(Comprehensive) Generative AI Syllabus Statement Templates
We'll Try Covering All the Possibilities!
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GENERATIVE AI SYLLABUS STATEMENT: TEMPLATE COMPONENTS
Figure 1 Identifying generative AI syllabus statement template components.
The suggested components listed below provide a comprehensive and transparent disclaimer concerning the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by both learners and instructors.
AI permission and justification
Are students allowed to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
What is the instructor’s motivation for their policy?
If AI use is permitted, is it required?
Student AI use explanation
In what ways can AI be used to complete coursework?
Are there guidelines or limitations for AI use?
Where can students locate AI use explanations?
AI platform recommendation
Which AI platforms can students use? Are there any best-suited for a particular discipline/field of study?
Are there AI platforms learners should avoid?
Are the suggested AI tools free, require an account, or subscription-based?
Approaches to transparency
How will students share their AI interactions with an instructor?
Where can students find directions for sharing?
Instructor AI use
How will the instructor be using AI to support course development?
How will the instructor inform students AI-generated material is being used?
AI-enhanced evaluation
Will the instructor be using AI to evaluate student work?
What is the instructor’s justification for this approach?
What AI tool will be used to evaluate student work?
Does the academic institution have a contract or license with the AI developer?
Does the unlicensed AI tool allow a user to prevent a model from training on their data?
How does the unlicensed AI tool use and retain uploaded material?
Does the instructor upload anonymized student coursework?*
Can a student opt out of having their work submitted to an unlicensed AI tool?
and 8. follow below . . .
MASTER TEMPLATE: AI USE ALLOWED + INSTRUCTOR USES AI (CONTENT DEVELOPMENT + COURSEWORK EVALUATION –> WITHOUT AN AI MODEL LICENSE)
The following template addresses the following conditions:
A student uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to complete coursework
An instructor uses AI to generate course materials
An instructor uses AI to provide feedback and their institution does not have a license agreement with the AI developer
MASTER TEMPLATE: EXAMPLE A
Learners can submit work completed with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this class because ____________________ (explain justification). Please note that AI use is not required, and all coursework can be successfully completed without it (insert to promote inclusivity and to respect legitimate ethical concerns associated with AI use).
____________________ (location of directions/guidance) explain how Artificial Intelligence can be used to complete coursework. However, ____________________ (limitations to, or special considerations for, AI use). If anything is unclear, contact your instructor.
Suggested generative AI platforms include: ____________________ (name the AI tools). These are ____________________ (explain if platforms are free, require an account, or subscription-based).
To promote transparency, students will be asked to ____________________ (detail how students will disclose AI interactions with their instructor). Please refer to ____________________ (location of directions/guidance) for more details.
Your instructor will be using Artificial Intelligence for various tasks throughout the semester including (but not limited to): ____________________ (list activities) because ____________________ (explain rationale). Any AI-generated content students engage with will be ____________________ (detail how students will know they are working with AI-generated materials).
Personalized instructor feedback will be supplemented by AI-generated assessment from ____________________ (name the AI tool) because your instructor believes this will ____________________ (share motivation).
While our institution does not have an agreement with __________________ (name the AI developer), we believe that anonymized student submissions to __________________ (name the AI tool) abide by FERPA guidelines.
All student work submitted to __________________ (name the AI tool) will be anonymized. Interactions with this model fall under the company’s publicly-provided __________________ (insert a hyperlink to the company’s Terms of Service page). Uploaded student content is __________________ (explain if is or is not used) to train the AI model. In addition, __________________ (communicate additional data-related details, such as how long material is retained).
On account of the lack of a developer license, potential student intellectual property right violations, and ethical-AI considerations related to model training and/or data use, students may request their work not be uploaded to __________________ (name the AI tool); please contact your instructor if this is the case.
Figure 2 Generative AI syllabus statement template (left) and completed syllabus narrative (right).
MASTER TEMPLATE NARRATIVE: EXAMPLE A
Learners can submit work completed with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this class because using AI reflects the current reality of employment, encourages the critical evaluation of AI-generated content, and develops skills for effectively leveraging AI as a supportive tool. Please note that AI use is not required, and all coursework can be successfully completed without it.
Assignment directions explain how Artificial Intelligence can support coursework completion. However, AI may not be permitted for all tasks or projects in this course, so read directions carefully. If anything is unclear, contact your instructor.
Suggested generative AI platforms include: ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Latimer, Poe, and Perplexity. These offer free, robust functionality, but they may require the creation of a user account.
To promote transparency, students will be asked to share AI interactions with their instructor through MLA citations, prompt and AI model response screen shots, and/or AI platform sharing (as provided via Copilot and Gemini, for instance). Please refer to specific assignment directions for more details.
Your instructor will be using Artificial Intelligence for various tasks throughout the semester including (but not limited to): creating discussion board prompts, developing lesson plans, and writing learning objectives because AI provides additional perspectives and generates content efficiently, meaning an instructor can dedicate more time to interacting with students, developing course material more quickly, and tailoring content to specific class needs. Further, this models appropriate AI collaboration. Any AI-generated content students engage with will be prominently labeled: “this material was co-created with AI.”
Personalized instructor feedback will be supplemented by AI-generated assessment from Claude 3.5 Sonnet because your instructor believes this provides more comprehensive, detailed, insightful, and timely feedback.
While our institution does not have an agreement with Anthropic, we believe that anonymized student submissions to Claude Sonnet 3.5 abide by FERPA guidelines.
All student work submitted to Claude Sonnet 3.5 will be anonymized. Interactions with this model fall under the company’s publicly-provided Consumer Terms of Service. Uploaded student content is not used to train the AI model. In addition, it may be used “to provide, maintain, and improve the Services and to develop other products and services.” The Terms of Service do not indicate how long user-supplied “material” is retained.
On account of the lack of a developer license, potential student intellectual property right violations, and ethical-AI considerations related to model training and/or data use, students may request their work not be uploaded to Claude Sonnet 3.5; please contact your instructor if this is the case.
MASTER TEMPLATE: AI USE PROHIBITED + INSTRUCTOR USES AI (AI DETECTOR –> WITHOUT AN AI MODEL LICENSE)
The following template addresses the following conditions:
A student cannot use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to complete coursework
An instructor uses an AI detector to determine academic integrity violations and their institution does not have a license agreement with the AI developer
MASTER TEMPLATE: EXAMPLE B
Material generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot be submitted in this class because __________________ (explain justification).
In cases of concern over unauthorized AI use, student work will be shared with __________________ (name the AI tool), an AI detector that __________________ (describe the nature of the detector’s report). Coursework receiving a score higher than __________________ (share the AI amount limit) will violate course policy and therefore be an academic integrity violation. After a first violation, __________________ (explain what will happen). A second violation __________________ (explain what will happen), and a third violation __________________ (explain what will happen).
While our institution does not have an agreement with __________________ (name the AI tool), we believe that anonymized student submissions abide by FERPA guidelines. All student work submitted to __________________ (name the AI tool) will be anonymized. Interactions with this model fall under the company’s publicly-provided __________________ (insert a hyperlink to the company’s Terms of Service page). Uploaded student content is __________________ (explain if it is or is not used) to train the AI model. In addition, __________________ (communicate additional data-related details, such as how long material is retained).
On account of the lack of a developer license, potential student intellectual property rights violations, and ethical-AI considerations related to model training and/or data use, students may request their work not be uploaded to __________________ (name the AI tool); please contact your instructor if this is the case.
MASTER TEMPLATE NARRATIVE: EXAMPLE B
Material generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot be submitted in this course because using AI undermines education by substituting a student’s engagement in the learning process and by producing material that doesn’t demonstrate a learner’s independent understanding, critical thinking, and expression. Coursework is an opportunity for students to develop and showcase their own knowledge and abilities, not a chance to turn in work created by a third party.
In cases of concern over unauthorized AI use, student work will be shared with QuillBot, an AI detector that estimates what percentage of submitted text was AI-generated. Coursework receiving a score higher than 0% violates course policy and therefore is an academic integrity violation. After a first violation, students will be required to meet with an instructor; students will be able to resubmit the assignment in question for half credit. A second violation earns a student a zero on the project, and a third violation will be formally recorded in an Academic Integrity Policy Violation Report.
While our institution does not have an agreement with QuillBot, we believe that anonymized student submissions abide by FERPA guidelines. All student work submitted to QuillBot will be anonymized. Interactions with this model fall under the company’s publicly-provided Data Privacy & Security terms, as well as its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Uploaded content is used to train the AI model, and that data is maintained by the developer for the duration of a user’s account and beyond – as deemed necessary by the company.
On account of the lack of a developer license, potential student intellectual property rights violations, and ethical-AI considerations related to model training and/or data use, students may request their work not be uploaded to QuillBot; please contact your instructor if this is the case.
AI PLATFORM DATA POLICY EXCERPTS
When institutions lack a license or contract with an AI tool/platform, it is imperative instructors know, and share with learners, the terms of use and data privacy policies of the AI models being used to a. evaluate student work and/or b. assess it for academic integrity violations.
The statement below come from Anthropic, the developer of the Claude AI suite, and OpenAI, the developer of the Chat-GPT model family.
ANTHROPIC
In the case of Claude Sonnet 3.5 (Anthropic), uploaded material is not used to train the model.
However, Sonnet does retain that content. As stated in Anthropic’s (Claude) Consumer Terms of Service, “We may use Materials to provide, maintain, and improve the Services and to develop other products and services. We will not train our models on any Materials that are not publicly available, except in two circumstances: If you provide Feedback to us (through the Services or otherwise) regarding any Materials, we may use that Feedback in accordance with Section 5 (Feedback).
If your Materials are flagged for trust and safety review, we may use or analyze those Materials to improve our ability to detect and enforce Acceptable Use Policy violations, including training models for use by our trust and safety team, consistent with Anthropic’s safety mission. “
No specific timer period is mentioned concerning how long “materials” are kept.
OPENAI
OpenAI allows users to opt out of having their data train a GPT model. To do this:
OpenAI > Terms of use
Help Center article: How your data is used to improve model performance > Privacy Portal
“I would like to . . . “ data control options > data control choice > email response identify verification
What does OpenAI do with user data? “We may use Content to provide, maintain, develop, and improve our Services, comply with applicable law, enforce our terms and policies, and keep our Services safe.”
GENERATIVE AI SYLLABUS STATEMENT COMPONENTS - CONTINUED
7. AI detector use
Which AI detection tool will be used to assess student work?
How does the AI detector report suspected AI-generated content?
Does the academic institution have a contract or license with the AI developer?
Does the unlicensed AI tool allow a user to prevent a model from training on their data?
How does the unlicensed AI tool use and retain uploaded material?
Does the instructor upload anonymized student coursework?*
Can a student opt out of having their work submitted to an unlicensed AI detection tool?*
FERPA AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CONCERNS*
*NOTE: These are author interpretations based upon independent research.
FERPA defines Personally Identifiable Information (PII) as: identifiable information that is maintained in education records and includes direct identifiers, such as a student’s name or identification number, indirect identifiers, such as a student’s date of birth, or other information which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity either directly or indirectly through linkages with other information. (Studentprivacy.ed.gov)
FERPA’s Disclosure Provision allows the sharing of PII to school officials. Third parties assume the role of “school officials” through legal agreements with an institution, and they can access PII as long as they are “under the direct control of the school or district with regard to the use and maintenance of education records.” (Page 4, Protecting Student Privacy While Using Online Educational Services: Requirements and Best Practices)
Instructors may be allowed to submit student work to an uncontracted or unlicensed third-party AI tool/platform. “Metadata that have been stripped of all direct and indirect identifiers are not considered protected information under FERPA because they are not PII.” This process is referred to as de-identifying or anonymizing. (Page 3, Protecting Student Privacy While Using Online Educational Services: Requirements and Best Practices)
Issues, however, may arise regarding the potential violation of student intellectual property rights when an unlicensed third-party AI platform is used. Long-held practice has established a tacit agreement between students and faculty regarding academic coursework being evaluated by third-party plagiarism software (with which institutions have formal contracts). However, this history and relationship does not yet exist for AI tools and their developers.
Concern arises with the sharing student-generated material because:
An unwritten understanding about how student work may be shared with a third-party has yet to be established with AI platform developers, and particularly non-licensed ones
Students have not been consulted, nor are they even aware, their work is being submitted to third-party AI tools by their instructors
Learners do not know AI platform terms of use and/or privacy statements, nor are they familiar with model training and data retention policies
For a general discussion of FERPA, please refer to FERPA and Student Privacy in the Digital Age.
GENERATIVE AI SYLLABUS STATEMENT COMPONENTS - CONTINUED
8. Academic integrity violations
According to the results of the AI detection tool, what are the benchmarks that determine an academic integrity violation has occurred?
What are the next steps after an instructor has determined an instance of academic integrity violation has taken place?
ADDITIONAL AI SYLLABUS STATEMENT EXAMPLES
AI USE PROHIBITED + INSTRUCTOR USES AI (AI DETECTOR –> WITH AN AI MODEL LICENSE)
Material generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot be submitted in this course because using AI undermines education by substituting a student’s engagement in the learning process and by producing material that doesn’t demonstrate a learner’s independent understanding, critical thinking, and expression. Coursework is an opportunity for students to develop and showcase their own knowledge and abilities, not a chance to turn in work created by a third party.
In cases of concern over unauthorized AI use, student work will be shared with QuillBot, an AI detector that estimates what percentage of submitted text was AI-generated. Our institution has an agreement with QuillBot, therefore interactions with the model abide by FERPA.
Coursework receiving a score higher than 0% violates course policy and therefore is an academic integrity violation. After a first violation, students will be required to meet with an instructor; students will be able to resubmit the assignment in question for half credit. A second violation earns a student a zero on the project, and a third violation will be formally recorded in an Academic Integrity Policy Violation Report.
AI USE ALLOWED + INSTRUCTOR USES AI (CONTENT DEVELOPMENT + COURSEWORK EVALUATION – WITH AN AI MODEL LICENSE)
Learners can submit work completed with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this class because using AI reflects the current reality of employment, encourages the critical evaluation of AI-generated content, and develops skills for effectively leveraging AI as a supportive tool. Please note that AI use is not required, and all coursework can be successfully completed without it.
Assignment directions explain how Artificial Intelligence can support coursework completion. However, AI may not be permitted for all tasks or projects in this course, so read directions carefully. If anything is unclear, contact your instructor.
Suggested generative AI platforms include: ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Latimer, Poe, and Perplexity. All the mentioned AI tools offer free, robust functionality, but they may require the creation of a user account.
To promote transparency, students will be asked to share AI interactions with their instructor through MLA citations, prompt and AI model response screen shots, and/or AI platform sharing (as provided via Copilot and Gemini, for instance). Please refer to specific assignment directions for more details.
Your instructor will be using Artificial Intelligence for various tasks throughout the semester including (but not limited to): creating discussion board prompts, developing lesson plans, and writing learning objectives. AI provides additional perspectives and generates content efficiently, meaning an instructor can dedicate more time to interacting with students, developing course material more quickly, and tailoring content to specific class needs. Further, this models appropriate AI collaboration. Any AI-generated content students engage with will be prominently labeled: “this material was co-created with AI.”
Personalized instructor feedback will be supplemented by AI-generated assessment (from Chat-GPT4o) because your instructor believes this provides more comprehensive, detailed, insightful, and timely feedback. Our institution has an agreement with OpenAI, therefore interactions with the model abide by FERPA.
Optional AI use is not equitable. You cannot assess two students, one who uses GenAI and one who doesn’t, to complete a business plan for example, using the same assessment criteria.