Southern Methodist University (SMU) AI Policy

As of fall 2024, all courses must include a clear statement about Generative AI use by selecting from one of the prepared statements or by using the individualized statement-building option.

Generative AI is not permitted in this course. The use of any form of Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, iA Writer, DALL-E) is not permitted in this course.

Generative AI may be used with prior instructor permission and appropriate attribution. You may use Generative AI tools for selective aspects and assignments in this course. Assignments for which you may use Generative AI are either marked on the syllabus or will be discussed in class.

Generative AI will be integrated into this course. Assignments in this course have been purposefully designed to integrate Generative AI in support of the learning objectives.

finally, the APC reviewed the syllabus statement on the use of generative AI and agreed with the proposed statement and recognized that individual faculty may want to establish course-specific guidelines.

I confirm that I have completed my admission application to this SMU graduate program without any artificial intelligence (AI) assistance. All elements of my application, including essays, statements, and responses, are the product of my own effort and creativity.

Giving or receiving unauthorized aid on assignments, exams, or projects.

• Entering quiz questions into an AI to get answers during an exam.

DO design assignments that are “AI-resistant” or “AI-permissive” with explicit guidelines on acceptable vs. unacceptable use.

• Using AI for practice questions or self-testing before an exam (with no sharing of graded material). • Asking AI to explain a concept, not to complete the graded task.

Faculty who use AI in the classroom should provide clear guidelines around AI use in the class for graded and ungraded assignments, self-study outside of class, and support through other SMU avenues, as well as a disclosure statement if AI is used for other pedagogical aspects such as assignment building or grading.

• Submitting AI-generated code as original work.

Generative AI is not permitted in this course. The use of any form of Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, iA Writer, DALL-E) is not permitted in this course.

Generative AI may be used with prior instructor permission and appropriate attribution. You may use Generative AI tools for selective aspects and assignments in this course. Assignments for which you may use Generative AI are either marked on the syllabus or will be discussed in class.

Generative AI will be integrated into this course. Assignments in this course have been purposefully designed to integrate Generative AI in support of the learning objectives.

Graduate students are required to discuss any use of generative AI in their dissertation or thesis with their advisor and committee. This is to ensure that their use and citation of generative AI tools meets the

The Research with Generative AI guide offers resources on using generative AI tools in academic research, covering topics such as prompt engineering, ethical considerations, and citation practices.

Ensure that all data used in Generative AI applications, particularly sensitive or proprietary data, is handled according to strict university confidentiality protocols. Data used in training Generative AI models must be anonymized or de-identified where possible to prevent any inadvertent disclosure of personal or proprietary information.

Implement secure storage solutions and access controls for datasets used in Generative AI research. This includes encrypted storage, controlled access permissions, and regular audits to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive data.

Maintain meticulous records of data provenance. This involves tracking the source of all data used in AI projects to ensure compliance with copyright laws and data usage agreements.

Researchers must thoroughly understand the terms and conditions of any software and datasets used in Generative AI research. This includes restrictions on the use of licensed software and data, which may affect the publication of research results or the development of derivative works.

• Using AI to generate fake survey results or lab data.

• Using AI to simulate data for a methods course when explicitly permitted as a modeling exercise.

Researchers must ensure that all copyrighted materials used in Generative AI training and research are properly licensed or fall within the scope of fair use exceptions. This includes text, images, software, and any other copyrighted media.

Properly document and attribute all sources of copyrighted materials. This transparency not only respects the copyright of original creators but also enhances the credibility and reproducibility of research.

Researchers must thoroughly understand the terms and conditions of any software and datasets used in Generative AI research. This includes restrictions on the use of licensed software and data, which may affect the publication of research results or the development of derivative works.

Engage with the university’s Office of Technology Transfer & Commercialization early in the research process to identify and protect potentially patentable inventions that arise from Generative AI research.

Graduate students are required to discuss any use of generative AI in their dissertation or thesis with their advisor and committee.

As of fall 2024, all courses must include a clear statement about Generative AI use by selecting from one of the prepared statements or by using the individualized statement-building option.

b) You must provide clear attribution of your sources: 1) explanation of how you used Generative AI and 2) clear citation using a format such as this example: [Chat-GPT-3. (YYYY, Month DD of query). Text of your query. Generated using OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com/].

Any assignments that utilize Generative AI without attribution can be seen as potential academic dishonesty

DO clearly disclose any AI usage in syllabi and teaching materials (also models transparency for students).

Faculty who use AI in the classroom should provide clear guidelines around AI use in the class for graded and ungraded assignments, self-study outside of class, and support through other SMU avenues, as well as a disclosure statement if AI is used for other pedagogical aspects such as assignment building or grading.

• Quoting an AI output with attribution: “Generated using ChatGPT, OpenAI, 2025.”

• Using AI to summarize readings, but writing your own synthesis and citing accordingly.

Because generative AI tools and detection software are developing at a rapid pace, it is possible that assignments you turn in might appear as “false positives” and raise concerns of possible academic dishonesty. To ensure that you can demonstrate intellectual ownership of the assignments you submit, you are therefore encouraged to maintain clear evidence of your work (e.g., time-stamped drafts and notes; copies and links to source material).

Any assignments that utilize Generative AI without attribution can be seen as potential academic dishonesty and will be treated at the undergraduate level within the SMU Student Honor Code and at the graduate and professional level within the honor codes found in their respective school policies.

A faculty member who suspects that a student has committed an act of academic misconduct may take either or both of the following courses of action:

(ii) the faculty member shall inform the student of the sanctions for a determination of responsibility, which may be as severe as a failing grade in the course;

(b) Determine that the matter should be referred to the Honor Council, in which case the charge must be filed and received by the Honor Council within twenty-two (22) class days from the date of discovery of the alleged violation.

DO use AI to streamline low-risk admin tasks (summaries of public policies, idea generation, draft emails without sensitive data).

DO clearly disclose any AI usage in syllabi and teaching materials (also models transparency for students).

DO use AI to brainstorm lesson plans, teaching strategies, or rubrics — without student PII included.

DON’T rely on AI for grading or feedback on student submissions — unless anonymized and clearly allowed by policy and syllabus disclosure.

Faculty who use AI in the classroom should provide clear guidelines around AI use in the class for graded and ungraded assignments, self-study outside of class, and support through other SMU avenues, as well as a disclosure statement if AI is used for other pedagogical aspects such as assignment building or grading.

DON’T rely on AI to make final legal, financial, or compliance decision for SMU (or personally!).

DON’T enter sensitive, protected, regulated, confidential, or proprietary data into AI tools.

DON’T use, purchase, or subscribe to AI tools that have NOT been reviewed and approved by OIT.

DON’T upload student records, grades, or advising notes — all are protected by FERPA.

DON’T paste confidential HR or payroll data into prompts.

DON’T assume outputs are private — even in Microsoft Co-pilot or SMU GPT accounts, outputs may be logged or visible to admins.

Ensure that all data used in Generative AI applications, particularly sensitive or proprietary data, is handled according to strict university confidentiality protocols. Data used in training Generative AI models must be anonymized or de-identified where possible to prevent any inadvertent disclosure of personal or proprietary information.

Using material to train an AI/LLM without permission.

Ingesting material into a commercial AI application.

This guidance document outlines the ethical, responsible, and secure use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the University. This guidance aims to support the University’s mission of education, research, and community service while protecting all stakeholders' integrity, privacy, and rights.

DON’T use, purchase, or subscribe to AI tools that have NOT been reviewed and approved by OIT.

Please view SMU's evergreen site for required syllabus statements on Title IX, Disability Accommodations, Academic Policies, Student Support Services, and Generative AI Guidelines.

Due to advancements in publicly available Generative AI technology, the SMU Faculty Technology Council has updated the prepared syllabus statement options for Generative AI use and has developed an individualized statement-building option available in the cloud-based syllabus platform (Simple Syllabus).