Teaching & Learning
- Use of AI in coursework is generally left to instructor discretion
- The AI policy also requires transparency about AI use and says students remain responsible for the accuracy and quality of submitted work
- Students may use AI only if the instructor explicitly permits it and only within the limits set by the instructor or assignment; otherwise, unauthorized AI use is treated as academic dishonesty
Student Use and Restrictions
The use of AI by students in their coursework should align with the Academic Honor Code and any course-specific policies set forth by instructors. Students should assume that using AI for assistance or content generation on assignments or exams is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the instructor or course policies.
Academic Integrity and Transparency
Users must disclose to the relevant audience the role of AI in any process, product, or service. This includes, but is not limited to, educational work, scholarship, and management or operational support, and relevant audiences include, but are not limited to, professors, students, colleagues, supervisors, and customers.
Users should not represent AI-generated content as their own or rely on AI systems to a degree that undermines a student's ability to think critically, solve problems independently, or develop the communication and other skills expected in the educational setting.
Instructors or departments may set more specific requirements regarding AI use and disclosure in their courses or programs.
Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty is defined by attempting to gain an unfair academic advantage by cheating, lying, plagiarizing, or violating the rules set by your professors. Plagiarism is one form of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, is passing off as one’s own work the words, writing, ideas, facts, or materials of another without acknowledging the source. A student can be found responsible for plagiarism by failing to appropriately quote, paraphrase, or cite sources and/or submitting assignments that they have written for another class, regardless of intent.
Unauthorized use of artificial intelligence in classroom assignments, tests or examinations, or in the preparation of any papers or lab reports, is considered to be academic dishonesty.
- Unauthorized AI use on tests or examinations is expressly classified as academic dishonesty
- AI use in exams and assessments is prohibited unless an instructor or course policy specifically authorizes it
Students should assume that using AI for assistance or content generation on assignments or exams is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the instructor or course policies.
Unauthorized use of artificial intelligence in classroom assignments, tests or examinations, or in the preparation of any papers or lab reports, is considered to be academic dishonesty.
- The university permits AI for accessibility-related learning support when used through an approved accommodation process
- Outside that accommodation context, the general AI policy warns students not to depend on AI in ways that undermine independent thinking and skill development, and course-specific rules may further limit use
This agreement allows for specific use of approved AI tools in compliance with the student’s accommodation needs while maintaining the integrity of academic standards.
Using AI to simplify language and explain difficult concepts.
Users should not represent AI-generated content as their own or rely on AI systems to a degree that undermines a student's ability to think critically, solve problems independently, or develop the communication and other skills expected in the educational setting.
Research
- The university-wide AI policy requires disclosure of AI's role in scholarship and prohibits presenting AI-generated work as one's own
- For formal research work submitted through the Writing Program, the college writing portfolio criteria prohibit any use of generative AI in the portfolio itself
Users must disclose to the relevant audience the role of AI in any process, product, or service. This includes, but is not limited to, educational work, scholarship, and management or operational support, and relevant audiences include, but are not limited to, professors, students, colleagues, supervisors, and customers.
Users should not represent AI-generated content as their own or rely on AI systems to a degree that undermines a student's ability to think critically, solve problems independently, or develop the communication and other skills expected in the educational setting.
Your final portfolio should not include any use of generative AI.
- The AI policy allows AI use for research-related work only if users follow privacy, legal, and data-handling requirements
- Users must avoid entering sensitive, confidential, regulated, or personally identifiable data into external AI systems unless the system has been officially approved, and the university expects human oversight because AI outputs may be inaccurate or biased
Users are prohibited from entering, uploading, or processing personal, confidential, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive information into third-party AI systems, unless approved by the College and proper safeguards are in place.
Unless the College has approved the use of AI tools for data classified as internal use only, confidential, or restricted in accordance with the College's data classification policy, no such data should be entered into, or generated with, third-party AI tools. This includes, but is not limited to, student information, educational records, personnel records, financial records, legal documents, and non-public institutional data.
Generative AI can provide false, incomplete, or biased responses. Human review and critical evaluation of AI-generated output is expected before relying on it for communication, decision-making, or publication.
To further address the safeguarding of private and sensitive data, reference is made to the Computer and Data Use Policy, Student Education Records Policy, Data Governance Policy, and Policy and Procedure for Digital Accessibility.
- Human review of AI-generated output is required before relying on it for publication
- Goucher requires disclosure of AI use in scholarship and bars users from presenting AI-generated material as their own
- Research involving human subjects must also protect privacy and confidentiality, and the research misconduct policy treats plagiarism and falsification as misconduct
Users must disclose to the relevant audience the role of AI in any process, product, or service. This includes, but is not limited to, educational work, scholarship, and management or operational support, and relevant audiences include, but are not limited to, professors, students, colleagues, supervisors, and customers.
Users should not represent AI-generated content as their own or rely on AI systems to a degree that undermines a student's ability to think critically, solve problems independently, or develop the communication and other skills expected in the educational setting.
Generative AI can provide false, incomplete, or biased responses. Human review and critical evaluation of AI-generated output is expected before relying on it for communication, decision-making, or publication.
4. Privacy and Confidentiality of Data
The principal investigator shall preserve the privacy of subjects and confidentiality of data.
B. Research misconduct means fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, conducting, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.
Academic Integrity
- Disclosure of AI use is required
- The policy says users must tell the relevant audience what role AI played in educational work or scholarship, and instructors or departments may impose more specific disclosure expectations in their courses or programs
Users must disclose to the relevant audience the role of AI in any process, product, or service. This includes, but is not limited to, educational work, scholarship, and management or operational support, and relevant audiences include, but are not limited to, professors, students, colleagues, supervisors, and customers.
Instructors or departments may set more specific requirements regarding AI use and disclosure in their courses or programs.
- The university explicitly enforces unauthorized AI use through its academic dishonesty process
- It states that unauthorized AI use in assignments, tests, exams, papers, or lab reports is academic dishonesty, but the provided sources do not define a policy on AI detection tools
Unauthorized use of artificial intelligence in classroom assignments, tests or examinations, or in the preparation of any papers or lab reports, is considered to be academic dishonesty.
Academic dishonesty is a breach of the trust established among members of the academic community. Such a violation may result in a failing grade on an assignment or exam, failure of a course, additional educational sanctions, or suspension or expulsion from the College.
Institutional & Administrative
- It also says instructors may set course-level rules on student AI use and disclosure
- The policy specifically prohibits entering sensitive institutional or personal data into third-party AI systems unless approved and safeguarded
- Faculty and staff may use AI only in ways consistent with college policy, with transparency to relevant audiences and human review before relying on outputs
This policy applies to all Goucher College employees, students, contractors, consultants, and authorized third parties who access or use AI systems in connection with College activities.
Users must disclose to the relevant audience the role of AI in any process, product, or service. This includes, but is not limited to, educational work, scholarship, and management or operational support, and relevant audiences include, but are not limited to, professors, students, colleagues, supervisors, and customers.
Generative AI can provide false, incomplete, or biased responses. Human review and critical evaluation of AI-generated output is expected before relying on it for communication, decision-making, or publication.
Users are prohibited from entering, uploading, or processing personal, confidential, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive information into third-party AI systems, unless approved by the College and proper safeguards are in place.
Instructors or departments may set more specific requirements regarding AI use and disclosure in their courses or programs.
- The AI policy ties these restrictions to the college's data classification framework and related data governance and computer/data use policies
- The college prohibits use of third-party AI tools with internal-use-only, confidential, restricted, personal, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive data unless the college has approved the tool and safeguards are in place
Users are prohibited from entering, uploading, or processing personal, confidential, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive information into third-party AI systems, unless approved by the College and proper safeguards are in place.
Unless the College has approved the use of AI tools for data classified as internal use only, confidential, or restricted in accordance with the College's data classification policy, no such data should be entered into, or generated with, third-party AI tools. This includes, but is not limited to, student information, educational records, personnel records, financial records, legal documents, and non-public institutional data.
Goucher College classifies data according to its sensitivity and the potential impact of unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or destruction. Data must be managed in a manner that aligns with its classification level and associated handling requirements.
The College classifies institutional data into four levels:
• Public – Information approved for general public release.
• Internal Use Only – Information intended for use within the College community but not for public dissemination.
• Confidential – Sensitive information that, if disclosed without authorization, could cause harm to individuals or the institution.
• Restricted – Highly sensitive information requiring the highest level of protection due to legal, contractual, or regulatory obligations.
- The provided sources do not identify a dedicated AI committee, task force, or future strategic roadmap beyond this policy framework
- Goucher has an overarching institutional AI policy that sets campus-wide principles for transparency, human oversight, legal compliance, academic integrity, and data protection
Purpose
This policy establishes the standards and expectations for the responsible, ethical, and legally compliant use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Goucher College. It is intended to support innovation while protecting individuals, institutional data, and academic integrity.
Policy Statement
Goucher College supports the thoughtful and responsible use of AI technologies in educational, administrative, and operational contexts, provided that such use aligns with the College's mission, values, and legal obligations.
Principles for Use
The following principles guide the use of AI at Goucher College:
1. Transparency and Disclosure
2. Human Accountability and Oversight
3. Data Privacy and Security
4. Accuracy and Bias Awareness
5. Academic and Professional Integrity
6. Compliance with Law and Policy
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 Goucher College's AI Policies
Goucher College has defined AI policies in 11 of 12 categories, with an overall coverage score of 92%.
Disclosure of AI use is required. The policy says users must tell the relevant audience what role AI played in educational work or scholarship, and instructors or departments may impose more specific disclosure expectations in their courses or programs.
The university explicitly enforces unauthorized AI use through its academic dishonesty process. It states that unauthorized AI use in assignments, tests, exams, papers, or lab reports is academic dishonesty, but the provided sources do not define a policy on AI detection tools.
The college prohibits use of third-party AI tools with internal-use-only, confidential, restricted, personal, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive data unless the college has approved the tool and safeguards are in place. The AI policy ties these restrictions to the college's data classification framework and related data governance and computer/data use policies.