Academic Integrity
Usage of Gen AI
Using AI responsibly is not just about following guidelines — it is about building habits that serve you well in school and beyond. These guidelines will help you stay on the right side of academic integrity while still getting the most out of AI tools.
Check Your Syllabus First
Every course has a syllabus that outlines expectations, including whether and how AI can be used. Read it carefully at the start of the semester. If AI is not mentioned, ask your instructor early so you know where you stand.
AI Guidelines Vary by Course and by Assignment
Different instructors and courses may have very different guidelines about AI. One class might encourage it while another prohibits it entirely. Keep track of each course's guidelines so you do not accidentally cross a line.
Your Work Should Reflect You
AI can help you think through ideas, improve your writing, or explore a topic, but the final product should sound like you and represent your own understanding. Make sure your voice and ideas are at the center of everything you submit.
When Expectations Conflict
If you encounter different AI expectations, here is the order of priority:
Assignment instructions take precedence
College or department AI guidelines
University-level guidelines
When in doubt, ask your instructor early.
Your college or department may have its own AI guidelines with additional expectations specific to your discipline. Check with your academic adviser or department website for any field-specific guidance that applies to your program.
Originality remains defined by your intellectual contribution, not by the absence of tools.
Using AI does not diminish the expectation that you demonstrate your own understanding, reasoning, and voice in submitted work.
Your AI Checklist
Run through these questions each time you use AI for an assignment to make sure you are covered.
Before
Before you start the assignment:
I have confirmed with my instructor that AI use is allowed for this specific assignment.
I understand exactly when, where, and how I am permitted to use AI for this work.
I know which level of the AI Use Scale applies to this assignment.
During
While you are working:
I am using AI only for the tasks and purposes my instructor has approved.
I am keeping track of which AI tools I used and how I used them. understand exactly when, where, and how I am permitted to use AI for this work.
I am reviewing and verifying AI outputs before incorporating them into my work.
I am not sharing any personal, confidential, or protected information in my prompts.
After
Before you submit:
I have included all required AI disclosures and citations.
I have reviewed my final submission to ensure it reflects my own voice and understanding.
I could explain to my instructor exactly how and why I used AI in this assignment.
I have attached links to AI chat logs if required by the assignment level.
Do
- Verify all facts and claims using reliable sources
- Follow your syllabus and assignment instructions closely
- Keep your own voice and ideas at the center of your work
- Disclose meaningful AI use honestly
- Protect personal, confidential, and institutional data
- Use AI to support your learning process (brainstorming, organizing, practicing, revising)
Don't
- Submit AI-generated work as your own unless your instructor explicitly allows it
- Use AI to skip the core thinking an assignment is designed to build
- Make up citations, sources, or data
- Share confidential or protected information in AI prompts
- Treat AI output as automatically true or authoritative