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Dartmouth recognizes emergent Generative Artificial Intelligence technologies as powerful tools for learning. Instructors, programs, and schools may have a variety of reasons for allowing or disallowing Artificial Intelligence tools within a course, or course assignment(s), depending on intended learning outcomes. As such, instructors have authority to determine whether AI tools may be used in their course. Per the Academic Honor Principle, student use of GenAI tools in submitted work requires appropriate acknowledgment or citation.
Affected Parties
All AB undergraduates and special non-degree seeking students.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is a powerful branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new content, whether text, image, audio, or more, often with a human-like touch of creativity. Unlike traditional AI, which typically performs predefined tasks, generative AI models have the ability to produce original and meaningful output without specific programming for every potential result. The applications for such technologies are myriad, including innovative ways to engage with course material.
Gen AI tools offer exciting new ways to interact with information, to synthesize research data, to streamline processes, and to enhance decision-making; however, unrestricted usage is neither always nor necessarily appropriate to the college learning environment. This policy sets forth some basic guidelines for students engaged in coursework at Dartmouth:
Students may not use GenAI tools for coursework unless expressly permitted.
Courses are designed by their instructors to interact with knowledge broadly and in depth as a liberal-arts curriculum expects.
Course instructors are the experts in their subject matter and are responsible for meeting the learning objectives of their courses. Instructors may either allow or disallow GenAI tools based on their assessment of the pedagogical value of these tools within their course. As such, Dartmouth assumes the general rule that GenAI tools are disallowed by default in courses to permit Instructors full autonomy over the degree to which they allow students to use GenAI tools, if at all.
Instructors are encouraged to define AI policies specific to their courses.
Dartmouth encourages and supports faculty in exploring innovative learning methods and making use of GenAI tools. However, utilizing these tools may not be the best choice in every course or for every assignment within a given course. Based on course goals, instructors may freely define the parameters for the use of GenAI within all aspects of their courses.
Faculty are strongly encouraged to define their GenAI policies in their syllabus. When it comes to matters of academic integrity and honor in a course, the instructor's GenAI policy defines the expectations for faculty, students, and staff for that course. These course policies derive from the Academic Honor Principle and school Academic Honor Policies and, as such, are governed by the institutional commitment to Academic Honor.
Use of GenAI tools require acknowledgement or citation for academic integrity.
Whenever GenAI tools are permitted within a course, the use of these tools are subject to the Academic Honor Principle. To that end, students should acknowledge or cite GenAI contributions based on the guidelines of the instructor. If the instructor does not provide specific instructions related to the citation of GenAI as a source of information, then students are expected to use a discipline-appropriate citation method to cite or acknowledge GenAI in their work. Failure to cite or acknowledge GenAI use may result in disciplinary action.
It is the student's responsibility to clarify questions with their instructor regarding GenAI use in a course and/or instructor expectations for acknowledgement/citation of GenAI.
When students have a question regarding the acceptable use of GenAI tools in a course or on an assignment, they are expected to ask their instructors for clarification. Further, students are expected to ask instructors how best cite or acknowledge GenAI that they may have used in a course if they are unsure. Failure to clarify course expectations is not an acceptable justification for violating the Academic Honor Principle.