As we work to fulfill VCSU’s mission to promote the skilled use of technology and to prepare students to succeed in an increasingly complex society, faculty will teach and model the ethical, responsible, and effective use of artificial intelligence tools. The following guidelines are provided to assist you in this work.
1. Comply with Policy and Employee Handbook
Review and adhere to SBHE Policy 1208.1, NDUS Procedure 1208.1, and VCSU Policy V1203.03.
2. Provide Clear Expectations in Syllabi
Faculty are expected to thoughtfully consider how they might incorporate AI tools into student learning. Because expectations will differ across disciplines and courses, it is crucial that they be clearly articulated in each syllabus and discussed with students.
3. Use AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement
To use AI effectively as a tool, focus on clear objectives and provide specific prompts to guide AI interactions. Iteratively refine responses for accuracy and relevance, and always verify information against credible sources to maintain professional integrity. Interacting and working with AI, rather than allowing it to complete tasks for you without your review, reinforces your understanding and ensures quality work.
While AI is a valuable tool, it has limitations such as accuracy, contextual understanding, and potential biases. To use AI effectively, Faculty should verify information, provide context, and maintain ethical standards.
5. Protect Private and Confidential Data
In general, do not expose files or data to an AI system that you would not share publicly. Specifically, you must comply with the policies mentioned in Section 1 and NDUS Procedure 1203.7. Consult the AI Review Board FAQ document for more information, especially if you have a use case that involves exposing private or confidential data to an AI system.
If you use AI-generated content in your work, credit the AI tool used. Ask the AI to provide references so you can verify and credit the original sources when possible. Never represent AI-generated content as your original work.
Artificial intelligence tools will impact each of us in myriad ways. Faculty are encouraged to engage in ongoing conversations with each other and with their students about AI tools: which tools are being used in your discipline and how, what are strengths and weaknesses of the different tools available, what skills do our students need in order to use AI tools effectively, what does it mean to be a responsible consumer of information in the AI age? Answers to these questions will emerge from engaging with the issues and thinking critically about what we learn.
Click here to learn how to install ChatGPT, CoPilot, and Google Gemini.
Click here for VCSU's Student guide on using AI wisely.
Click here for VCSU's Staff guide on using AI wisely.
Created with assistance from ChatGPT. (used to generate ideas and editing)
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT-4o (Aug 2024 version). [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat