The article below includes the following information:
The following MSU-specifics should be used to inform your decisions:
Overall Guidance: We collectively share the responsibility to uphold intellectual honesty and scholarly integrity. These are core principles that may be compromised by the misuse of generative AI (GenAI) tools, particularly when AI-generated content is presented as original, human-created work.
Permitted Uses in Teaching and Learning: Instructors are expected to establish a course-specific guidance that defines the appropriate and inappropriate use of GenAI tools.
Students may only use GenAI tools to support their coursework in ways explicitly permitted by the instructor.
Non-permissible uses:
A well-prepared course should be designed for (“restrict”, “permit” or “require”) or designed around (“ban”) generative AI. Courses designed for AI should detail the ways and degrees to which generative AI use will be incorporated into activities and assessments.
Courses designed for AI may incorporate AI for some activities and not others, and, depending on the course, AI may be explicitly excluded or included at different stages.
Courses designed around AI may discuss the impacts of generative AI as a topic, but expectations are that students will not use these types of tools. The course should be intentionally designed such that the use of generative AI would either not be conducive to the completion of assessments and activities or such that the attempt to do so would prove overly cumbersome.
Regardless of your approach, it's important to communicate your expectations and rationale to learners.
Set clear expectations. Be clear in your syllabus about your policies for when, where, and how students should be using generative AI tools, and how to appropriately acknowledge (e.g., cite, reference) when they do use generative AI tools. If you are requiring students to use generative AI tools, these expectations should also be communicated in the syllabus and if students are incurring costs, these should be detailed in the course description on the Registrar’s website.
Regardless of your approach, you might include time for ethics discussions. Add time into your course to discuss the ethical implications of ChatGPT and forthcoming AI systems. Talk with students about the ethics of using generative AI tools in your course, at your university, and within your discipline or profession. Don’t be afraid to discuss the gray areas where we do not yet have clear guidance or answers; gray areas are often the places where learning becomes most engaging.
There is no “one size fits all" policy for AI use in higher education. Much like attendance and participation policies, GenAI course-level rules and statements will be determined by individual instructors, departments, and programs. The following resource is provided to assist you in developing coherent policies on the use of generative AI tools in your course, within MSU’s guidelines. Please adjust these examples to fit your particular context. Remember, communication of your course generative AI policies should not only be listed in your syllabus, but also explicitly included in assignment descriptions where AI use is allowed or disallowed.
It is your responsibility as an instructor to note and explain your individual course-level rule. A conversation with your department is highly recommended so that generative AI use in the classroom reflects broader use in the unit and discipline. If you have specific questions about writing your course rules, please reach out to the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation.
Restrict [This syllabus statement is useful when you are allowing the use of AI tools for certain purposes, but not for others. Adjust this statement to reflect your particular parameters of acceptable use. The following is an example.]
Example 1:
Example 2: Taken, with slight modification, from Temple University’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching to demonstrate the kinds of permitted/restricted activity an instructor could denote.
The use of generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL-E) is permitted in this course for the following activities:
The use of generative AI tools is not permitted in this course for the following activities:
You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited to stay within university policies on academic integrity and the Spartan Code of Honor Academic Pledge.
For example, [Insert citation style for your discipline. See these resources for APA guidance, and for other citation formats.] Any assignment that is found to have used generative AI tools in unauthorized ways [insert the penalty here*]. When in doubt about permitted usage, please ask for clarification.
Use permitted [This syllabus statement is useful when you are allowing, and perhaps encouraging, broad use of generative AI tools. Adjust this statement to reflect your particular parameters of acceptable use in your course. The following is an example.]
Example 1:
You are welcome to use generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL-E) in this class, as doing so aligns with the course learning goal [insert the course learning goal use of AI aligns with here*]. You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited to stay within university policies on academic integrity and the Spartan Code of Honor Academic Pledge.
Use required [This syllabus statement is useful when you have certain assignments that will require students to use generative AI tools. Adjust this statement to reflect your particular parameters of acceptable use. The following is an example.]
Example 2:
You will be expected to use generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL-E) in this class, as doing so aligns with the course learning goal [insert the course learning goal use of AI aligns with]. Our class will make use of the [insert name of tool(s) here*] tool, and you can gain access to it by [insert instructions for accessing tool(s) here*]. You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited to stay within university policies on academic integrity and the Spartan Code of Honor Academic Pledge.
Ban [This syllabus statement is useful when you are forbidding all use of generative AI tools for any purpose in your class. Adjust this statement to reflect your particular parameters of acceptable use. The following is an example.]
The use of generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL-E) is not permitted in this class; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Michigan State University’s policy on academic integrity, the Spartan Code of Honor Academic Pledge and Student Rights and Responsibilities, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in [insert the penalty here*].
This collection of example statements is a compilation from a variety of sources, including the Faculty Learning Community (FLC) at Cleveland State University, Ohio University’s AI, ChatGPT and Teaching and Learning, and some of Michigan State University’s own educators! If you have an example generative AI policy from your course that you’d be willing to share, please e-mail it to CTLI at teaching@msu.edu.
NOTE: making your own course-level determination of “ban,” “restrict,” “permit,” or “require” and using the sample language is the best, first place to start!
“AI (artificial intelligence) resources such as ChatGPT can be useful in many ways. Because it can also be abused, however, you are required to acknowledge use of AI in any work you submit for class. Text directly copied from AI sites must be treated as any other direct quote and properly cited. Other uses of AI must be clearly described at the end of your assignment.” – Claire Hughes-Lynch
“While AI tools can be useful for completing assignments and detecting plagiarism, it is important to use them responsibly and ethically. Practice based on these guidelines as a future or current K-12 teacher. The following are some guidelines for what not to do when using AI in your assignments and for plagiarism detection:
*Please see the plagiarism/academic integrity policy in the course syllabus.” – Selma Koc
“Intellectual honesty is vital to an academic community and for my fair evaluation of your work. All work submitted in this course must be your own, completed in accordance with the University’s academic regulations. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is permitted in this course. Nevertheless, you are only encouraged to use AI tools to help brainstorm assignments or projects or to revise existing work you have written. It is solely your responsibility to make all submitted work your own, maintain academic integrity, and avoid any type of plagiarism. Be aware that the accuracy or quality of AI-generated content may not meet the standards of this course, even if you only incorporate such content partially and after substantial paraphrasing, modification, and/or editing. Also, keep in mind that AI-generated content may not provide appropriate or clear attribution to the author(s) of the original sources, while most written assignments in this course require you to find and incorporate highly relevant peer-reviewed scholarly publications following guidelines in the latest publication manual of the APA. Lastly, as your instructor, I reserve the right to use various plagiarism checking tools in evaluating your work, including those screening for AI-generated content, and impose consequences accordingly.” – Xiongyi Liu
“If you are ever unsure about whether collaboration with others, including using artificial intelligence, is allowed or not, please ask me right away. For the labs, although you may discuss them in groups (and try using AI), you must all create your own code, output and answers. Quizzes will be done in class and must be solely your own work. You alone are always responsible for the correctness of the final answers and assignments you submit.” – Emily Rauschert on AI as a collaboration partner
“ChatGPT: The use of ChatGPT is neither encouraged nor prohibited from use on assignments for GAD 250. ChatGPT is quickly becoming a communication tool in most business settings. Therefore, if you choose to use ChatGPT for assignments, please be sure to revise the content for clarity, conciseness, and audience awareness. ChatGPT is simply a tool and should not be used as a way to produce first and only drafts. Every assignment submission will be graded using the rubric provided in the syllabus. Be aware that ChatGPT may not develop high-quality work that earns a passing grade. It is your responsibility to review and revise all work before submitting to the instructor.” – Leah Schell-Barber for a Business Communications Course
“Use of Generative AI, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing-Chat, must maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and adhere to the OU Code of Student Conduct. The use of Generative AI should be seen as a tool to enhance academic research, not as a replacement for critical thinking and originality in assignments. Students are not permitted to submit assignments that have been fully or partially generated by AI unless explicitly stated in the assignment instructions. All work submitted must be the original work of the student. Any ideas garnered from Generative AI research must be acknowledged with proper in-text citation and reference. Students may be asked to save the AI chat as a PDF file for verification.” – Ohio University College of Business Generative AI Use for Academic Work Policy
“The policy of this class is that you must be the creator of all work you submit for a grade. The use of others’ work, or the use of intelligent agents, chatbots, or AI engines to create your work is a violation of this policy and will be addressed as per MSU and Broad College codes of conduct." – Jeremy Van Hof, MSU
Or, you might consider this, which I asked ChatGPT to write for me:
‘Sample Policy Language: Students should not use ChatGPT to complete course assignments or for any other academic activities. ChatGPT should be used as a supplemental resource and should not replace traditional academic activities.’ (ChatGPT per Jeremy Van Hof’s prompting)
Or this much longer version, also written by ChatGPT:
‘The following course policy statement prohibits the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the completion of assignments and activities during the duration of the course. At the Broad College, we strive to create an academic environment where learning is the foremost priority. We strongly believe that learning is best achieved through the hard work and dedication of our students. As such, we prohibit the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the completion of assignments and activities during the course.
Our policy is in line with our commitment to providing a fair and equitable learning environment for all students. We believe that AI should not be used to substitute human effort, as it defeats the purpose of our educational goals, which are to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving.
We understand that AI can be a useful tool in many contexts, and we do not discourage its use in other courses. However, in this course, we will not accept assignments or activities that have been completed through the use of AI. We expect our students to be honest and to complete their work independently.
We will be monitoring student work closely to ensure compliance with this policy. Violations of this policy will be met with disciplinary sanctions. All students are expected to adhere to this policy and to abide by the standards of the University.’ (ChatGPT per Jeremy Van Hof’s prompting).” – Jeremy Van Hof, MSU
“I study AI. I research it in my role as faculty in the Experience Architecture and Professional & Public Writing majors. And I don’t think it’s inherently bad or scary, in the same way that a calculator isn’t bad/scary for math. Artificial intelligence technologies such as ChatGPT can be an excellent starting point and a place to begin inquiry. But they are not a replacement for human thinking and learning. Robots lack empathy and nuance. As such, here is my policy:
You may use AI as a tool, but you may not use AI to replace your own beautiful brain. That means that you may ask ChatGPT, for example, to give you a list of bands similar to one that you hear and appreciate in this course. You may ask ChatGPT to give you an overview of a punk scene in a geographic location at a particular time. You may ask it for the history of punk rock and punk cultures. You may ask it what happened to Sid Vicious.
But you may not ask it to write on your behalf, and you must not turn in anything that has been written by ChatGPT and pass it off as your own for any assignment in this class, including discussion responses, papers, and exams. If you do so, I will know, and that will lead to an uncomfortable moment–and to you failing the assignment.
This is not meant to be punitive. It’s meant to reinforce how much I value you and your ideas and your intellect. In a face-to-face environment, we would have a lengthy conversation about AI, ethics, and human learning. If you want to have that conversation, I’m happy to do so via Zoom – email me!” – Kate Birdsall, asynchronous US23 course on punk-rock politics
Taken, with slight modification, from “Update Your Course Syllabus for ChatGPT” by Ryan Watkins, Professor of Educational Technology Leadership, and Human-Technology Collaboration at George Washington University in Washington DC (2022), via Medium.
Communicate your perspective about AI use. In addition to syllabus statements, consider talking with your students about AI tools like ChatGPT. Regardless of your orientation to generative AI use, it is important that you clearly communicate your expectations with the introduction of each assignment/assessment.
Different levels of familiarity: As an emerging technology, students will have differing levels of familiarity with these tools. For instance, while ChatGPT can write a grammatically correct paper or appear to solve a math problem, it may be unreliable and limited in scope. Discuss with students the uses and limitations of AI tools more broadly in addition to your perspective on their use in your class.
Connect to critical thinking skills: AI tools have many implications beyond the classroom. Consider talking with students about how to be engaged consumers of AI content (e.g., how to identify trusted sources, reading critically, and privacy concerns). Discuss how you and colleagues use AI in your own work.
Adapt assessments. AI tools are emerging and it can be incredibly difficult to make any assessment completely free from AI interference. Beyond a syllabus statement, you may also consider adapting your assessments to help reduce the usefulness of AI products. However, before revising any assignment, it’s helpful to reflect on what exactly you want students to get out of the experience and share your expectations with your students. Is it just the end product, or does the process of creating the product play a significant role?
Get Creative With Your Assignments: Visit “Update Your Course Syllabus for ChatGPT” by Ryan Watkins (Medium article) for 10 ideas for creative assignments adapted for a classroom with ChatGPT. You can mitigate the risk of students using ChatGPT to cheat, and at the same time improve their knowledge and skills for appropriately using new AI technologies inside and outside the classroom.
Expand your options. Consider your repertoire of instructional strategies. Atsusi Hirumi offers a guide to research-grounded strategies for any classroom. These are not, however, “à la carte” menus; you must use all of the steps of any strategy to gain the evidence-based benefits.
Reflect on your values. As Tyler Cowen pointed out, there will be those who gain and those that lose with the emergence of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. This is as true for students as it is for faculty and instructors. Be ready to openly discuss the ethical implications of generative AI tools with your students, along with the value of what you are teaching and why learning these are important to their futures.
Consider time. As discussed during Bryan Alexander’s webinar, ChatGPT and other generative AI tools offer a shortcut to individuals who are short on time. Examine your course schedule to determine if you are unknowingly pushing students to take shortcuts. Some instructors try to cover too much content in their courses already.
Remember, AI is not human. Be careful not to anthropomorphize ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. ChatGPT is a language model, and if we anthropomorphize these technologies, then it will be much harder to understand their promise and perils. Murray Shanahan suggests that we avoid statements such as, “ChatGPT knows…”, or “ChatGPT thinks…”; instead, use “According to ChatGPT…” or “ChatGPT’s output…”
Again, AI is likely to be a part of your students’ lives to some extent this semester, so plan accordingly. Critically considering your course design in the context of generative AI is an important educator practice. Following the Provost’s call, MSU instructors are encouraged to 1) develop a course-level generative AI use policy and actively discuss with students about expectations for generative AI use in the work for your class, 2) promote equitable and inclusive use of the technology, and 3) work with colleagues across campus to determine ethical and scholarly applications of generative AI for preparing students to succeed in an evolving digital landscape. MSU does not currently have a university-wide policy on AI in the classroom, so it is your responsibility as an instructor to note and explain your individual course policy. A conversation with your department is highly recommended so that generative AI use in the classroom reflects that in the discipline.
This resource is collated from multiple sites, publications, and authors, with some modification for the MSU context and links to MSU-specific resources. Educators should always defer to University policy and guidelines.