Artificial Intelligence and the Honor Code
Like all reported alleged violations of the Honor Code student behavior and assignment submissions are reviewed by the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity to find whether it is more likely than not- by a preponderance of the evidence that the student's behavior or work violates one or more of the Honor Code's policies.
Syllabus statements and assignment directions may be used in addition to the language in the Honor Code to either support or negate a violation of the Honor Code.
Here are examples of rationales used when a student has violated the Honor Code by using artificial intelligence.
Defined as: Improper collaboration or unauthorized assistance in connection with any academic work.
- Using a chatbot (ChatGPT, CoPilot, Gemini etc.) to complete a discussion post, essay, or research paper in its entirety.
- Using a chatbot to solve an equation or generate a line of code without ther permission to do so by the instructor of record.
- Using an artificial intelligence powered editor (Grammarly, ChatPT, CoPilot etc.) to edit an assignment submission.
Defined as: Use of work or ideas without proper acknowledgment of source.
- Using artifical intelligence to find sources for research without verfiying the source exists before using it in academic work.
- Failing to correct a citation generated by artifical intelligence.
- Using an editor like Grammarly to edit an entire document not realizing that it edited quotes and parapharsed statements making the information an inaccuarate representation of the source material.
Defined as: Misrepresenting or misleading others with respect to academic work or misrepresenting facts for an academic advantage.
- Using artificial intelligence to fabricate a doctor's excuse and using it to justify an absence.
- Using any artificial intelligence on an assignment in a course or on an assignment that specifically denotes artificial intelligence as an unauthorized resource.
Defined as: Assisting or attempting to assist (through intentional or unintentional action) another in any violation of the Honor Code.
- Failing to report another student after they share in a group chat that they used ChatGPT to generate their entire reflection essay.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list and some of these examples may be permissible in some courses or contexts. According to the Honor Code "When a student is uncertain as to whether conduct would violate this Honor Code, it is the responsibility of the student to seek clarification from the appropriate faculty member or instructor of record."
How We Investigate Artificial Intelligence Use for Violations of the Honor Code
In our one on one meetings with students reported for alleged violations of the Honor Code regarding their use of artificial intelligence we focus our conversation on how the student did their work. We ask questions like, "Did you use any online assistance to complete your assignment?" or "How long did you work on this assignment? Was it in one sitting or over the course of several days?"
It can also be helpful to get an understanding of what the student used to edit their work or how they gathered resources. We may ask, "Did you use any software to edit your paper?" or "Could you walk we through your process so we can determine if a tool you used may have been powered by artificial intelligence?"
We encourage all students to use their Microsoft Office 365 accounts to complete their course work. This is a good practice to save work but, it also creates a version history that can help prove or disprove any wrongdoing.
It is common practice for this office to request original document access via a shared collaborator link from a student's work in Office 365. We review the version history with the student and look for patterns in the creation of the document that may give insight into the student's process. Large portions of text that have been copied and pasted for example could be cause for concern if the information copied and pasted is not cited or appears to be information generated elsewhere to be passed off as the student's work.
Version history can also be helpful in showing a student's full working process. We can see how they edited their work, how long it took them to complete the work, and if information was typed by the student as opposed to being copied from somewhere else.
To get a sense of whether or not a student may have used artificial intelligence to complete their work we may consult with ChatGPT or CoPilot via chat (as these are currently licensed by the University of South Carolina and FERPA compliant if being used with a University of South Carolina account) to see how it would respond to the same prompts or questions as what the student was asked to do in an assignment not being reported for improper use of artificial intelligence.
By doing this we can get a baseline for patterns, sources, phrasing, etc. that may show a strong correlation to a student's work which would warrant more questions to the student to figure out why and how these similarities exist.
This is not a certain means to prove a student used artificial intelligence in their work but, it does provide a line of questions to get to a more certain finding either for or against a violation of the Honor Code.
Each case in the Office of Student Conduct is FERPA protected, and no identifiable information is shared from one student to another or any other party without the written consent of each alleged student in each case.
Notes from every case, along with supporting documents, and student testimony are logged in our case management software and allow our staff to easily search for patterns within colleges, courses, majors, and other demographics. We log all cases related to artificial intelligence with tags that allow our staff to quickly pull information and compare students' work and accused use of artificial intelligence to that of past students who have also been accused.
We use this information to provide fair and consistent treatment under the authority of the Honor Code so that students reported for similar concerns receive similar outcomes.
Artificial Intelligence Resources
It is important to consider context when debating on the use artificial intelligence to complete academic work. While it is ultimately a professor's authority to decide how and when a tool can be used in their course this office seeks to support faculty and students by helping make it clear when the use of generative artificial intelligence may or may not be acceptable given the policies that exist within the Honor Code.
Find information regarding addressing common violation here.
If you have a question or concern not directly addressed on this webpage, contact us at osc@sc.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
Students found responsible for violating the Honor Code as it relates to artifical intelligence recieve outcomes consistent with those who violate the Honor Code in other aspects by receiving some combination of administrative and educational outcomes. Most commonly students with only one violation of the Honor Code are placed on 6 months of Conduct Probation and must complete either the Academic Integrity Workshop or Artificial Intelligence Module.
Both the Workshop and the Module are free, asynchronus, online course administered via Blackboard. Both also feature several assignments that allow students the opportunity to reflect on their use or misuse of artificial intelligence and exposes them to some ethical questions to consider when they are debating their use as well as tips on how to avoid future violations of the Honor Code regarding their use of artificial intelligence as well as other types of violations.
For more examples of case outcomes related to Honor Code violations click here.
No, but consider that the use of artificial intelligence websites and bots like ChatGPT may be a violation of the Cheating - Unauthorized Aid, Cheating - Improper Collaboration, Plagiarism - Copying Work, or Falsification - Violation of Classroom Rules policies. This is dependent on the nature of how the artificial intelligence service was used. Much like any technology used to aid in the completion of academic work, it is the user's responsibility to ensure that the use of that technology is both permitted to be used by the course instructor and that the use is clearly cited and/or documented in some way so that it clear what work was created by the user of the service and what portion of the work was created by the technology.
For example, a student may be inclined to use ChatGPT to help brainstorm ideas for a topic of a research essay. In most cases, proper use of ChatGPT or other artificial intelligence services in this scenario would consist of the student first asking their professor if they were allowed to use ChatGPT to assist in the brainstorming process. If permitted by the instructor, the student could then use the service to brainstorm ideas. If at any point in this process, the student decides to use the service beyond this brainstorming process they would need to cite all statements or claims generated by the service so that it is clear what material in the final assignment submission was created by the student and what was created by the service much like citing any other source in a research essay.
Note: Professors have the right to not allow students to use Artificial Intelligence services in the completion of their assignments no differently than how professors often restrict access to other technologies such as calculators for certain examinations and homework assignments. In the same course, a calculator may be permitted for one assignment and not another. We encourage professors to make it clear if Artificial Intelligence was allowed on one assignment and not a following assignment but, ultimately, the student is responsible for asking if they plan to use Artificial Intelligence. Not knowing is not an excuse for a violation of the Honor Code if a student is found to be using unauthorized aid in the submission of an assignment of any kind.
Ask your course instructor. They will decide if you can use artificial intelligence to help you complete your homework. When you ask be sure to explain exactly how you plan to use the service. The professor may restrict the use of artificial intelligence services much like how in some cases a professor may restrict certain sources like Wikipedia when completing research assignments or scientific calculators when completing certain math and science assignments. If you do use an artificial intelligence service, be sure to cite your work if you take statements from the service and plan to use them in your assignment submission.
Yes. When using artificial intelligence services to generate statements, figures, images, etc. be sure to cite the work both in text (if applicable) and in a works cited page. Remember that artificial intelligence is a new technology so citation guidelines are currently being developed and are subject to change.
Find out how here: MLA Style Center
Find out how here: APA Style
Find out how here: Chicago Manual of Style Online
The Center for Teaching Excellence has compiled a number of resources for faculty including best practices involving the inclusion of a syllabus statement that establish's the expectations that govern the use of artificial intelligence in a classroom.
Below is information provided by CTE as well as an adaptation of ChatGPT and Generative AI Tools: Sample Syllabus Policy Statements by UT Austin’s Center for Teaching and Learning.
Find all this information as well as additional resources from CTE directly here. Each section contains several possible ways of framing the instructor’s intent. Due
to the nuance of generative artficial intelligence, the categories do not stand alone,
so you may find areas of overlap. To that end, these statements are intended to spur
your own thinking, and so you are welcome to use, edit, or adapt any of the selections
below for your own purposes.
No use of generative Artificial Intelligence tools permitted
[4 Sample statements]
- This course assumes that work submitted by students – all process work, drafts, brainstorming
artifacts, final works – will be generated by the students themselves, working individually
or in groups as directed by class assignment instructions. This policy indicates the
following constitute violations of academic honesty: a student has another person/entity
do the work of any substantive portion of a graded assignment for them, which includes
purchasing work from a company, hiring a person or company to complete an assignment
or exam, and/or using generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT).
- In this course, every element of class assignments must be fully prepared by the student.
The use of generativeArtificial Intelligencetools for any part of your work will be
treated as plagiarism. If you have questions, please contact me.
- All assignments should be fully prepared by the student. Developing strong competencies
in the skills associated with this course, from student-based brainstorming to project
development, will prepare you for success in your degree pathway and, ultimately,
a competitive career. Therefore, the use of generativeArtificial Intelligencetools
to complete any aspect of assignments for this course is not permitted and will be
treated as plagiarism. If you have questions about what constitutes a violation of
this statement, please contact me.
- This course assumes that work submitted for a grade by students – all process work, drafts, brainstorming artifacts, final works – will be generated by the students themselves, working individually or in groups as directed by class assignment instructions. This policy indicates the following constitute violations of academic honesty: a student has another person/entity do the work of any substantive portion of a graded assignment for them, which includes purchasing work from a company, hiring a person or company to complete an assignment or exam, and/or using generativeArtificial Intelligencetools (such as ChatGPT).
Generative Articial Intelligence is permitted in specific contexts and with acknowledgment
[6 sample statements]
- The emergence of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT and DALL-E) has sparked interest
among many students in our discipline. The use of these tools for brainstorming ideas,
exploring possible responses to questions or problems, and creative engagement with
the materials may be useful for you as you craft responses to class assignments. While
there is no substitute for working directly with your instructor, the potential for
generativeArtificial Intelligencetools to provide automatic feedback, assistive technology
and language assistance is clearly developing. Please feel free to reach out to me
well in advance of the due date of assignments for which you may be using generativeArtificial
Intelligencetools and I will be happy to discuss what is acceptable.
- In this course, students shall give credit toArtificial Intelligencetools whenever
used, even if only to generate ideas rather than usable text or illustrations. When
usingArtificial Intelligencetools on assignments, add an appendix showing (a) the
entire exchange, highlighting the most relevant sections; (b) a description of precisely
whichArtificial Intelligencetools were used (e.g. ChatGPT private subscription version
or DALL-E free version), (c) an explanation of how theArtificial Intelligencetools
were used (e.g. to generate ideas, turns of phrase, elements of text, long stretches
of text, lines of argument, pieces of evidence, maps of the conceptual territory,
illustrations of key concepts, etc.); (d) an account of whyArtificial Intelligencetools
were used (e.g. to save time, to surmount writer’s block, to stimulate thinking, to
handle mounting stress, to clarify prose, to translate text, to experiment for fun,
etc.). Students shall not use AI tools during in-class examinations, or assignments
unless explicitly permitted and instructed. Overall, AI tools should be used wisely
and reflectively with an aim to deepen understanding of subject matter.
- It is a violation of university policy to misrepresent work that you submit or exchange
with your instructor by characterizing it as your own, such as submitting responses
to assignments that do not acknowledge the use of generative AI tools. Please feel
free to reach out to me with any questions you may have about the use of generative
AI tools before submitting any content that has been substantially informed by these
tools.
- In this course, we may use generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT) to examine the ways
in which these kinds of tools may inform our exploration of the topics of the class.
You will be informed as to when and how these tools will be used, along with guidance
for attribution if/as needed. Any use of generative AI tools outside of these parameters
constitutes plagiarism and will be treated as such.
- Understanding how and when to use generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E) is
quickly emerging as an important skill for future professions. To that end, you are
welcome to use generative AI tools in this class as long as it aligns with the learning
outcomes or goals associated with assignments. You are fully responsible for the information
you submit based on a generative AI query (such that it does not violate academic
honesty standards, intellectual property laws, or standards of non-public research
you are conducting through coursework). Your use of generative AI tools must be properly
documented and cited for any work submitted in this course.
- To ensure all students have an equal opportunity to succeed and to preserve the integrity of the course, students are not permitted to submit text that is generated by artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Claude, Google Bard, or any other automated assistance for any classwork or assessments. This includes using AI to generate answers to assignments, exams, or projects, or using AI to complete any other course-related tasks. Using AI in this way undermines your ability to develop critical thinking, writing, or research skills that are essential for this course and your academic success. Students may use AI as part of their research and preparation for assignments, or as a text editor, but text that is submitted must be written by the student. For example, students may use AI to generate ideas, questions, or summaries that they then revise, expand, or cite properly. Students should also be aware of the potential benefits and limitations of using AI as a tool for learning and research. AI systems can provide helpful information or suggestions, but they are not always reliable or accurate. Students should critically evaluate the sources, methods, and outputs of AI systems. Violations of this policy will be treated as academic misconduct. If you have any questions about this policy or if you are unsure whether a particular use of AI is acceptable, please do not hesitate to ask for clarification.
Students are encouraged to use generative Artificial Intelligence tools in coursework
[3 sample statements]
- The use of generative AI is encouraged with certain tasks and with attribution: You
can choose to use AI tools to help brainstorm assignments or projects or to revise
existing work you have written. When you submit your assignment, I expect you to clearly
attribute what text was generated by the AI tool (e.g., AI-generated text appears
in a different colored font, quoted directly in the text, or use an in-text parenthetical
citation).
- Designers commonly use AI-content generation tools in their work. In this course,
using AI-content generation tools is permitted and will be a normal and regular part
of our creative process when it is used according to the below criteria. In this course,
neglecting to follow these requirements may be considered academic dishonesty. (1)
For each assignment, you are required to include a paragraph that explains what AI
content- generation tool you used, the dates you used it, and the prompts you used
to generate the content according to the MLA style guide. (2) During critique, it
is important to describe the precedents you used and how any source content was transformed.
When showing or presenting images or other content you generated using an AI-tool,
cite that image or content following the MLA style guide. If you need help referencing
your creative work, contact me to collaborate.
- Students are invited to use AI platforms to help prepare for assignments and projects (e.g., to help with brainstorming or to see what a completed essay might look like). I also welcome you to use AI tools to help revise and edit your work (e.g., to help identify flaws in reasoning, spot confusing or underdeveloped paragraphs, or to simply fix citations). When submitting work, students must clearly identify any writing, text, or media generated by AI. This can be done in a variety of ways. In this course, parts of essays generated by AI should appear in a different colored font, and the relationship between those sections and student contributions should be discussed in cover letters that accompany the essay submission.
1. Prompt Competition
a. Identify a major question or challenge in your field or discipline that chatGPT
could write about. Preferably a question with no clear single right answer.
b. Have students collaborate (in pairs or small teams) on developing 5 to 10 criteria
for assessing chatGPT responses to the major question. For example, chatGPT’s output
references more than one theoretical perspective.
c. Ask students to individually write a prompt for chatGPT to answer the major question.
d. Have students use their criteria to judge the responses of other students (in the
pair or small team), and rate the chatGPT prompts/responses from best to worst.
2. Reflect and Improve
a. Ask students to individually identify a major question or challenge in your field
or discipline that chatGPT could write about.
b. Have students use chatGPT to write a response to their question or challenge.
c. Ask students to reflect on chatGPT’s output (e.g., what is correct, incorrect,
what they don’t know if it is correct or incorrect, what should they look up elsewhere
to verify, what should they ask chatGPT next).
d. Using Track Changes in MS Word or Suggesting in Google Docs, have students improve
the output of chatGPT (e.g., correcting errors or misinformation, expanding on shallow
content).
e. Have students submit their prompt and the improved chatGPT response with their
added content highlighted.
3. Re-vision
a. Ask students to individually identify a major question or challenge in your field
or discipline that chatGPT could write about.
b. Have students use chatGPT to write a response to their question or challenge.
c. George Heard is attributed with saying “The true meaning of the word revision is
this: to see again.” Have students revise (write again) chatGPT’s output from a different
angel. For instance, take a different perspective, apply a critical lens, expand on
a particular concept, or correct aspects of the output that could cause their peers
to misunderstand or misinterpret.
4. Dual Assignments
a. Give students a choice between two versions of the same assignment. One version
for those that want to use chatGPT and one for those who don’t.
b. For those who choose to use chatGPT, they have to submit their prompt(s) and the
chatGPT output. Using Track Changes in MS Word or Suggesting in Google Docs, have
students add depth, clarify misinformation, offer alternative perspectives, and make
other improvements to the chatGPT output.
c. For those who choose to complete the assignment without chatGPT, they should complete
the assignment and sign a statement that chatGPT was not used.
d. Grade both assignments on how well students illustrate their depth of knowledge
through either (a) their changes to chatGPT’s output, or (b) their original writing.
5. Mind Maps
a. Since chatGPT can’t natively make visual representations of content (see note below),
have students create mind maps (aka, associative maps, spider map, process maps) to
illustrate the connections between ideas, concepts, approaches, or theories in your
field or discipline.
b. The more details or levels that students add to their mind minds, the easier it
will be for them to demonstrate their newly acquired knowledge and skills.
6. Debates
a. Have students debate a major question or challenge in your field or discipline.
Even short debates can deepen learning and get students to look at topics from varied
perspectives.
b. You can choose if students are allowed to use chatGPT in their preparation for
the debate’s opening statements.
c. Debates can be done in different formats, and the length of times for speeches
can vary depending on how much time and how many students are in your course.
7. Videos or Podcasts
a. Rather than written essays, have students make videos or audio recordings as the
medium for sharing their knowledge.
b. Using a video-based tool (such as VoiceThread, FlipGrid, or Zoom) can make the
process easier for students.
c. Students can also record audio podcasts on their phone or computer if visuals are
not required for the content of the assignment.
8. Explain Your Thinking
a. Give the assignment as usual, but in addition require that students use Using Track
Changes in MS Word or Suggesting in Google Docs to explain at least 8 to 10 steps
of their thinking as comments added to the text.
b. Students can describe, for instance, the steps in their logic, their problem solving
or writing process, or the development of their theoretical path.
c. Students could also document their thinking with audio recordings or videos.
9. 2x2 Matrix
a. Have students create a 2x2 matrix relating two concepts covered in the course.
For instance, what are shared and different defining characteristics of concepts or
processes.
b. A simpler version of this assignment is to have students develop Venn Diagrams
for comparing important concepts or processes.
10. Next Time
a. Ask students to use chatGPT to answer an essay question about a major question
or challenge in your field or discipline.
b. Have students reflect on their learning about the topic based on using chatGPT,
and to write down 5 things they learned about the topic from chatGPT.
c. Have students design a new assignment that doesn’t allow for the use of chatGPT
but that would allow them (or other students) to demonstrate their learning. For example,
they might suggest a group project, or mind map assignment.
Watkins, R. (2022, December 18). Update Your Course Syllabus for chatGPT [web log]. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://medium.com/@rwatkins_7167/updating-your-course-syllabus-for-chatgpt-965f4b57b003.
As the course instructor you may restrict and use Artificial Intelligence as you deem fit based on the goals and objectives of your course. Artificial intelligence is becoming exteremly intertwined with the technology we interact with every day so it may be difficult to completely eliminate its use by yourself and your students.