Teaching & Learning
- Kennesaw State University gives instructors discretion to decide whether and how generative AI may be used in coursework and assignments, and the syllabus should communicate the course-specific rule
- The faculty policy options describe a range from unrestricted use to prohibition, and the academic integrity materials state that unauthorized use of AI on assignments can be treated as cheating or unauthorized assistance
Faculty are encouraged to use one of the following policy options in their syllabus and assignment prompts to clarify expectations around generative AI use in their courses.
No Restriction on Generative AI
Students are permitted to use generative AI tools in this course in all coursework and assignments. Any use of AI must be appropriately cited.
Some Use of Generative AI Permitted
Students are permitted to use generative AI tools in this course for the following activities: [e.g., brainstorming, outlining, editing, etc.] unless otherwise indicated. Any use of AI must be appropriately cited.
Restricted Use of Generative AI
Students are permitted to use generative AI tools in this course only with explicit permission from the instructor and only in the ways allowed by the instructor. Unauthorized or undisclosed use of AI tools will be considered a violation of academic integrity.
No Use of Generative AI Permitted
Students are not permitted to use generative AI tools in this course unless explicitly stated otherwise by the instructor. Unauthorized use of AI in any assignment or activity will be considered a violation of academic integrity.
Students are expected to complete all course work with honesty and integrity. This means that a student’s work should not include any unauthorized assistance from another person, company, website, or AI-generated source. KSU permits the use of AI-generated content only when approved by the instructor and/or in accordance with the assignment directions. All use of AI-generated content must be appropriately cited. Work submitted that includes AI-generated content that has not been approved by the instructor and/or documented as required may be considered a violation of the KSU Code of Conduct.
Cheating is defined as using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. This includes but is not limited to:
• Unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning tools unless expressly permitted by the instructor
- Academic misconduct procedures state that using unauthorized AI or unauthorized assistance in any academic exercise, including formal assessments, may constitute cheating
- The university-level materials do not set a single blanket rule for AI use in exams and assessments; instead, use is governed by instructor authorization and assignment directions
Students are expected to complete all course work with honesty and integrity. This means that a student’s work should not include any unauthorized assistance from another person, company, website, or AI-generated source. KSU permits the use of AI-generated content only when approved by the instructor and/or in accordance with the assignment directions. All use of AI-generated content must be appropriately cited.
Cheating is defined as using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. This includes but is not limited to:
• Unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning tools unless expressly permitted by the instructor
- The university provides guidance encouraging AI as a learning support when used to supplement, not replace, student thinking and work
- KSU recommends that students verify AI outputs and follow course-specific instructor rules; some sample syllabus language also allows AI for activities such as brainstorming and editing
AI can be a useful tool for brainstorming, feedback, study support, and drafting when used appropriately.
Use AI to support your learning and understanding, not to avoid the hard work of thinking critically and engaging deeply with your coursework.
Fact-check all AI-generated content. AI tools may provide incorrect or biased responses. You are responsible for verifying any information you use.
Always follow your course syllabus and assignment instructions. Faculty may have different rules about whether and how AI tools can be used in their courses.
Some Use of Generative AI Permitted
Students are permitted to use generative AI tools in this course for the following activities: [e.g., brainstorming, outlining, editing, etc.] unless otherwise indicated.
Research
- KSU also requires disclosure of AI use in manuscripts and says researchers must follow publisher, funding, and disciplinary rules
- The AI policy states that AI may assist with research-related writing tasks such as drafting, editing, translation, formatting, grammar, and literature review support, but AI must not be listed as an author and human authors remain accountable for the work
Generative AI and automated writing tools may assist with tasks such as drafting, editing, translation, formatting, grammar checking, and literature review support. However, such use does not qualify the tool for authorship, and all final responsibility rests with the human researcher(s).
AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors on any scholarly work. Responsibility for the integrity, originality, and accuracy of the work remains fully with the human author(s).
Researchers and students must disclose the use of AI in manuscripts, theses, dissertations, and presentations in accordance with the citation and acknowledgment standards appropriate to the discipline or publisher.
When AI is used in writing or communication as part of the research process, it must be reviewed critically by the researcher, and all claims, references, and outputs must be verified by a human.
Researchers must comply with disciplinary norms, publisher requirements, funding agency rules, and ethical guidelines that govern AI use in scholarly work.
- KSU allows AI to be used in research data analysis and related workflows only with strong safeguards
- Researchers must comply with human subjects, privacy, confidentiality, and data security requirements, may not upload restricted or sensitive data into public AI systems without authorization, and must validate AI-generated analyses through human review
Use of AI in research involving human subjects, personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), or other restricted/sensitive data must comply with KSU policies, IRB protocols, sponsor requirements, and applicable laws.
Researchers must not input confidential, proprietary, export-controlled, or otherwise restricted data into public or unapproved AI tools unless explicitly authorized and protected by appropriate agreements.
AI may be used to support data analysis, coding, classification, transcription, translation, summarization, visualization, and other research-related activities, but researchers remain responsible for validating the accuracy, reliability, and appropriateness of all outputs.
The use of AI-generated or synthetic data must be clearly identified and justified in research records, publications, and presentations when relevant.
Researchers are responsible for evaluating potential bias, fabrication, hallucination, privacy risks, and intellectual property concerns when using AI in any phase of the research process.
- The university explicitly ties AI use in research to research integrity, IRB, sponsor, and legal requirements
- Researchers must disclose AI use when required, cannot treat AI as an author, must preserve documentation when AI materially affects research outputs, and remain personally responsible for the truthfulness, compliance, and ethical acceptability of submissions such as manuscripts and research materials
Use of AI in research involving human subjects, personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), or other restricted/sensitive data must comply with KSU policies, IRB protocols, sponsor requirements, and applicable laws.
Researchers and students must disclose the use of AI in manuscripts, theses, dissertations, and presentations in accordance with the citation and acknowledgment standards appropriate to the discipline or publisher.
AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors on any scholarly work. Responsibility for the integrity, originality, and accuracy of the work remains fully with the human author(s).
Researchers should maintain documentation of how AI was used when it materially affects data collection, analysis, interpretation, or written outputs, especially when required for reproducibility, compliance, or audit purposes.
Researchers must comply with disciplinary norms, publisher requirements, funding agency rules, and ethical guidelines that govern AI use in scholarly work.
Academic Integrity
- KSU requires disclosure and citation of AI use in academic work whenever AI is used
- The guidance says students must cite AI-generated content, include an acknowledgment describing how the tool was used, and preserve enough transparency for instructors or readers to understand the extent of AI assistance; manuscript, thesis, and dissertation uses must also follow disciplinary or publisher standards
All use of AI-generated content must be appropriately cited.
When students use generative AI in coursework, they should acknowledge the use in a manner appropriate to the assignment or discipline. This may include identifying the tool used, the date of use, and a brief description of how it contributed to the work.
If AI-generated text, ideas, code, images, or other content are incorporated into an assignment, students must provide citation or attribution in accordance with instructor expectations and applicable style guidelines.
Researchers and students must disclose the use of AI in manuscripts, theses, dissertations, and presentations in accordance with the citation and acknowledgment standards appropriate to the discipline or publisher.
AI can be acknowledged in text similar to the following examples:
I used ChatGPT (OpenAI, chat.openai.com) on January 2, 2025, to help generate ideas for organizing my argument and to revise a paragraph for clarity. I reviewed and edited all output and take responsibility for the final content.
At the end of your assignment, include an acknowledgment statement that describes how the AI tool was used.
- KSU treats unauthorized or undisclosed AI use as a potential academic integrity violation and routes enforcement through its student conduct and misconduct procedures
- The university materials provided do not establish a specific institutional rule endorsing AI detectors as determinative evidence, but they do specify that unauthorized AI use may be charged as cheating or unauthorized assistance
Unauthorized or undisclosed use of AI tools will be considered a violation of academic integrity.
Unauthorized use of AI in any assignment or activity will be considered a violation of academic integrity.
Work submitted that includes AI-generated content that has not been approved by the instructor and/or documented as required may be considered a violation of the KSU Code of Conduct.
Cheating is defined as using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. This includes but is not limited to:
• Unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning tools unless expressly permitted by the instructor
Institutional & Administrative
- KSU permits faculty and staff to use AI for teaching and administrative support, but they remain responsible for accuracy, fairness, confidentiality, and human oversight
- The guidance tells employees not to rely on AI as the sole basis for consequential decisions and to protect student records, personnel information, and other restricted data when using AI tools
Faculty and staff may use AI tools to support teaching, administrative work, communication, brainstorming, content development, and other professional responsibilities when such use is consistent with university policy and applicable law.
Employees are responsible for reviewing, verifying, and editing AI-generated output before using or sharing it in official university work.
AI should not be used as the sole basis for high-stakes decisions affecting students, employees, or institutional operations.
Faculty retain full responsibility for course design, grading, feedback, academic judgment, and compliance with student privacy and accessibility requirements.
Do not enter restricted or sensitive university data into public AI tools unless the tool has been approved for that type of data and appropriate safeguards are in place.
Examples of restricted or sensitive data include student education records, employee records, health information, financial data, research data subject to restrictions, legal matters, and confidential institutional information.
- The university emphasizes using institutionally approved tools for protected data and ties AI use to existing data governance, privacy, security, and legal requirements
- KSU prohibits entering restricted, sensitive, confidential, proprietary, export-controlled, or otherwise protected university data into public or unapproved AI tools unless explicit authorization and safeguards are in place
Do not enter restricted or sensitive university data into public AI tools unless the tool has been approved for that type of data and appropriate safeguards are in place.
Examples of restricted or sensitive data include student education records, employee records, health information, financial data, research data subject to restrictions, legal matters, and confidential institutional information.
Use institutionally approved tools and services when available, especially when working with university data.
Researchers must not input confidential, proprietary, export-controlled, or otherwise restricted data into public or unapproved AI tools unless explicitly authorized and protected by appropriate agreements.
Use of AI in research involving human subjects, personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), or other restricted/sensitive data must comply with KSU policies, IRB protocols, sponsor requirements, and applicable laws.
- KSU has a formal AI governance structure and institution-level policy framework for responsible AI adoption
- The AI Governance Committee oversees guidance and policy development, and the policy sets university-wide principles around human responsibility, transparency, privacy, security, accessibility, compliance, and ongoing review as AI use evolves
The KSU AI Governance Committee was formed to develop institutional guidance and policy recommendations related to the use of artificial intelligence at Kennesaw State University.
This policy establishes expectations for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) at Kennesaw State University. It applies to students, faculty, staff, and affiliates who use AI tools in connection with university teaching, learning, research, operations, or services.
Users of AI remain responsible for the content, decisions, and outcomes that result from its use.
AI use at KSU must align with existing university policies and all applicable laws and regulations, including those related to academic integrity, privacy, data security, accessibility, discrimination, intellectual property, and research compliance.
This policy will be reviewed and updated as needed to reflect changes in technology, law, and institutional practice.
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 Kennesaw State University's AI Policies
Kennesaw State University has defined AI policies in 11 of 12 categories, with an overall coverage score of 92%.
KSU requires disclosure and citation of AI use in academic work whenever AI is used. The guidance says students must cite AI-generated content, include an acknowledgment describing how the tool was used, and preserve enough transparency for instructors or readers to understand the extent of AI assistance; manuscript, thesis, and dissertation uses must also follow disciplinary or publisher standards.
KSU treats unauthorized or undisclosed AI use as a potential academic integrity violation and routes enforcement through its student conduct and misconduct procedures. The university materials provided do not establish a specific institutional rule endorsing AI detectors as determinative evidence, but they do specify that unauthorized AI use may be charged as cheating or unauthorized assistance.
KSU prohibits entering restricted, sensitive, confidential, proprietary, export-controlled, or otherwise protected university data into public or unapproved AI tools unless explicit authorization and safeguards are in place. The university emphasizes using institutionally approved tools for protected data and ties AI use to existing data governance, privacy, security, and legal requirements.