Academic Integrity and AI
AI tools can enrich learning, but they also raise concerns about academic integrity. This page highlights some things to consider when it comes to addressing AI and academic integrity in your course.
Using AI tools to generate content for assignments and presenting it as one’s own original work, as well as copying or paraphrasing the content produced by AI tools without proper citations and the instructor’s consent, are both considered to be in violation of academic integrity. See Carleton’s policy on academic integrity for more information.
If you suspect that an assignment has been completed with unauthorized use of generative AI tools, you should not confront the student or engage in punitive actions. Instead, you should proceed as with any other potential allegation of academic misconduct and report them to the dean’s office.
You should not rely on AI detection tools for allegations of academic misconduct. Instead, provide as much background information and details as possible about the context of your course and/or discipline that would allow the dean’s office to gain a better understanding of each potential case. Carefully document any problems with a student’s assignment that would violate the Academic Integrity Policy, such as missing, inaccurate or fictitious references.
Preparing Syllabus Language
Whether you decide to encourage the use of AI tools in your course or not, it’s important to clearly communicate your expectations with students. You should describe how students ought to engage with GenAI in your course, including examples of what is permitted and what isn’t, as well as how AI use should be documented, if at all. It’s also important to explain your rationale for adopting your AI policy. We’ve prepared some sample syllabus language to help you get started.