Communicating Your GenAI Expectations to Your Students

Many students feel uncertain about when and how they can use GenAI in their academic classes. The GenAI and Teaching Group (GAIT) created these guidelines for faculty considering how to communicate with students about the use of GenAI in academic tasks. Providing clear and detailed instructions about allowed and prohibited uses reduces student anxiety and increases academic integrity.

Here are some simple steps to creating effective communications with students:  

1. Review this guide to determine your views on Appropriate Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Use in Academic Classes.

    

2. Update your syllabus to include:¹
   • An honor code: A clear statement of expectations for GenAI use can encourage academic integrity.
   • Thoughtful explanations of how your decisions about GenAI use support your learning goals for students and important values.
   • Time to discuss the ethics of GenAI use: What should students know to be prepared for advanced study or careers in your profession? For ideas review the values document included above.

   • Time to complete the work as intended: Some students use GenAI when they feel rushed. Space out manageable assignments to increase students’ confidence they can complete the work as instructed.

      

3. If you are allowing or requiring GenAI use:

• Encourage metacognition by asking students to monitor how the use of GenAI influences their learning.²
• Provide guidelines that address common concerns with GenAI use:³
  • Truth and accuracy: Remind students to review output carefully for biased, misleading, outdated, or incorrect information
  • Data security and safety: Remind students that information shared with a GenAI tool may not be private and may be used in ways they can’t control.⁴
• Consider providing a checklist to support GenAI use that meets your expectations.⁵

• If appropriate, consider offering alternate assignments or supports for students who have objections to using GenAI.

   

 ^{1 Adapted from Update Your Course Syllabus for chatGPT by Ryan Watkins.}

 ^{2 Adapted from the MLA Student Guide to AI Literacy.}

^{3  Adapted from the MLA Student Guide to AI Literacy.}

^{4  Adapted from the AAC&U Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence.} 

^{5 Adapted from the AAC&U Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence.}

Approved by the Generative AI and Teaching Committee (GAIT) on 3/31/25. Approved by the EPT as resources for guidance to faculty on 5/2/2025.