Teaching & Learning
- AI use in coursework is governed by course-specific instructor rules
- Unauthorized AI use to complete assignments is treated as an academic integrity violation
- Students may use AI for assignments only when it is explicitly allowed and when the submitted work remains their own thinking, with disclosure and attribution required whenever AI contributes
• Understand and follow course-specific guidelines for AI use.
Each instructor may set different expectations for how AI can be used in assignments or assessments. You are expected
to read all directions carefully and ask questions when expectations are unclear.
• Use AI to support your learning and strengthen your understanding.
You may use AI to study, brainstorm, explore ideas, or other tasks as permitted by assignment directions, but your
submitted work should reflect your own thinking. AI is a tool to help you engage more deeply with the material and
build your academic skills.
• Be transparent and provide attribution when using AI.
Any time you use AI to support your work, you are expected to clearly disclose how it was used. This includes
summarizing the role AI played and attributing ideas or phrasing that came from AI tools. Transparency about AI use is
part of academic integrity and helps demonstrate your honest engagement with the learning process.
If your instructor has not explicitly allowed AI for a specific assignment, do not assume it is permitted. Always follow
assignment directions and ask if you are unsure. Clear communication ensures your use of AI aligns with course
expectations.
• Unauthorized use of any generative AI tool to complete a
discussion question, assignment, or exam.
- AI use in exams and assessments is not allowed unless the instructor explicitly permits it
- Instructors may also require verbal checks or alternative assessments to verify student understanding
- The student policy states that using AI during assessments intended to measure personal knowledge is improper, and the handbook classifies unauthorized AI use on exams as an academic integrity violation
This policy applies to all learning activities, including assignments, assessments, projects, and other course-related tasks. It
outlines when AI use is appropriate, what constitutes misuse, and how instructors may verify whether submitted work reflects
authentic student learning.
Submitting AI-generated work when it is not allowed, using AI during assessments meant to reflect personal knowledge,
or attempting to pass off AI responses as your own violates GCU’s academic integrity policy and ethical standards.
• Using AI during a take-home exam or timed assessment where no external tools are allowed.
• Unauthorized use of any generative AI tool to complete a
discussion question, assignment, or exam.
• Neglecting to properly cite or give credit to any generative AI
tool on a discussion question, assignment, or exam where the
use of such tools was explicitly permitted by an instructor
- GCU encourages students to use AI for learning support such as studying, brainstorming, concept clarification, and exploring ideas
- This use is permitted when it supports understanding rather than replacing student reasoning, and students remain responsible for their learning and submitted work
Students are encouraged to engage with AI tools in ways that support personal growth, academic effort, and ethical
responsibility. Rather than avoiding AI, you are called to use it wisely; to deepen your learning, strengthen your
understanding, and uphold the integrity of your work.
While AI tools can offer support in
studying, organizing, or clarifying ideas, they are not a substitute for your engagement, reasoning, and original work.
• Use AI to support your learning and strengthen your understanding.
You may use AI to study, brainstorm, explore ideas, or other tasks as permitted by assignment directions, but your
submitted work should reflect your own thinking. AI is a tool to help you engage more deeply with the material and
build your academic skills.
AI tools can help you brainstorm topics, create study questions, explore alternative perspectives, or better understand
complex material. These uses are appropriate when they help you think more deeply, not when they replace your own
reasoning.
• Asking an AI tool to explain a difficult concept in simpler terms as a study strategy.
Research
Academic Integrity
- Failure to disclose AI use, even when AI is otherwise allowed, violates university expectations
- GCU requires students to disclose and attribute AI use whenever AI meaningfully contributes to academic work
- Students must explain how AI was used, may need to document inputs and outputs, and should follow disciplinary citation styles when required
• Be transparent and provide attribution when using AI.
Any time you use AI to support your work, you are expected to clearly disclose how it was used. This includes
summarizing the role AI played and attributing ideas or phrasing that came from AI tools. Transparency about AI use is
part of academic integrity and helps demonstrate your honest engagement with the learning process.
Whenever AI contributes to your work, you must clearly acknowledge how it was used. This may include documenting
input/output, submitting drafts, or describing the role AI played in the assignment. You are expected to follow the
attribution and citation standards appropriate to your discipline (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) when crediting AI use.
Proper attribution is essential to maintaining academic integrity.
Attribution is always required when AI
contributes to your work. Do not represent work generated by AI tools or resources as being your own original work.
Transparent
attribution is expected whenever AI meaningfully contributes to your work, even if the final output is entirely your own.
• Neglecting to properly cite or give credit to any generative AI
tool on a discussion question, assignment, or exam where the
use of such tools was explicitly permitted by an instructor
- The university also requires plagiarism detection software for student work
- AI misuse can be handled through academic integrity procedures and may lead to assignment penalties, zeroes, formal review, probation, suspension, or dismissal
- GCU says faculty are not expected to prove AI use, but they may use professional judgment and verification steps such as conversations, written explanations, phone or video meetings, review of drafts or AI logs, and alternative assessments
Faculty are not expected to investigate or prove AI use. Instead, they are empowered to use professional judgment and
student-centered strategies to ensure that learning outcomes have been met. If your instructor has concerns about the
originality or authorship of your work, they may initiate a verification process focused on clarifying your engagement with the
assignment and helping you demonstrate your understanding.
• Ask for supporting materials. This may include drafts, outlines, notes, or AI input/output logs to better understand how
you arrived at the final submission.
• Assign an alternative assessment. In some cases, your instructor may ask you to complete a different task—such as a
presentation, oral response, or live demonstration—to verify that you understand the material.
If AI is used inappropriately, it may be addressed through the university’s Academic Integrity policy.
Possible consequences of AI misuse include:
• Academic sanctions within the course, such as:
• A requirement to revise or redo the assignment using approved methods.
• A grade penalty on the assignment or course component.
• A zero on the assignment in cases of clear misrepresentation or prohibited use.
• Referral to university-level review, particularly for repeated, intentional, or severe violations. This may result in:
• A formal warning or disciplinary probation.
• Academic integrity holds or notations.
• Suspension or dismissal, in cases where misconduct is egregious or part of a pattern.
Grand Canyon University requires the use of plagiarism detection
software, by which student work is monitored for plagiarism. The
University retains all student work submitted to the plagiarism
detection database.
Institutional & Administrative
- Faculty are given discretion to set course-level AI expectations and to choose fair verification methods when concerns arise
- The student AI policy also states that instructors may use methods to confirm understanding and may involve Academic Affairs or Student Affairs if needed
- No broader university-wide policy on faculty use of AI for grading, lesson planning, recommendation letters, or administrative communications is defined in the provided sources
Each instructor may set different expectations for how AI can be used in assignments or assessments. You are expected
to read all directions carefully and ask questions when expectations are unclear.
Your instructors may use appropriate methods to confirm your understanding and
ensure that academic standards are met in a fair and supportive way.
Instructors will determine
what verification method is most appropriate based on the course learning objectives and the nature of the assignment.
Your instructor will decide how to handle any concerns about AI use based on the course and situation. If needed, they may
involve Academic Affairs or Student Affairs to help review the matter.
- The university also routes new AI tool development through an internal request, evaluation, leadership approval, testing, and rollout process
- The student policy specifically names non-university-affiliated tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and CoPilot as prohibited for uploading GCU course materials
- GCU prohibits students from entering confidential, sensitive, patient, client, student record, or protected course information into external or public AI tools, unless explicitly allowed
Do not upload or input any confidential or sensitive information about yourself or any other person into any
Generative AI tool.
Unless explicitly allowed, you should not upload quizzes, assignments, rubrics, or other course materials to public
AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini or CoPilot). Doing so may compromise academic integrity or violate GCU’s content
policies.
Students may not upload, input, or otherwise share GCU course materials with AI tools, platforms, or third-party services not
affiliated with the university (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or CoPilot). This includes but is not limited to assignment instructions,
rubrics, quizzes, test questions, instructional materials, and course content.
• Unauthorized disclosure or use of patient or client information,
or student educational records is strictly prohibited. This
includes entering, uploading, or sharing any identifiable or
protected information in artificial intelligence (AI) tools, third-
party platforms, or external applications for academic, clinical,
or professional purposes.
Your request will be presented to University Leadership for approval and prioritization.
New project requests will be discussed and prioritized with the Academic Leadership team.
- GCU presents an institution-wide AI philosophy centered on ethical, human-centered, and faith-informed use of AI
- The university says it aims to build AI awareness and literacy while emphasizing responsibility, fairness, transparency, and human flourishing
- For institutional AI tools, requests go through evaluation, leadership approval, stakeholder testing, and rollout, indicating a structured governance process
GCU is committed to equipping students with AI literacy grounded in character and integrity.
This philosophy is guided by five core principles:
• Empowered Learning: You are encouraged to use AI tools responsibly as you work toward meaningful academic
goals, with clear direction on when your own effort is essential.
• Integrity-Driven Assessment: Your instructors may use appropriate methods to confirm your understanding and
ensure that academic standards are met in a fair and supportive way.
• Student-Centered Flexibility: Courses may include assignments that adapt to new technologies while still focusing
on genuine learning and individual growth.
• Transparent Expectations: You will receive clear and ongoing communication about when and how AI use is
appropriate, helping you build habits for ethical use in both academic and professional settings.
• AI Literacy with Accountability: You are expected to develop informed, responsible practices for using AI, knowing
when it supports learning and when it could interfere with your own development.
We are boldly focused on redefining the creation and execution of higher education. As a disruptive catalyst in higher education, GCU is entrepreneurial and innovative, with programs purpose-built for today’s challenges. Central to this commitment is cultivating artificial intelligence (AI) awareness, helping students not only know how to use emerging technologies but also understand implications, limitations and ethical responsibility in the use of AI.
We view AI as a tool to uplift people, not replace them — promoting human dignity, fairness and transparency while aligning with biblical principles of stewardship and wisdom.
AWS will meet with you to discuss your request, potential solutions, and provide a general scope needed to accomplish your goals.
Your request will be presented to University Leadership for approval and prioritization.
Stakeholders will test and validate the responses and provide feedback on updates needed until approved for production.
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 Grand Canyon University's AI Policies
Grand Canyon University has defined AI policies in 8 of 12 categories, with an overall coverage score of 67%.
GCU requires students to disclose and attribute AI use whenever AI meaningfully contributes to academic work. Students must explain how AI was used, may need to document inputs and outputs, and should follow disciplinary citation styles when required. Failure to disclose AI use, even when AI is otherwise allowed, violates university expectations.
GCU says faculty are not expected to prove AI use, but they may use professional judgment and verification steps such as conversations, written explanations, phone or video meetings, review of drafts or AI logs, and alternative assessments. AI misuse can be handled through academic integrity procedures and may lead to assignment penalties, zeroes, formal review, probation, suspension, or dismissal. The university also requires plagiarism detection software for student work.
GCU prohibits students from entering confidential, sensitive, patient, client, student record, or protected course information into external or public AI tools, unless explicitly allowed. The student policy specifically names non-university-affiliated tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and CoPilot as prohibited for uploading GCU course materials. The university also routes new AI tool development through an internal request, evaluation, leadership approval, testing, and rollout process.