Large language model generative artificial intelligence (generative AI) tools, such as ChatGPT and others, have recently emerged and become available for wide use. While generative AI tools can offer inspiration and new possibilities, they should not be seen as unacknowledged substitutes for the content created by students in their courses.
Regarding the potential use of generative AI tools, no changes in university policy are required. It is already a violation of policy for students to represent work they did not do as their own, and work generated by an AI system that is not credited to that system falls under that policy. While there are clear limitations on the use of these tools in certain contexts at UT, instructors have the discretion to explore them in the classroom. At present, the CTL recommends that UT faculty and instructors decide whether or not these tools fit within their pedagogical aims and clearly state their course policies in a designated section of their syllabi. If adopted, students should learn how to use AI text generators (i.e., ChatGPT) and other AI tools to expand rather than impede their developing abilities as writers, coders, creators, and thinkers. Ensuring equitable access to these tools is essential, as are fair grading policies and student evaluation for both those who do and do not use AI tools in their courses.
The following suggested syllabus statements focused on generative AI tools in the classroom are culled from CTL discussions as well as openly available Web resources. Each section contains several possible ways of framing the instructor’s intent. Due to the nuance of generative AI, the categories do not stand alone, so you may find areas of overlap. To that end, these statements are intended to spur your own thinking, and so you are welcome to use, edit, or adapt any of the selections below for your own purposes. Please feel free to contact the CTL with any questions about how to craft your own statements or explore our webpage, "5 Things to Know about ChatGPT," which contains links to additional UT resources and recommendations
| 1. No use of generative AI tools permitted |
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| >> "This course assumes that work submitted by students – all process work, drafts, brainstorming artifacts, final works – will be generated by the students themselves, working individually or in groups as directed by class assignment instructions. This policy indicates the following constitute violations of academic honesty: a student has another person/entity do the work of any substantive portion of a graded assignment for them, which includes purchasing work from a company, hiring a person or company to complete an assignment or exam, and/or using generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT)." |
| >> "In this course, every element of class assignments must be fully prepared by the student. The use of generative AI tools for any part of your work will be treated as plagiarism. If you have questions, please contact me." |
| >> "All assignments should be fully prepared by the student. Developing strong competencies in the skills associated with this course, from student-based brainstorming to project development, will prepare you for success in your degree pathway and, ultimately, a competitive career. Therefore, the use of generative AI tools to complete any aspect of assignments for this course are not permitted and will be treated as plagiarism. If you have questions about what constitutes a violation of this statement, please contact me." |
| >> "This course assumes that work submitted for a grade by students – all process work, drafts, brainstorming artifacts, final works – will be generated by the students themselves, working individually or in groups as directed by class assignment instructions. This policy indicates the following constitute violations of academic honesty: a student has another person/entity do the work of any substantive portion of a graded assignment for them, which includes purchasing work from a company, hiring a person or company to complete an assignment or exam, and/or using generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT)." |
| 2. Generative AI is permitted in specific contexts and with acknowledgment |
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| >> "The emergence of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT and DALL-E) has sparked interest among many students in our discipline. The use of these tools for brainstorming ideas, exploring possible responses to questions or problems, and creative engagement with the materials may be useful for you as you craft responses to class assignments. While there is no substitute for working directly with your instructor, the potential for generative AI tools to provide automatic feedback, assistive technology and language assistance is clearly developing. Please feel free to reach out to me well in advance of the due date of assignments for which you may be using generative AI tools and I will be happy to discuss what is acceptable." |
| >> "In this course, students shall give credit to AI tools whenever used, even if only to generate ideas rather than usable text or illustrations. When using AI tools on assignments, add an appendix showing (a) the entire exchange, highlighting the most relevant sections; (b) a description of precisely which AI tools were used (e.g. ChatGPT private subscription version or DALL-E free version), (c) an explanation of how the AI tools were used (e.g. to generate ideas, turns of phrase, elements of text, long stretches of text, lines of argument, pieces of evidence, maps of the conceptual territory, illustrations of key concepts, etc.); (d) an account of why AI tools were used (e.g. to save time, to surmount writer’s block, to stimulate thinking, to handle mounting stress, to clarify prose, to translate text, to experiment for fun, etc.). Students shall not use AI tools during in-class examinations, or assignments unless explicitly permitted and instructed. Overall, AI tools should be used wisely and reflectively with an aim to deepen understanding of subject matter. |
| >> "It is a violation of university policy to misrepresent work that you submit or exchange with your instructor by characterizing it as your own, such as submitting responses to assignments that do not acknowledge the use of generative AI tools. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have about the use of generative AI tools before submitting any content that has been substantially informed by these tools." |
| >> "In this course, we may use generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT) to examine the ways in which these kinds of tools may inform our exploration of the topics of the class. You will be informed as to when and how these tools will be used, along with guidance for attribution if/as needed. Any use of generative AI tools outside of these parameters constitutes plagiarism and will be treated as such." |
| >> "Understanding how and when to use generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E) is quickly emerging as an important skill for future professions. To that end, you are welcome to use generative AI tools in this class as long as it aligns with the learning outcomes or goals associated with assignments. You are fully responsible for the information you submit based on a generative AI query (such that it does not violate academic honesty standards, intellectual property laws, or standards of non-public research you are conducting through coursework). Your use of generative AI tools must be properly documented and cited for any work submitted in this course." |
| >> "To ensure all students have an equal opportunity to succeed and to preserve the integrity of the course, students are not permitted to submit text that is generated by artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Claude, Google Bard, or any other automated assistance for any classwork or assessments. This includes using AI to generate answers to assignments, exams, or projects, or using AI to complete any other course-related tasks. Using AI in this way undermines your ability to develop critical thinking, writing, or research skills that are essential for this course and your academic success. Students may use AI as part of their research and preparation for assignments, or as a text editor, but text that is submitted must be written by the student. For example, students may use AI to generate ideas, questions, or summaries that they then revise, expand, or cite properly. Students should also be aware of the potential benefits and limitations of using AI as a tool for learning and research. AI systems can provide helpful information or suggestions, but they are not always reliable or accurate. Students should critically evaluate the sources, methods, and outputs of AI systems. Violations of this policy will be treated as academic misconduct. If you have any questions about this policy or if you are unsure whether a particular use of AI is acceptable, please do not hesitate to ask for clarification." |
| 3. Students are encouraged to use generative AI tools in coursework |
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| >> "The use of generative AI is encouraged with certain tasks and with attribution: You can choose to use AI tools to help brainstorm assignments or projects or to revise existing work you have written. When you submit your assignment, I expect you to clearly attribute what text was generated by the AI tool (e.g., AI-generated text appears in a different colored font, quoted directly in the text, or use an in-text parenthetical citation)." |
| >> "Designers commonly use AI-content generation tools in their work. In this course, using AI-content generation tools is permitted and will be a normal and regular part of our creative process when it is used according to the below criteria. In this course, neglecting to follow these requirements may be considered academic dishonesty. (1) For each assignment, you are required to include a paragraph that explains what AI content- generation tool you used, the dates you used it, and the prompts you used to generate the content according to the MLA style guide. (2) During critique, it is important to describe the precedents you used and how any source content was transformed. When showing or presenting images or other content you generated using an AI-tool, cite that image or content following the MLA style guide. If you need help referencing your creative work, contact me to collaborate." |
| >> "Students are invited to use AI platforms to help prepare for assignments and projects (e.g., to help with brainstorming or to see what a completed essay might look like). I also welcome you to use AI tools to help revise and edit your work (e.g., to help identify flaws in reasoning, spot confusing or underdeveloped paragraphs, or to simply fix citations). When submitting work, students must clearly identify any writing, text, or media generated by AI. This can be done in a variety of ways. In this course, parts of essays generated by AI should appear in a different colored font, and the relationship between those sections and student contributions should be discussed in cover letters that accompany the essay submission." |
Note on Citation: When thinking about your options, we urge instructors to explore these tools and think carefully about how to cite content from them as well as the role of citation in student work (i.e., brainstorming possibilities, developing arguments from sources, aligning AI tool output and authorship, etc.). Considering UT-Austin's policy that "ChatGPT or similar AI Tools must not be used to generate output that would be considered non-public," it is important to consider the shareable or retrievable nature of any AI-informed work. Remind students that these tools cannot be used to create content that could be private (i.e., used for research purposes) or as their intellectual property. The following, most commonly used style guides should be useful in crafting language for your syllabi and assignments: |
Acknowledgments: Statement on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools in Art & Design Courses (College of Fine Arts, UT-Austin), Generative AI Syllabus Statement Considerations (Texas A&M University), Using Generative AI in Coursework (Faculty of Computing and Data Science, Boston University), Instructional Innovation Resources (McCombs School of Business, UT-Austin)