Since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT in November 2022, users of generative AI and questions about its impact on education have dramatically increased. We’ve put together this page of resources where students, faculty, and staff can learn more about Generative Artificial Intelligence (also commonly referred to as GenAI, AI, chatbots, etc.).
Students cannot use Generative AI to complete any academic work without instructor permission. If an instructor has not given explicit permission to use Generative AI, students should assume they are not allowed to do so in that course. Students should always receive instructor permission to use Generative AI in any part of completing academic work.
Instructors should have clear expectations on Generative AI use in their courses, available to students in their course syllabus. We also suggest instructors cover this policy in their courses in the beginning of the semester and consider including specific guidelines for different types of assignments.
Check out the following resources:
- Check out the resources provided by Instructional Design, Engagement, and Support (IDEAS) on GenAI
- Addressing AI Tools - Resources produced and curated by digital learning staff at the UMass Amherst College of Education
- How AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Bard work - visual explainer (Nov 2023) from The Guardian
The Faculty Senate Rules Committee has made a determination that, absent any guidance from the instructor, the use of ChatGPT and similar AI text generators is prohibited. Instructors can consider use of Generative AI in any academic exercise under the policy definitions of cheating (using any type of external assistance without instructor permission) and/or plagiarism (the representation of the words or ideas of another as one’s own work in any academic exercise).
In this message, sent to faculty at the start of the Spring 2023 semester, Senior Vice Provost Farshid Hajir requested that all instructors provide clear directions to students about the use of AI tools for each course.
- Five Tips for Writing Academic Integrity Statements in the Age of AI, by Dr. Torrey Trust, featured on facultyfocus.com
- Faculty Senate Final Report from the Joint Task Force on Generative AI
- Teaching Writing in the Age of ChatGPT, from the Amherst Writing Program
- Addressing AI Tools - Resources produced and curated by digital learning staff at the UMass Amherst College of Education
If you suspect that a student in your course may have violated the academic honesty policy by using generative AI to complete work without instructor permission, the first step is to notify the student and request a meeting to discuss the situation.
View our Policy & Procedures page, as well as our Guide for Instructors to learn more about the process.
This article by Erik Ofgang featured in Tech & Learning provides 10 ways you can detect AI Writing without Technology.