-generated content. In the spirit of being curious and open-minded, you could expand the conversation along the following lines:

• Convey confidence in your student’s motivation and engagement
• Ask students about their experience with AI tools generally
• Be transparent about why generative AI tools are concerning or exciting to you in the context of your course and discipline
• Talk about academic integrity early on and why it’s important
• Consider inviting your students to discuss and co-create an Academic Integrity statement for the syllabus that addresses expectations around the use of generative AI in the course. Additional syllabus statement considerations are provided below.

Other topics to discuss with students were raised at a faculty webinar sponsored by RIT's Liz Lawley, Matt Wright, Christopher Schwartz, and Nate Mathews. Broadly, these include:

• Show students the types of things generative AI gets wrong and its limitations as a means to caution it’s use directly (using it to brainstorm with revisions are up to your discretion)
• Discuss equity, ethics, cost, and environmentally unsustainable factors of generative AI
• Contextualize its use or non-use for your domain/discipline
• Explain why it’s important to do certain tasks in your class on your own without assistance so they can be “competent and independent practitioners”
• Help students understand the WHY behind the learning of course concepts
• Highlight the value of human skills and value of AI “skills”, and how these two can work together

The RIT Information Security Office also provides some considerations for generative AI use.

If you are planning to include a statement about the use of generative AI in your syllabus, make sure you’ve thought about the intended and unintended ways students may use it in the course:

• Is generative AI covered in the course, either explicitly in a learning objective or as a common/accepted tool in the discipline?
• Is generative AI a valuable tool for students to learn to use effectively in the context of the course?
• Will students expect to use generative AI based on the types of assignments and projects in the course?
• In general, would you prefer that students do not use generative AI in the course? Why not?

Be aware that a blanket statement prohibiting the use of generative AI can set up an adversarial relationship with students, especially since detection software can be unreliable.

It is better to set guidelines around the use of generative AI, such as:

• Whether or not it is permissible to use AI in certain phases of a project, such as finding sources or identifying issues related to a topic. Review Student Activities Using Generative AI for ideas.
• Setting the expectation that students will identify their use of generative AI as part of responsible use. Provide clear instructions on how students should cite generative AI usage in their work. RIT Wallace Library InfoGuide: How to Cite Generative AI Tools in MLA, APA, and Chicago Style
• Emphasizing that it is the student’s responsibility to verify information received from AI, and where appropriate, provide references to credible and/or peer-reviewed sources.
• Linking the use of AI to general standards and policies around academic integrity, plagiarism, and United States copyright laws.

Because the technology landscape is changing rapidly, rather than try to cover all possible cases in a single syllabus statement, you can say something like: The appropriate/allowable use of generative AI is included in the instructions for individual assignments. If you have any questions, please contact me before beginning the assignment.

If you are concerned about the unauthorized use of generative AI in student work, review the suggestions at Course Activities Designed for Authentic Student Work or contact the Center for Teaching and Learning for help in redesigning activities to mitigate student use of generative AI.

Last Updated: 4/18/2024