Vanguard University 

Crystal Couch – Researched Writing 

AI Policy: The goal of this course is to improve research, critical thinking, and writing skills. The only way to accomplish this is to practice your research, critical thinking, and writing. Reliance on AI hinders the development of those skills, sometimes leading to what is called “cognitive offloading” – outsourcing your own mental effort, diminishing your ability to engage in independent analysis, to evaluate sources critically, and to form your own argument. At the research level, AI is not a reliable source, as it is known to generate plausible-sounding but inaccurate information (“hallucinations”) and citing non-existent references. The research process itself (formulating research questions, evaluating sources, and synthesizing information) is fundamental to any research writing class. To that end, there is a zero-tolerance AI policy for this class. Use of AI during the research and writing stages will be considered a violation of the academic honesty policy. If I suspect that you used AI to summarize the content of a source (as opposed to reading it yourself and taking notes), copy/pasted that summary, or used AI to write/improve your paper, you will be given a zero on the assignment. If you wish to try again – to demonstrate knowledge of the topic and your ability to craft a well-written, logic-based, fully referenced essay, you will be able to do so by bringing your notes and writing the essay long hand in a proctored setting. 

Laurie Hatch – Literature 

Please note: Improper use of AI violates the academic honesty policy of the university. 

In our rapidly evolving digital landscape, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are becoming increasingly prevalent in academic settings. However, it’s crucial to understand that the primary objectives of this literature course are to foster your personal engagement with texts, develop your critical thinking skills, and nurture your creative and analytical abilities. These are uniquely human capacities that AI cannot replicate. 

The goal of studying literature is to cultivate your own interpretations, insights, and responses to texts. AI, while powerful in many ways, lacks the ability to truly understand or appreciate literature in the way humans do. It cannot form genuine opinions, experience emotional reactions to texts, or draw from personal experiences to interpret literature. 

With these considerations in mind, the following guidelines for AI use apply in this course: 

In order to facilitate assessing writing process, all essays must be submitted in  *.docx format (Google docs may be downloaded in this format).   All other formats will not be accepted and will not be graded.  Track changes should be active in each document. 

Prohibited AI Uses: 

• Summarizing texts (AI summaries lack the nuanced understanding and personal insight we aim to develop) 

• Creating essays or portions of essays (This would defeat the purpose of developing your own writing skills and unique voice) 

• Generating thesis statements (Your thesis should reflect your original thoughts and interpretations) 

• Developing outlines (The process of organizing your ideas is a crucial part of your learning) 

Permitted AI Uses: 

• Editing completed work (After you’ve fully expressed your own ideas) 

• Checking structure of finished essays (As a supplementary tool to your own revision process) 

• Acting as a peer reader for completed assignments (To provide an additional perspective, not to replace human feedback) 

When using AI for permitted purposes: 

1. You must submit both the original version (before AI assistance) and the final version (after AI assistance). 
2. Clearly indicate which sections or aspects were modified with AI help.  University policy (and good academic practice) requires citation for each element in an essay that has been modified with AI tools.  You should consult MLA citation guidelines for proper citation. 
3. Include a 2-3 page reflection (750 words) addressing how the specific AI suggestions align with or differ from your original intentions and critical thinking. 

Please note: Essays that demonstrate substantial use of AI beyond the permitted uses will not receive credit and may generate an academic dishonesty report to be submitted to the Provost. Remember, AI cannot replicate the depth of human analysis, the originality of your thoughts, or the unique connections you can make between texts and your own experiences. 

The true value of this course lies in developing your own critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills. AI, while a useful tool in certain contexts, cannot substitute for the personal growth and intellectual development that come from engaging directly with literature and forming your own interpretations. 

If you have any questions about appropriate AI use for a specific assignment, or if you’re unsure about how to approach a text or essay, please consult with the instructor. We’re here to guide you in developing your own literary analysis skills and to foster your unique voice as a reader and writer. 

Kerry Moore – Psychology  

THIS CLASS IS FOR HUMANS ONLY  

That’s my fun way of telling you that use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) programs like Chat-GPT is totally prohibited in this class. Every word of every assignment that you submit should be either written by you OR surrounded by quotation marks and cited to a published source. If you use Grammarly, please open your account settings, go to the Feature Customization page, and switch off the Generative AI settings. To be clear, in this class it is not acceptable to write a paper yourself, then ask a Gen-AI program to improve it. I’m happy to meet with you and talk through why I created this policy, which I know may be different than the policies in some of your other classes. My goal is to help you learn, and the best way I have found to do that is to see what you create using your own skills and creativity, then give meaningful feedback to help you grow over time. Please make sure to contact me if you have any questions, because the consequences for violating the Generative-AI policy are serious and can include failing an assignment or the entire class.   

Sarah Nguyen – Mathematics  

Policy on AI 

This course requires you to complete various assignments that assess your understanding and application of the course content. The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the problem-solving process, and this requires you to work through this process relying on their own problem-solving capabilities.  If you become stuck on a particular problem, please view the corresponding videos, refer to your textbook or notes, or ask for help during office hours or from a classmate.  The use of artificial intelligence (AI) should be kept to a minimum. Please remember, only a scientific calculator will be permitted on exams, no phones or laptops, so you will need to understand how to work through the problems unaided.  If you have any questions regarding this policy, please consult the instructor. 

Enid Bozic – Communication 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND AI USE 

You may use Generative AI for organization, editing, and formatting only. Do not generate interview content, answers to questions or quotes. You must also include an AI Disclosure Appendix (which tool, how it was used, why it was used) on any assignments that you used AI. 

Other Universities 

https://ctl.utexas.edu/chatgpt-and-generative-ai-tools-sample-syllabus-policy-statements

https://www.brandeis.edu/teaching/online-guides/syllabus/ai-statements.html

https://ctlm.wisc.edu/self-serve-resources/generativeai/ai-statements-for-course-syllabi