Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (also identified herein as “the College”) is committed to fostering an educational environment that responsibly integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance learning and uphold academic integrity. The following policy outlines the College's approach to the use of AI tools by students and employees.
Purpose
This policy aims to provide clear guidelines for the ethical and effective use of AI tools within the College's academic and administrative activities, ensuring alignment with the institution's mission and values.
Definitions
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Computer systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as understanding natural language, recognizing patterns, and making decisions.
- Generative AI Tools: AI applications that can produce content, including text, images, and code, based on input prompts (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL-E).
Scope
This policy applies to all members of the Cincinnati State community, including students, faculty, staff, and administrators, across all academic and administrative functions.
Guidelines
- Academic Integrity: Students are expected to complete assignments independently unless otherwise specified. The use of AI tools to generate content for assignments is prohibited unless explicitly allowed by the instructor. Unauthorized use of AI tools constitutes a violation of the College's Academic Integrity Policy.
- Instructor Discretion: In areas of the College where departmental, programmatic, or accrediting body policies exist, instructors must adhere to those established guidelines, ensuring alignment with broader institutional or professional standards. In all other cases faculty members have the authority to determine the appropriateness of AI tool usage in their courses. Instructors should clearly communicate their policies and the College’s policies regarding AI tools in their course syllabi and discuss these policies with students.
- Transparency and Disclosure: When AI tools are permitted, users must disclose their use and properly attribute any AI-generated content. This includes specifying the tool used and the extent of its contribution.
- Data Privacy and Security: Users must not input confidential or sensitive information into AI tools, especially AI tools not provided or vetted by the College, to protect personal and institutional data.
- Ethical Use: The College encourages the ethical use of AI tools, emphasizing critical evaluation of AI-generated content and awareness of potential biases. Users should ensure that AI applications are used in ways that align with the College's commitment to equity and inclusion.
Implementation
- Education and Training: The College will endeavor to provide resources and training to help the College community understand AI technologies and their appropriate applications.
- Policy Review: This policy will be reviewed regularly by a subcommittee of the Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee (APCC) to adapt to technological advancements and emerging best practices in AI integration within educational settings.
- Oversight: Authority for amendments and operational authority for the implementation of this policy resides with the Provost, in consultation with APCC.