Academic Honesty and AI Tools Usage Policy

Academic Honesty

Learning thrives in an environment built on trust and respect. The subsequent actions undermine academic integrity, creating obstacles to effective learning:

  • Allocating less time than necessary for a satisfactory job.
  • Skipping readings or neglecting non-graded activities.
  • clicking through course information without thoroughly reviewing resources.

While these behaviors can impact your grade and learning experience, they are personal choices. On the other hand, certain actions go beyond mere ‘choices’ and breach academic regulations and even legal boundaries. These include:

  • Plagiarizing text by directly copying from websites, blogs, other discussions, or published texts.
  • Recycling an essay or project previously submitted for another class.
  • Engaging in dishonest practices during a test or project.
  • Copying directly from another student or source without proper attribution.
  • Purchasing or replicating an essay or project from an online source.

It’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the Cal Poly definitions of Cheating and Plagiarism. Take a moment to read this page and understand these concepts.

If you’re uncertain about citing a source, incorporating a quote, or acknowledging someone in your summaries, I’m here to assist. We can arrange a brief Zoom or in-person meeting, or I can provide feedback on a draft. Writing rules can be confusing; let’s clarify them together!

On the downside, the college doesn’t differentiate between breaking rules intentionally or unintentionally—the consequences remain consistent. In my class, the first instance of misquoting, misrepresentation, or copy/pasting requires a redo of the work and a one-on-one meeting with me. Upon a second occurrence, we meet again, but you won’t be allowed to redo the assignment, receiving a zero for that grade. For a third instance, you will not pass the class. Let’s take a proactive approach! If you’re unsure about citing, don’t hesitate to ask!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools Usage Policy

Generative AI tools, which create text, images, code, audio, and other content, are widely available. However, AI tools should not be seen to avoid learning the material, but rather as a tool that can help you master content and produce better results. Use AI responsibly and ethically, ensuring that your own ideas are the focus. Keep your academic integrity intact and make sure your own ideas shine through. Always cite AI contributions to maintain academic integrity.

AI is allowed for certain assignments as specified below. Otherwise, do not use AI tools. If you choose to use generative AI tools, please remember that they may

  • be trained on outdated, biased, or copyrighted materials
  • result in plagiarism, copyright issues, or inaccuracies

Therefore, you are responsible for ensuring the quality and accuracy of your work, not the AI. When permitted, generative AI use must be properly documented and credited according to APA style. For example:

  • OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

    • Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
    • Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

Advice:

  1. Good prompts lead to better AI results.
  2. Always verify AI-generated facts or data.

Assignment Guidelines

Weekly Assignments (Individual): AI use is prohibited.

Midterm and Final Exams: AI use is prohibited.

Project Presentations: You may use AI to understand articles, but your presentation must be original. Attach any AI conversations to your project.

Lab Assignments: You may use AI for coding, but only after attempting the task yourself. Understanding the computer language is essential in this course and you will primarily adjust provided code rather than write from scratch. Attach any AI conversations to your submission.

Investigation Assignments: AI usage is prohibited. I’ll be in the classroom and available in my office hours to answer your questions.

Unauthorized use of AI for assignments will be considered a violation of the course’s academic integrity policy, and appropriate actions will be taken in accordance with Cal Poly’s Academic Dishonesty policy.