Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
Guidelines on the Use of Generative AI Tools
At North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE), we recognize the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) while also acknowledging the complexities it introduces across different fields of study. As we navigate an evolving technological landscape, our commitment remains to enhance learning, creativity, and productivity in ways that align with our diverse academic disciplines and pedagogical values. While AI presents opportunities to streamline processes and expand innovative possibilities, we also understand the importance of fostering independent critical thinking, ethical AI usage, and discipline-specific approaches to learning. Our goal is to engage in an open dialogue about AI’s role in education—embracing its benefits where appropriate while addressing its challenges with thoughtful consideration.
We believe AI can be a powerful tool to augment, not replace, human ingenuity. Our approach centers around integrating AI responsibly into the tools and platforms our community already uses while recognizing the ways its improper or unauthorized usage can hinder or harm student achievement and success. By doing so, we aim to empower students, faculty, and staff to enhance their work, reduce repetitive tasks, and allow more time for meaningful innovation and creativity.
As we advance, AI must be used with respect to academic honesty, academic freedom, student data privacy, and intellectual property rights. We commit to using AI in ways that safeguard the work of our creators, protect individual privacy, and maintain transparency in how AI is applied across campus.
Instructor Autonomy and Course Policies
Instructors are experts in their discipline and responsible for what is taught, appropriate pedagogies, and assessment methodologies. Instructors have the academic freedom to establish policies regarding the use of AI in their courses. AI is defined as any computer systems or algorithms that imitate intelligent human behavior. These policies may allow or restrict certain or all uses of AI tools and should be clearly outlined in the course syllabus and communicated to students. If students are unclear about the AI policies in a course, they are encouraged to seek clarification from their instructor.
Student Responsibility and AI Use
Students are expected to review each class syllabus for information or policies on the use of AI tools. The use of AI may hinder student success and should not be a substitute for the student's original written work. Specifically, employing AI tools to largely or partially complete an assignment or exam (such as by inputting exam or assignment questions) is prohibited. Students must acknowledge when they use AI in any way and should disclose its use if they are uncertain.
Disclosure and Academic Honesty
If allowed, students are expected to use AI tools ethically and responsibly to enhance their learning experience without compromising academic honesty. AI should be seen as a supplemental resource to assist with idea generation, grammar corrections, or research organization, but not as a substitute for a student's original thought, problem-solving, critical analysis, or creative work. Misusing AI tools to complete assignments without proper attribution or understanding undermines the educational process and violates the principles of honesty and integrity in academia. Failing to disclose AI assistance may be considered a violation of the North Orange Continuing Education Academic Honesty policy or BP/AP 5500 Standards of Student Conduct. For information on proper citation, students can visit How to Cite Chat GPT.
Student Safety
When using AI tools, students must prioritize the security of their personal information and data. Avoid sharing sensitive information with AI systems and ensure the platforms comply with data privacy regulations.
Ethical Considerations
Students and faculty are encouraged to consider the ethical implications of AI. There are significant limitations and risks associated with its use, misuse, and overuse, such as issues of incorrect information, hallucination, bias, fairness, transparency, plagiarism, unauthorized use, and sustainability. As North Orange Continuing Education explores the uses of AI, users should also acknowledge its environmental impact, particularly in energy consumption and computing resources.
Monitoring and Future Updates
North Orange Continuing Education will continue to monitor the evolving landscape of AI technology and its implications for academic honesty. This policy will be reviewed and updated as necessary, and faculty, students, and staff are encouraged to provide input on the effective use of AI tools in educational settings.
North Orange Continuing Education is committed to harnessing the innovative potential of AI to enhance our students' educational experience. We believe that AI can be a valuable tool for learning and discovery when used responsibly. Our faculty and administration are working together to ensure that AI tools are integrated in a way that supports academic honesty, promotes critical thinking, and fosters a positive learning environment.