The Academic Integrity Policy linked from the Provost's Office and Falconlink addresses artificial intelligence in section A1c:
Cheating:
Attempting to use or using unauthorized material, study aids, or technologies for assistance in examinations or other academic work. Examples: using a cheat sheet; looking at a peer’s exam; having someone else take the exam for you; using an electronic device to access information during an exam; getting assistance via email or text messaging during an exam; purposely disconnecting from the internet to cause a lock on an online exam; utilizing artificial intelligence technology to complete an assignment in a way that hasn’t been authorized by the instructor.
All instructors must include a statement in each of their course syllabi about student use of AI tools in that course. Instructors may (a) use one of the sample syllabus statements posted on the Faculty Resource and Support Canvas site; (b) use a syllabus statement that has been developed by this academic department or program; or (c) develop and use their own syllabus statement. All statements must specify the range of allowable use, provide a rationale for that range of use, and refer to the University’s academic integrity policy.
Limited Use of AI. Since foundational writing and critical thinking skills are course learning outcomes, students may utilize artificial intelligence tools as a review of their work only. This means the student creates all content and may only use AI-tools to suggest improvements or corrections in spelling, grammar, phrasing, and mechanics. Any use of AI beyond these specified activities is considered a violation of Messiah University’s academic integrity policy.
Modest Use of AI: Throughout the semester, we will explore the possibilities and limitations of artificial intelligence considering our course learning outcomes. We will engage intentionally in AI-related instructional activities, after which students will be invited to use AI in some clearly defined, responsible, and ethical ways for specific class assignments. Any use of AI beyond these specified activities is considered a violation of Messiah University’s academic integrity policy, which defines cheating as “attempting to use or using unauthorized material, study aids, or technologies for assistance in examinations or other academic work” and includes “utilizing artificial intelligence technology to complete an assignment in a way that hasn’t been authorized by the instructor.”
Assignment-Specific Use. The use of AI tools in this course is dictated by the specific assignment. Some assignments will require independent work, and thus prohibit the use of AI, while others will encourage the use of AI. Students must follow the guidelines provided for each assignment and ensure proper citation of AI-generated content. Different classes at Messiah University may implement different AI policies, and it is the student’s responsibility to conform to expectations for each course. Student use of AI tools must comply with Messiah University’s academic integrity policy.
Encouraged Use. In this course, the use of AI is encouraged to enhance your learning. It is my hope as your instructor that you adopt a growth mindset around AI, continuously exploring and building your capacity for responsibly using new technologies. You should feel free to use AI tools to deepen your understanding of learning materials, brainstorm, solicit feedback, synthesize, revise and/or edit your work. However, it is important to emphasize that AI is a supporting tool rather than a replacement for human creativity and critical thinking. Hence, emphasis should be placed on integrating AI-generated outputs thoughtfully into your work. Students are ultimately responsible for any work submitted, which requires that all AI suggestions be carefully evaluated by the student. All AI-generated content must be properly cited, and students must comply with Messiah University’s academic integrity policy.
Required Use. Because ethical and effective use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools is an important skill for business professionals, students will be expected to use AI in this course. Some assignments will require GAI tools, and your instructor will provide instruction on how to use them. Students are accountable for any work submitted, and thus all AI generated material must be evaluated and/or edited by the student for accuracy. Students must comply with Messiah University’s academic integrity policy, including proper source citation.
Some instructors have recognized the ability of AI tools to assist in the evaluation of student work, with the aim of reducing the amount of time the instructor spends in student evaluation and/or providing the instructor with helpful feedback on student work. Although Messiah University does not ban the use of AI tools for that purpose, it has established guidelines for how those tools can be used.
The University’s policy, which requires both careful vetting and transparent use, can be found in both Section 8 and Section 10 of the COE Handbook, in the “Grading” subsection. The policy concludes with this specific guideline: “An AI-assisted assignment evaluation tool may be used to help an instructor evaluate student work, but the instructor must assign the grade the student receives and must personally generate the written or verbal feedback the student receives, i.e., the tool may assist the instructor, but the instructor must superintend the evaluative process, which includes the assignment of grades and the communication of written or verbal feedback.”
Given the potential for violating FERPA regulations, Messiah University instructors are not allowed to run their students’ work through AI -detection checkers available on the internet. They may, however, use the AI-detection feature in Turnitin (which links to Canvas), with these guidelines in mind:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) provides students who are or have been in attendance at Messiah University certain rights with respect to their education records. It may be a violation of FERPA to use student information with an AI tool. University employees should contact ITS and the Registrar for questions about the technology and its intersection with FERPA.
Messiah University's policies on recording cover AI use. Students should not post recordings beyond the course (including within an AI tool for transcription or summarization), and students should not record class activities without the permission of the instructor. Pennsylvania law requires consent from all parties before recordings are made. Exceptions are made for students requiring accommodations. Follow the guidelines set forth in the student's accommodation letter from the Office of Academic Accessibility.
All syllabi at Messiah University must include a statement on recording and FERPA privacy issues (found in the COE handbook, Sections 8 and 10, in “Syllabus, Course” subsection):
Classes at Messiah University utilize technologies selected by your instructor that may use your computer’s webcam or other tools to monitor and/or record classes, class activities, and assessments. Instructors who record elements of this course may share their recordings with students registered for this course. These recordings, if posted, will be posted only on a secure, limited-access site. Students should treat these recordings with care and not re-share or post them beyond this course. Students are not allowed to audio-record or video-record class activities without the permission of the instructor.
The Student Handbook also covers classroom recording in the Student Behavioral Polices section (page 51):
Recording of online or in-person class sessions is appropriate as directed by the faculty member whose class is being recorded. As such, faculty may choose to record class sessions, or they may grant permission to a student to record a lecture/class session. Additionally, recording is permissible when approved by the Office of Academic Accessibility as an accommodation for students with disabilities. In such cases, students are granted the right to record lectures, if it does not fundamentally alter the nature of the program. Students afforded the accommodation of the ability to record a lecture have that accommodation placed in their accommodation letter from the Office of Academic Accessibility. Students in the class must be notified in advance that the class and/or activity is being recorded. All faculty must include this Statement on Recording and FERPA Privacy Issues in their syllabi verbatim:
Classes at Messiah University utilize technologies selected by your instructor that may use your computer’s webcam or other tools to monitor and/or record classes, class activities, and assessments. Instructors who record elements of this course may share their recordings with students registered for this course. These recordings, if posted, will be posted only on a secure, limited-access site. Students should treat these recordings with care and not re-share or post them beyond this course. Students are not allowed to audio-record or video-record class activities without the permission of the instructor.
A faculty member’s permission to record a lecture, whether online or in person, is limited to the student’s personal use of the material and is for educational purposes only. Students may not copy, reproduce, display or distribute any class recordings. Any permitted recordings made by students must be destroyed at the end of the course or semester. Recordings of classes that include student discussions or student presentations require additional attention. Faculty need to assess when it would be appropriate to turn off or limit recording so as to best facilitate an appropriate student experience.
Your campus colleagues are here to answer questions or help you find resources!
Contact Faculty Development to learn more about workshops, professional learning circles, suggested training resources, and connections with other educators.
Contact ITS if you have questions about software including how to use it or whether to use it. ITS will also answer questions about safety and security.
Contact the Instructional Designers for questions about how AI works, how to incorporate AI lessons into your courses, how to design assignments that work with (or without) AI tools, and more.
Contact your liaison librarian for questions about resources to learn more about AI, information about copyright and plagiarism and AI, requests to purchase or Interlibrary Loan materials, questions about sources generated by AI, and for student workshops to assist with finding resources outside of AI or how AI works.
Contact the Office of the Provost for questions about educational policies.
Contact the Office of the Registrar for questions about FERPA.