41-33 Academic Affairs AI Usage

Procedure Description

I. PURPOSE

This procedure outlines the guidelines for Academic Affairs AI usage in coursework and student instruction.

II. PROCEDURE

At Florence-Darlington Technical College, academic freedom is paramount. Instructors have full discretion over the role of generative AI in their courses. They may choose to incorporate AI into instruction and permit its ethical and responsible use by students, or they may prohibit AI usage entirely.

Instructor Discretion

Instructors who prohibit AI use must clearly state this in their course syllabus. The department should have an agreed-upon syllabus statement for courses where the use of AI is prohibited.

Instructors must acknowledge that an accusation of academic dishonesty cannot be based solely on the detection of AI usage by software.

Instructors who allow AI usage should establish clear guidelines for its ethical and responsible use.

The department should have an agreed-upon syllabus statement for courses that allow the use of AI.

Instructors must acknowledge that an accusation of academic dishonesty cannot be based solely on the detection of AI usage by software.

Guidelines for Ethical AI Usage

For courses where AI is permitted, students and instructors must adhere to the following principles:

Transparency and Attribution – Students must disclose if and how they used AI in their assignments, including which tools were used and to what extent. AI-generated content must be properly cited if incorporated into academic work.

Integrity and Academic Honesty – AI should assist in learning, not replace original thought. Submitting fully AI-generated work as one’s own constitutes academic dishonesty. Maintain consistency across the division regarding the alleged incident related to AI usage.

Critical Thinking and Verification – AI outputs must be reviewed and fact-checked. Students are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, coherence, and ethical integrity of AI-assisted work.

Instructor Oversight – Instructors retain the right to set AI usage limits for specific assignments and to adjust guidelines as needed to ensure alignment with course objectives. Maintain consistency across the division regarding the alleged incident related to AI usage. Any changes to the syllabus must be published and acknowledged by the student.

This procedure affirms a commitment to academic integrity while recognizing the evolving role of AI in education.

Limitations of AI Detection Software

Do not rely solely on AI detection software to determine if a student used generative AI.

Current detection tools are inconsistent and prone to false positives and false negatives.

Most AI detectors do not provide transparent or verifiable results.

A detection score alone is not sufficient evidence of academic dishonesty and cannot be the reason for bringing the allegation.

If AI use is suspected, instructors should:

Follow FDTC’s established academic integrity procedures.

Gather supporting evidence, such as inconsistent writing style, lack of understanding in follow-up discussion, or absence of process materials (drafts, outlines, etc.).

Consider asking the student to explain or revise their work to clarify authorship.

Uphold due process and avoid making accusations based solely on detection software.