Teaching & Learning
- Course-level and assignment-level AI rules are set at instructor discretion rather than by a single uniform student rule
- Trinity’s guidance says instructors have flexibility to encourage, limit, or prohibit AI, and are strongly encouraged to put clear expectations in the syllabus and communicate what is and is not acceptable
The use of AI tools in the classroom is not a one-size-fits-all decision. As an instructor, you have the flexibility to define when and how AI can be used in your classroom. Whether you choose to encourage, limit, or prohibit AI tools, it’s essential to establish clear expectations and communicate these expectations openly with your students.
The short answer is yes! As students become more familiar with AI tools, clear policies related to their use will ensure students understand what is and isn’t acceptable in your course. As such, faculty are strongly encouraged to define their AI policies in their syllabus.
Will your policy apply to all assignments in the course, or will it vary by assignment? You may find that a course level policy is too challenging because AI usage is more nuanced.
- Individual instructors are expected to set their own assessment-level AI expectations through their syllabi
- No university-wide policy governing student use of AI during examinations or formal assessments is established in the available sources
- Faculty-facing guidance mentions using AI to brainstorm test questions as a teaching preparation tool, but this is instructor use, not a student exam rule
Brainstorm test questions [listed as a suggested faculty use of AI for course preparation]
Will your policy apply to all assignments in the course, or will it vary by assignment? You may find that a course level policy is too challenging because AI usage is more nuanced.
- Student use of AI as a study aid is permitted and encouraged as a support tool, with cautions about responsible use
- Trinity advises students to use AI to create study guides and clarify concepts, but to verify outputs and avoid substituting AI for their own thinking and effort
AI tools like Notebook LM, ChatGPT, and Quizlet can act as your personal study partner, helping you create study guides, clarify tough concepts, and make your study sessions more efficient.
AI tools such as Notebook LM, ChatGPT, and Quizlet can be valuable study partner, but they should be used thoughtfully and responsibly. Always verify the accuracy of the information they provide as these tools may sometimes generate errors or rely on outdated information. Keep in mind that AI is designed to complement your learning, not substitute your critical thinking or original efforts.
Notebook LM can turn your notes and materials into a study guide complete with short answer and essay questions, plus a glossary of key terms.
Notebook LM can summarize one or multiple sources and help break down complex topics into simpler terms.
- In the sample conditional policy, asking AI to sketch algorithms, organize code, or generate code is treated as cheating even if cited
- Trinity does not set a single college-wide coding rule; sample syllabus guidance shows that programming-related AI use may be allowed for conceptual learning but prohibited for generating answers or code
Generative AI systems (like ChatGPT), if used correctly, can serve as powerful tools for learning and idea refinement. In this course, you can use generative AI systems to learn about concepts iteratively through a conversation (much like you would have a conversation with a peer, TA or an instructor). However, you cannot ask these systems to directly give you answers or write code for you.
Do NOT:
- Give the model a problem description and ask it to sketch an algorithm for you or write you pseudo code.
- Give the model the homework description and ask it to organize the code for you (e.g., generate the necessary function headers, write the main functions etc).
- Give the model a function description and ask it to generate code for you.
Using the AI system in ways as described above will count as cheating even if you cite the AI
Research
- Researchers are additionally cautioned against sharing unpublished or confidential research data with AI tools
- Trinity College does not publish a single institution-wide policy specifically governing AI use in scholarly manuscripts, theses, or dissertations
- However, sample syllabus statements address AI use in written assignments including disclosure and citation obligations, and the institutional guidance emphasizes responsible use, accuracy verification, and academic integrity for AI-assisted writing
AI tools such as Notebook LM, ChatGPT, and Quizlet can be valuable study partner, but they should be used thoughtfully and responsibly. Always verify the accuracy of the information they provide as these tools may sometimes generate errors or rely on outdated information. Keep in mind that AI is designed to complement your learning, not substitute your critical thinking or original efforts.
If you use Generative AI to help draft or edit any part of your paper, you must cite this in your paper. Treat the AI as you would another kind of source.
- Trinity requires caution in research uses of AI, especially where research data may be shared
- Researchers are told to follow funder rules, and the guidance warns that putting research data into a generative AI tool effectively makes it public
• Exercise cau�on when using genera�ve AI in your research ac�vi�es. Familiarize yourself with any policies and rules regarding genera�ve AI use promulgated by the organiza�on funding your research. Be mindful that sharing research data in a genera�ve AI tool effec�vely publishes that research for public use.
• Do not enter confiden�al, sensi�ve, and personally iden�fiable informa�on into genera�ve AI tools. Data shared in genera�ve AI tools is not private, and any data entered into a genera�ve AI tool is collected and stored as part of the tool’s learning processes.
- Trinity explicitly tells faculty and researchers to use caution with AI in research and to comply with any external sponsor rules
- The sources do not provide a separate detailed university policy for AI in grant proposals, IRB applications, or formal research ethics declarations beyond that caution and compliance instruction
• Exercise cau�on when using genera�ve AI in your research ac�vi�es. Familiarize yourself with any policies and rules regarding genera�ve AI use promulgated by the organiza�on funding your research. Be mindful that sharing research data in a genera�ve AI tool effec�vely publishes that research for public use.
Academic Integrity
- Those sample statements require acknowledgment of AI use, citation in papers, retention of the AI interaction thread, and in some cases a paragraph explaining how AI was used and what prompts were entered
- Disclosure and citation requirements are not set as a single college-wide student rule in the provided sources, but Trinity’s sample syllabus language includes explicit disclosure models that instructors may adopt
AI is a tool, but one that you need to acknowledge using. Please include a paragraph at the end of any assignment that uses AI explaining what you used the AI for and what prompts you used to get the results. Failure to do so is in violation of the academic honesty policies.
● If you use Generative AI to help draft or edit any part of your paper, you must cite this in your paper. Treat the AI as you would another kind of source.
● If you use GPT-4 or a similar tool, maintain a copy of the thread used (the input you provided and the output you received). This must be available upon request to validate your work and process.
● In your bibliography or works cited page, include a summary of how you used the AI. For example: ""Used GPT-4 to help rephrase and condense background information on [topic].""
● For every paragraph where Generative AI was used in crafting or editing the content, include an in-text citation. For example: (GPT-4, 2023).
- Trinity advises caution in the use of AI detection tools and warns that their accuracy is not guaranteed and may produce false positives and bias
- The sample syllabus language also shows that unauthorized AI use may be treated as cheating or plagiarism and may result in a zero and/or referral for academic misconduct
• Exercise cau�on when using genera�ve AI plagiarism detec�on tools, as their accuracy is not guaranteed; such tools can return false posi�ves and introduce bias against non-na�ve English speakers, as well as students with disabili�es or diverse learning needs.
The important thing to consider in education is how reliable these tools are, and the answer to that is not simple.
Use of an AI Generator such as ChatGPT, iA Writer, MidJourney, DALL-E, etc. is explicitly prohibited unless otherwise noted by the instructor. The information derived from these tools is based on previously published materials. Therefore, using these tools without proper citation constitutes plagiarism.
Any assignment that is found to have been plagiarized or to have used unauthorized AI tools may receive a zero and / or be reported for academic misconduct.
Using the AI system in ways as described above will count as cheating even if you cite the AI
Institutional & Administrative
- Faculty and instructors are permitted and encouraged to use AI for teaching preparation and administrative support, but they must communicate student-use expectations clearly and use caution with plagiarism detection and research uses
- Trinity’s faculty resources suggest AI for generating discussion questions, brainstorming test questions, creating custom course chatbots, drafting rubrics, giving draft-paper feedback, drafting accreditation materials, brainstorming recommendation letters, and assisting with emails and communications
• Clearly communicate expecta�ons to your students in all of your courses regarding permited and restricted uses of genera�ve AI tools and include such statements in class syllabi.
• Exercise cau�on when using genera�ve AI plagiarism detec�on tools, as their accuracy is not guaranteed; such tools can return false posi�ves and introduce bias against non-na�ve English speakers, as well as students with disabili�es or diverse learning needs.
* Generate discussion questions to get class conversations going
* Brainstorm test questions
* Create Custom Chatbots (virtual Assistant) by uploading course materials (all sample files of lecture slides, homework assignments, etc) so students can ask questions about problem sets, lectures topics, etc.
* Generate draft rubrics for specific assignments using AI.
* Have students get feedback on draft papers or other assignments.
For other administrative tasks:
* Draft routine accreditation submissions
* Brainstorm ideas for letters of recommendation
* Assist in wording for emails and other communications
- Trinity imposes mandatory data-protection limits on AI use
- Users must not enter confidential, sensitive, personally identifiable, or protected student information into third-party AI tools, must use only college-approved AI platforms for institutional data, and must review privacy and data-handling practices because data submitted to external AI services may be retained, analyzed, or used for training
• Do not enter confiden�al, sensi�ve, and personally iden�fiable informa�on into genera�ve AI tools. Data shared in genera�ve AI tools is not private, and any data entered into a genera�ve AI tool is collected and stored as part of the tool’s learning processes. Do not assume that genera�ve AI tools comply with laws and regula�ons designed to protect confiden�al informa�on.
14. Users must employ AI resources in accordance with academic integrity standards as defined in the Student Handbook.
15. Users must exercise caution when sharing data with AI systems by:
• Not inputting confidential college information, sensitive personal data, or protected student information into third-party AI tools
• Using only college-approved AI platforms for processing institutional data
• Being aware that information submitted to external AI services may be retained, analyzed, or used for training purpose
• Reviewing AI system privacy policies and data handling practices before use
- Trinity has an institution-level AI governance approach centered on ethical and responsible use, academic integrity, and protection of privacy and security, with guidance that will be updated as AI evolves
- The guidance was jointly developed by senior academic and technology leaders and endorsed by institutional committees and centers, indicating a formal governance structure rather than an isolated departmental statement
The ethical and responsible use of genera�ve AI at Trinity College must be balanced with upholding the principles of academic integrity and protec�ng the privacy and security of college technology resources and data. This document shares guidelines for the ethical and responsible use of genera�ve AI tools at Trinity College. As genera�ve AI tools are evolving, these guidelines will be updated.
This guidance is developed jointly by the Vice President for Library and Information Technology Services and the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of Faculty, and it is endorsed by the Library and Information Technology Committee and the Center for Teaching and Learning.
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 Trinity College Connecticut's AI Policies
Trinity College Connecticut has defined AI policies in 12 of 12 categories, with an overall coverage score of 100%.
Disclosure and citation requirements are not set as a single college-wide student rule in the provided sources, but Trinity’s sample syllabus language includes explicit disclosure models that instructors may adopt. Those sample statements require acknowledgment of AI use, citation in papers, retention of the AI interaction thread, and in some cases a paragraph explaining how AI was used and what prompts were entered.
Trinity advises caution in the use of AI detection tools and warns that their accuracy is not guaranteed and may produce false positives and bias. The sample syllabus language also shows that unauthorized AI use may be treated as cheating or plagiarism and may result in a zero and/or referral for academic misconduct.
Trinity imposes mandatory data-protection limits on AI use. Users must not enter confidential, sensitive, personally identifiable, or protected student information into third-party AI tools, must use only college-approved AI platforms for institutional data, and must review privacy and data-handling practices because data submitted to external AI services may be retained, analyzed, or used for training.