{"id":10415,"date":"2026-01-20T16:57:38","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trincoll.edu\/lits\/?page_id=10415"},"modified":"2026-01-20T16:57:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:57:38","slug":"ai-syllabus-policy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.trincoll.edu\/lits\/digital-scholarship\/ai-resource-center\/ai-syllabus-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Syllabus Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The use of AI tools in the classroom is not a one-size-fits-all decision. As an instructor, you have the flexibility to define when and how AI can be used in your classroom. Whether you choose to encourage, limit, or prohibit AI tools, it\u2019s essential to establish clear expectations and communicate these expectations openly with your students.<\/p>\n

Building on discussions from our recent WITT event, this post explores key considerations for crafting course and assignment-specific AI policies.<\/p>\n

Course Policy<\/h2>\n

Do I need an AI policy in my syllabus?<\/p>\n

The short answer is yes!<\/strong> As students become more familiar with AI tools, clear policies related to their use will ensure students understand what is and isn\u2019t acceptable in your course. As such, faculty are strongly encouraged to define their AI policies in their syllabus.<\/p>\n

According to the Georgetown Center for New Designs in Learning & Scholarship, there are three general approaches<\/a> to addressing AI in your course policy:<\/p>\n

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  1. Integrate AI into assignments<\/li>\n
  2. AI tools permitted at certain stages<\/li>\n
  3. No AI tools permitted<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Chronicle\u2019s <\/em>\u201cShould You Add an AI Policy to Your Syllabus?<\/a>\u201d offers guiding questions to help you get started.<\/p>\n

    Additionally, you can find guidance and inspiration in the crowdsourced document linked below. This resource was created by Lance Eaton for the purpose of sharing and helping instructors see the range of policies created by other educators to help in the development of their own policy for navigating AI tools. The spreadsheet version of this AI Syllabi Policy Repository<\/a> document allows you to sort by course, discipline, or institution.<\/p>\n

    Assignment Policy<\/h2>\n

    Will your policy apply to all assignments in the course, or will it vary by assignment? You may find that a course level policy is too challenging because AI usage is more nuanced. For example, many students struggle with getting started with writing. AI tools could be one way to help them get started. Therefore, you may not want to ban use entirely because of its usefulness in the prewriting stages.<\/p>\n

    Two items to consider when determining assignment level AI policies:<\/p>\n

    Stoplight System<\/h3>\n

    The stoplight system is one approach to highlight what tasks and tools are acceptable for AI use. Here is an example from Laura Roberts at Worcester Polytechnic Institute:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n

    AI for Academic Work<\/h3>\n

    It is important to ensure that students AI use is assistive and not replace their own work or learning. Using AI in a collaborative manner ensures students are still doing their own thinking about how to use the information obtained from AI in their own work. You may also want to consider having students submit the prompts they input when using AI for assignment work. The below graphic can be a good way to start discussions with students about AI use.<\/p>\n

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    \"\"<\/a>
    Laura Roberts, Worcester Polytechnic Institute<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Again, whatever you decide, it is important to clearly communicate what is and isn\u2019t acceptable with your students. Lastly, here are two additional resources to consider when developing your assignment policies:<\/p>\n

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    1. Students<\/strong>\n