AI Quick-Start Guide
A Brief History of AI
Sample Syllabus Statements (AY2025-2026)
As we approach AY2025-2026 what is clear is that AI has become pervasive in both academic
and industry. Employers are increasingly seeking applicants who can demonstrate skills
with a variety of AI tools and platforms. Institutions of higher education must respond
by preparing students for the world they will enter.
It is also clear that both faculty and students are simultaneously curious and challenged
by these new technological developments. AI offers opportunities to make our lives
easier and more productive. It also challenges us to use these tools with skill and
integrity. Faculty worry about their ability to detect inappropriate use of AI; students
worry about being unfairly accused and punished for using AI. While faculty can choose
to use AI detection software, there continues to be debate about the accuracy of available
tools, especially as it relates to false positives (i.e., AI detection software claiming
that a text written by a human was written by AI).
Academic integrity is a cornerstone of higher education, and faculty have the right
to pursue academic discipline if they have evidence that a student has violated the
college’s student code of conduct, academic dishonesty, or plagiarism policies. That
said, as CCRI students, faculty, and staff work through issues of AI's impact on higher
education collaboratively and carefully, one first step is to be clear about individual
use cases. It is up to faculty members to establish whether or how AI may be used
in their classes and it is vitally important that they clearly convey these standards
to students.
If you would like some help with a syllabus statement regarding your decision, feel
free to use the options below as a starting point. These statements were generated
by Claude and lightly edited for use at CCRI. Faculty are encouraged to adapt the
statement language to best suit their needs.
Syllabus statement starting point