General Guidelines

• While there is a place for technology in the scholarly writing process, this course holds the philosophical position that writing is primarily a human social pursuit. The writing that students submit must consist exclusively of the product of their own cognitive, creative, interpretive, and decision-making process. Since the goal of this course is to develop writing skills, the use of generative artificial intelligence or other automated methods for producing text directly contradicts this goal. 

• What writing on one’s own does most of all – without help from anyone or any digital tool – is help you develop your thinking, discover your own beliefs and ideas, and express yourself effectively. Your own writing may not be as “correct” as what GAI or a more experienced writer can produce, but it is your most powerful tool for self-discovery and the development of your abilities to think deeply and critically.

• Should progress in AI require us to significantly revise the AI policy - and/or any of the assignments and/or grading criteria – outlined in this syllabus, we will do so as a group as part of an in-class exercise and brainstorming.

• GAI are tools can be helpful but can also rob you of important learning opportunities – opportunities you are paying for. This semester we will work together to come up with an acceptable use policy, so we can spend the semester learning instead of worrying about the origins of your work.

• Students are encouraged to consult me if you have questions or require assistance related to the responsible and ethical use of AI tools.

• In this class, we ask that you keep an open line of communication with the instructor regarding the use of AI writing tools. It is important to consult your instructor before using them in an assignment. If, in consideration with your instructor, you do use ChatGPT or other GAI tools, cite them in your Works Cited page and be prepared to argue a rationale for the appropriateness of their use. 

• If your AI use appears to entail plagiarizing, I will contact you directly to talk about how to use AI in an acceptable way. You might have to redo the assignment, but you won’t be in trouble unless you repeat the behavior. 

• If you are usure about how to use AI appropriately or how to cite it in your paper, please ask. I am here to help you navigate this tool responsibly. By adhering to this policy, we can maintain a high standard of academic integrity while also taking advantage of the unique opportunities that AI technology offers for our writing and learning processes.

• It’s very important that you understand exactly how AI tools work and how to use them in ways that do not limit your own agency and creativity, and do not perpetuate harmful or false ideas and discriminatory epistemological frameworks. To this end, we will talk about generative AI and, more specifically, Large Language Models like ChatGPT. 

• GAI is defined here as AI which has the capacity to ideate, summarize, generat4e, rewrite, or validate content, including, but not limited to, tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, and DALL-E.

• For some assignments, I may require students to prepare their assignments using google docs, which allow access to the document’s history. 

• Learning to think through new or difficult material is the point of Gen-Ed classes - learning how different disciplines approach problems so you have a more robust intellectual tool kit at your disposal. That is why you are paying for a WCSU education, after all. Real learning can be hard and is often frustrating. It is extremely tempting to rely on AI for something that seems initially much better than you can do – but giving in to that temptation only leaves you less and less prepared and feeling more and more like an imposter. It also wastes your time and money.