Teaching & Learning
- Unacknowledged AI use in assessment is treated as a breach of academic conduct
- If AI is used, students must identify the parts created with AI and describe how the tool was used
- Students may use AI in assessed work only when tutors indicate it is helpful or when it is included in the assessment brief
Y ou should only use an artificial intelligence tool to support you in the preparation of work for assessment where your tutors have indicated that its use might be helpful or where it is part of the assessment brief.
If you do use an artificial intelligence tool, you must clearly show which parts of your work have been created by using it and you must describe how you have used the tool.
Unacknowledged use of Artificial Intelligence: Where artificial intelligence has been used to support the assessment without proper acknowledgement.
- The university addresses AI use in assessments through the same permission-and-disclosure rules that apply to assessed work generally
- It also treats failure to follow examination regulations as academic misconduct, and misuse or non-disclosure of AI in assessed work can lead to serious penalties
As a brand-new student at the University of Chester, it is important you have a good understanding of Artificial Intelligence to bolster your digital literacy and to better understand our guidelines regarding using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your assessments:
Y ou should only use an artificial intelligence tool to support you in the preparation of work for assessment where your tutors have indicated that its use might be helpful or where it is part of the assessment brief.
If you misuse an artificial intelligence tool or fail to declare the use of artificial intelligence in your work and you are later found to have breached the Academic Conduct Policy because of this, the penalties can be serious.
5.3.4. Failure to abide by the examination regulations
- The university encourages students to build understanding of GenAI through its Moodle literacies module and presents this as part of responsible digital literacy development
- It says students should use AI to support preparation for assessment only where tutors permit it or where the assessment brief allows it, and students should ask a tutor if unsure
Once you have received your official Welcome email, you’ll have access to the Generative Artificial (GenAI) Intelligence Literacies module on Moodle which aims to improve your understanding of these tools and provides guidance to help you make decisions about responsible use of the tools, if your assessment brief indicates that you are permitted to use them.
On this site you can also find helpful information on a range of associated topics, including prompt engineering, critically evaluating sources and the different types of GenAI tools available.
Gaining a wider, critical understanding of GenAI tools and their inputs and outputs, is useful to improve your digital skills and literacy and can help you to better understand responsible use of AI both at the university and later on in the workplace.
Please take the time to complete this module before you start any assessment and remember to check your assessment briefs to identify if you are permitted to use AI or ask a tutor if you are unsure.
Research
- The academic conduct policy treats research misconduct, including falsification of data, as academic misconduct
- It also defines falsification by AI as misrepresentation of knowledge where a student uses AI to complete an assessment in part or in full, and includes research cases where fabricated research was produced in part or full when setting penalties
Falsification by Artificial Intelligence: A misrepresentation of knowledge. Where a student used artificial intelligence to complete the assessment [in part or full].
5.3.3. Research misconduct. Including falsification of data
25.3. Where the proven allegation is one of;
Falsification; or
Falsification by use of artificial intelligence; or
Research misconduct, where there has clearly been no risk of harm to others, no risk to the reputation of the University AND the research was solely fabricated (in part or full); or
- In the academic conduct policy, research misconduct includes failing to obtain ethical approval or comply with regulatory, legal, and professional obligations for research projects
- The university states a general institutional commitment to research integrity through the Concordat to Support Research Integrity and identifies named contacts for research integrity and misconduct
The University of Chester is committed to fulfilling the principles of the Concordat to Support Research Integrity in order to create a framework for responsible research conduct and governance.
The Named Person in accordance with the Concordat to Support Research Integrity is Professor Paul Bissell, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation)
The Named Person in relation to the UKRIO Misconduct Investigation Procedure is Ian Britton (Academic Registrar)
Research misconduct: failure to obtain ethical approval for a research project or failure to comply with regulatory, legal and professional obligations for research projects.
Academic Integrity
- Disclosure of AI use in assessed work is required
- Students must clearly identify which parts were created using AI and describe how the tool was used; if they are unsure whether AI is permitted, they are directed to university guidance explaining how to check permission and declare use
If you do use an artificial intelligence tool, you must clearly show which parts of your work have been created by using it and you must describe how you have used the tool.
If you are unsure about whether GenAI is permitted for use in your assessments, the Academic Conduct and GenAI Declaration tile on the GenAI Literacies Moodle module offers further guidance and step by step instructions about how to check whether you can use GenAI and how to declare its use.
Unacknowledged use of Artificial Intelligence: Where artificial intelligence has been used to support the assessment without proper acknowledgement.
- Undisclosed or misused AI is enforced under the academic conduct process
- The policy categorizes unacknowledged AI use as unacceptable academic practice and falsification by AI as academic misconduct
- Staff who suspect a student has gained an unfair advantage must investigate and refer the matter to the Chair of the Module Assessment Board, and proven cases can result in penalties or a hearing before the University Academic Conduct Review Panel
If you misuse an artificial intelligence tool or fail to declare the use of artificial intelligence in your work and you are later found to have breached the Academic Conduct Policy because of this, the penalties can be serious.
If a member of staff suspects that a student may have sought to gain an unfair advantage [in their academic work] in some way, the matter should be investigated thoroughly and be brought to the attention of the Chair of the Module Assessment Board, who decides whether to put the allegation formally. If the allegation is put, the student is interviewed and a judgement reached about whether academic integrity has been breached.
The University resolves breaches of academic integrity through the application of a penalty in line with the procedures or by convening a meeting of the University Academic Conduct Review Panel to hear the case in more detail.
5.2.4. Unacknowledged use of Artificial Intelligence
5.3.7. Falsification by use of Artificial Intelligence
Institutional & Administrative
- One university guide notes that it was developed with the assistance of AI technologies, but this is an acknowledgement rather than a governing rule
- The provided sources do not set a formal university policy for faculty or staff use of AI in grading, feedback, lesson planning, recommendation letters, or administrative communications
This guide from the Centre for Academic Innovation and Development (CAID) was developed by Dr Michelle
Cordingley (University Innovation Fellow) with the support of Professor Jackie Potter (Dean of Academic Innovation)
and Dr Katharine Welsh (University Innovation Fellow), with the assistance of AI technologies.
- The provided sources do not define approved AI platforms or an AI-specific data classification scheme
- The acceptable use policy does state that users may not make unauthorised distributions of proprietary university data and may not use university systems in ways that risk harm to the university
Beyond that you may not use our systems or resources to facilitate activity that is contrary to any codes of conduct that apply to your user class (examples are listed in the References section below), our Safeguarding policies, or that risks inflicting reputational damage or other harm upon the university, including but not limited to:
Unauthorised distribution of proprietary university data (including teaching materials)
- The sources do show a broader research integrity governance structure through the Concordat to Support Research Integrity and named institutional roles
- The university provides student-facing AI guidance and a GenAI literacies module, but the provided sources do not set out a university-wide AI strategy, committee, or institutional AI roadmap
Once you have received your official Welcome email, you’ll have access to the Generative Artificial (GenAI) Intelligence Literacies module on Moodle which aims to improve your understanding of these tools and provides guidance to help you make decisions about responsible use of the tools, if your assessment brief indicates that you are permitted to use them.
The University of Chester is committed to fulfilling the principles of the Concordat to Support Research Integrity in order to create a framework for responsible research conduct and governance.
The Named Person in accordance with the Concordat to Support Research Integrity is Professor Paul Bissell, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation).
The Named Person in relation to the UKRIO Misconduct Investigation Procedure is Ian Britton (Academic Registrar).
DocuMark: Responsible AI Use for Academic Integrity
Knowing your institution's AI policy is step one. DocuMark helps enforce it fairly by empowering universities to manage AI-generated content, prevent cheating, and support student writing through responsible AI use.
Common Questions About Chester University's AI Policies
Chester University has defined AI policies in 10 of 12 categories, with an overall coverage score of 83%.
Disclosure of AI use in assessed work is required. Students must clearly identify which parts were created using AI and describe how the tool was used; if they are unsure whether AI is permitted, they are directed to university guidance explaining how to check permission and declare use.
Undisclosed or misused AI is enforced under the academic conduct process. Staff who suspect a student has gained an unfair advantage must investigate and refer the matter to the Chair of the Module Assessment Board, and proven cases can result in penalties or a hearing before the University Academic Conduct Review Panel. The policy categorizes unacknowledged AI use as unacceptable academic practice and falsification by AI as academic misconduct.
The provided sources do not define approved AI platforms or an AI-specific data classification scheme. The acceptable use policy does state that users may not make unauthorised distributions of proprietary university data and may not use university systems in ways that risk harm to the university.