{"id":36,"date":"2025-04-24T14:54:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T18:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/?page_id=36"},"modified":"2025-09-02T09:36:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T13:36:16","slug":"sample-syllabus-statements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/instructors\/sample-syllabus-statements\/","title":{"rendered":"Sample Syllabus Statements for AI Use in Courses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-7xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n            <div class=\"cu-textmedia flex flex-col lg:flex-row mx-auto gap-6 md:gap-10 my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 max-w-7xl\">\n        <div class=\"justify-start cu-textmedia-content cu-prose-first-last\" style=\"flex: 0 0 60%;\">\n            <header class=\"font-light prose-xl cu-pageheader md:prose-2xl cu-component-updated cu-prose-first-last\">\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] pb-5 after:w-10 text-cu-black-700 not-prose\">\n                        Sample Syllabus Statements for AI Use in Courses\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                                \n                                    \n\n<p>Whether you decide to encourage the use of AI tools in your course or not, it&#8217;s important to clearly communicate your expectations with students. Below you&#8217;ll find some sample syllabus statements to help you get started.<\/p>\n\n\n                            <\/header>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n                    <div class=\"cu-textmedia-bgimg flex-1 rounded-xl bg-no-repeat bg-cover \" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/106\/2025\/04\/AdobeStock_800999916-768x273.jpeg); background-position: 85% 37%; transform: scale(1);\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"basic-formula-for-classroom-ai-policies\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Basic Formula for Classroom AI Policies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of your stance on AI use, when creating your course policy, there are some elements basic elements to include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Describe how AI may be used in the course, including examples of what is permitted<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Describe how AI use should be documented, if at all. Note that students can access resources related to citing GenAI on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/library.carleton.ca\/guides\/help\/generative-ai-chatgpt-and-citations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Library&#8217;s website<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explain the rationale for the adoption of your AI policy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Optional: Describe limitations (what is \u201cnot permitted\u201d in explicit terms, if applicable)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We also recommend including a statement such as: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs our understanding of the uses of AI and its relationship to student work and academic integrity continue to evolve, students are required to discuss their use of AI in any circumstance not described here with the course instructor to ensure it supports the learning goals for the course.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to these statements in your syllabus, we recommended spending time in class discussing large language models with students, including how they generate language (at a basic level), how they are trained (including bias, ethical and privacy considerations), and trustworthiness of the output. If you would like to become more familiar with these topics to improve your confidence supporting students, schedule a <a href=\"https:\/\/itsjira.carleton.ca\/servicedesk\/customer\/portal\/15\/create\/822\">consultation with Teaching and Learning Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below you&#8217;ll find specific examples of statements you can include in your syllabus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"sample-syllabus-language\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sample Syllabus Language<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on your course&#8217;s learning outcomes and requirement goals, choose from the following use cases and modify as needed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"w-full max-w-xl mx-auto overflow-hidden bg-white rounded-lg shadow-lg cu-stackedlist cu-component not-contained not-prose\">\n    <h2 class=\"px-6 py-4 text-base font-semibold border-b rounded-t-lg md:text-xl bg-gray-50 text-cu-black-800\">\n        Table of Contents\n    <\/h2>\n    <div class=\"grid cu-scrollto cu-stackedlist--toc cu-stackedlist--1 md:grid-cols-1\">\n            <div class=\"space-y-1\">\n                    \n            <div class=\"pl-4 text-cu-red-700\">\n                <div class=\"flex gap-2 pb-3 text-base md:text-lg\">\n                    <span class=\"font-light text-cu-black-700\">\n                        1.\n                    <\/span>\n\n                    <a href=\"#minimal-use\" class=\"font-medium hover:underline\">\n                        Minimal Use \u2013 Basic Assistance Only\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div>\n\n                            <\/div>\n                    \n            <div class=\"pl-4 text-cu-red-700\">\n                <div class=\"flex gap-2 pb-3 text-base md:text-lg\">\n                    <span class=\"font-light text-cu-black-700\">\n                        2.\n                    <\/span>\n\n                    <a href=\"#moderate-use\" class=\"font-medium hover:underline\">\n                        Moderate Use &#8211; Content Generation with Attribution\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div>\n\n                            <\/div>\n                    \n            <div class=\"pl-4 text-cu-red-700\">\n                <div class=\"flex gap-2 pb-3 text-base md:text-lg\">\n                    <span class=\"font-light text-cu-black-700\">\n                        3.\n                    <\/span>\n\n                    <a href=\"#enhanced-use\" class=\"font-medium hover:underline\">\n                        Enhanced Use &#8211; Support for Process-based Activities\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div>\n\n                            <\/div>\n                    \n            <div class=\"pl-4 text-cu-red-700\">\n                <div class=\"flex gap-2 pb-3 text-base md:text-lg\">\n                    <span class=\"font-light text-cu-black-700\">\n                        4.\n                    <\/span>\n\n                    <a href=\"#integrated-use\" class=\"font-medium hover:underline\">\n                        Integrated Use &#8211; Support for Complex Tasks\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div>\n\n                            <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"minimal-use\">Minimal Use \u2013 Basic Assistance Only<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">AI use in this course<\/strong>: Students may use AI tools for basic word processing functions, including grammar and spell checking (e.g. Grammarly, Microsoft Word Editor, Copilot)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Documenting AI use: <\/strong>It is not necessary to document the use of AI for the permitted purposes listed above. If you have questions about a specific use of AI that isn\u2019t listed above, please consult your instructor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Why have I adopted this policy? <\/strong>This policy ensures that student voices and ideas are prioritized and authentically represented, maintaining the integrity of the work produced by students while allowing basic support to enhance clarity, correctness, layout and flow of ideas. The goal of adopting a limited use of AI is to help students develop foundational skills in writing and critical thinking by practicing substantive content creation without the support of AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Limitations:<\/strong> Students may not use AI for the following tasks: Example 1; Example 2; Example 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"moderate-use\">Moderate Use &#8211; Content Generation with Attribution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">AI use in this course:<\/strong> Students may use AI tools for ideas, clarifying challenging concepts or getting started on projects. Some acceptable uses include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sounding board (e.g. generating essay topics with ChatGPT, using Microsoft Word\u2019s Smart Lookup or Copilot to find inspiration and related topics)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creating outlines (e.g. using AI to structure an essay or presentation flow, using Microsoft Word\u2019s Outline View with AI suggestions)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Providing definitions or explanations of complex concepts (e.g. using AI to explain a difficult theory or to find relevant information)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Documenting use of AI:<\/strong> It is necessary to document your use of AI in this course, using the following guidelines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Clearly identify and cite AI-generated text (e.g. &#8220;The following paragraph was generated by ChatGPT\/Microsoft Word\u2019s Researcher tool\/Copilot&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review, edit and ensure accuracy and originality of final submissions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>AI-generated content should not exceed<em class=\"myprefix-text-italic\"> X<\/em> per cent (instructor to modify &#8211; we recommend no more than 30 per cent) of the total assignment length<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Why have I adopted this policy?<\/strong> This policy supports the use of AI as a supplementary tool, helping students develop ideas and structure their work while emphasizing the importance of transparency and personal engagement with the content. AI can be used for inspiration and foundational support and can encourage students to critically assess and refine AI-generated material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"enhanced-use\">Enhanced Use &#8211; Support for Process-based Activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">AI use in this course: <\/strong>Students are encouraged to use AI tools in this course for support in completing several process-based activities. Some acceptable uses include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Data analysis (e.g. AI-driven statistical analysis in SPSS or Python; using Excel\u2019s AI powered data analysis tools like Ideas to generate insights and visualizations)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coding assistance (e.g. GitHub Copilot for programming assignments, using Visual Studio Code with AI-assisted extensions for programming assignments)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Generating creative content (e.g. DALL-E for visual projects; using PowerPoint\u2019s Designer feature to create visually appealing presentations)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Summarizing large volumes of text (e.g. using AI to condense research articles; using Word\u2019s Smart Lookup and Researcher to condense research articles)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Documenting use of AI:<\/strong> It is necessary to document your use of AI in this course, using the following guidelines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provide a detailed description of AI usage and proper citation (e.g. &#8220;AI-assisted data analysis performed using Excel\u2019s Ideas tool\/Python with AI-driven libraries&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure critical thinking and personal insight are evident in all submitted work<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>AI-generated content should not replace core analysis or primary arguments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Why have I adopted this policy?<\/strong> This policy allows students to leverage AI for more complex tasks, promoting interaction between human intelligence and AI. It supports students learning to effectively integrate AI into their work while maintaining intellectual contributions and critical thinking. By using AI to handle routine or supplementary tasks, students can focus more on complex aspects and analysis in their assignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"integrated-use\">Integrated Use &#8211; Support for Complex Tasks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">AI use in this course: <\/strong>Students are encouraged to use AI tools for initiating tasks, troubleshooting errors and engaging in complex activities to advance their knowledge and build skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Research (e.g. using AI, such as Microsoft Word\u2019s Researcher tool, to find and summarize scholarly articles)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drafting (e.g. creating initial drafts of essays or reports, using Microsoft Word\u2019s AI assisted text suggestions)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Problem-solving (e.g. using AI to troubleshoot and debug code, using Excel\u2019s AI driven features for complex calculations and data modelling)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interactive learning (e.g. AI driven assessment of student skill with follow up recommendation of customized learning plan in alignment with course level learning outcomes. Ideally, this document is shared with the instructor to validate and expand on.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-quote cu-component-spacing\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Consider this prompt: \u201cHello, I am a student in [year] [class]. I would like to create a learning plan for myself related to the learning outcomes of [learning outcomes of course]. Assess my current knowledge of these outcomes through dialogue and then recommend where I can improve knowledge and how. [Student: enter any areas of difficulty specific to you here]. Create a draft learning plan mapping out activities I can do to meet these goals.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Documenting use of AI: <\/strong>It is necessary to document your use of AI in this course, using the following guidelines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Transparently document AI usage, including specific tools and contributions (e.g. &#8220;Literature review section generated using ChatGPT&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Critically evaluate and refine AI-generated outputs to demonstrate understanding and originality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>AI should enhance, not replace, the student\u2019s learning process<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Why have I adopted this policy? <\/strong>This policy integrates AI for complex tasks, encouraging students to use AI throughout the research and writing process. It emphasizes the development of skills in critically evaluating AI outputs and ensuring the originality and depth of their work. This approach helps students become adept at using AI as a tool for enhancing their learning and productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"flex p-4 rounded-md cu-alert cu-alert--info not-prose\">\n\n            <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke=\"currentColor\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-slot=\"icon\" class=\"w-8 h-8\">\n            <path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"m11.25 11.25.041-.02a.75.75 0 0 1 1.063.852l-.708 2.836a.75.75 0 0 0 1.063.853l.041-.021M21 12a9 9 0 1 1-18 0 9 9 0 0 1 18 0Zm-9-3.75h.008v.008H12V8.25Z\"><\/path>\n        <\/svg>\n    \n    <div class=\"w-full ml-3\">\n        <p class=\"text-base md:text-lg mt-0.5 font-semibold\">\n            Note\n        <\/p>\n                    <p class=\"text-sm md:text-base text-cu-black-900\">\n                These draft syllabus statements were developed in collaboration with AI (ChatGPT4.o). AI provided draft rationales for each level of AI use based on the context and goals provided (e.g. university-level, goal of highlighting educational benefits while maintaining academic integrity), developing initial drafts of the statements, and adding specific examples of tools.\n            <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Basic Formula for Classroom AI Policies Regardless of your stance on AI use, when creating your course policy, there are some elements basic elements to include: We also recommend including a statement such as: \u201cAs our understanding of the uses of AI and its relationship to student work and academic integrity continue to evolve, students [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"parent":21,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[14],"class_list":["post-36","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cu_page_type-general"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":530,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36\/revisions\/530"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}