Teaching & Learning
- For assessed coursework, the use of generative AI is not uniformly permitted across the university
- Where AI use is allowed, students remain responsible for the submission and must acknowledge its use
- Students must follow module or assignment instructions, because AI may be prohibited, limited, or allowed only for specific tasks when stated by the tutor or assessment brief
Your tutor may have differing views on use of AI in assignments, but they should make this explicit.
Can I use AI in all my university work?
No. Your tutor will make clear when use of AI is and is not permitted and to what extent. It will not be permitted in every assignment. This will depend on how the assignment is designed and what its learning outcomes are.
A range of scenarios may apply to use of AI in assignment completion, for example:
• AI may be prohibited entirely in some assignments
• AI may be allowed in a partial and limited way, for specific defined tasks as set by the tutor
• AI may be integrated into assignment completion, where using the AI tool appropriately may be a component of the assessment
You need to check for guidance in your assignment brief on using AI. If you are unsure, ask your tutor or Unit Coordinator.
If you are allowed to use AI, you should acknowledge this, following the guidance from the University.
Students should be aware that AI can make mistakes, and students are ultimately accountable for the work they submit.
Using AI in university assessments without permission or proper acknowledgement may be considered academic misconduct.
- Use of AI in assessments is controlled by the assessment design and tutor instructions rather than a blanket university-wide permission
- AI is not permitted in every assessment, and using AI in an assessment without permission or acknowledgement may be treated as academic misconduct
No. Your tutor will make clear when use of AI is and is not permitted and to what extent. It will not be permitted in every assignment. This will depend on how the assessment is designed and what its learning outcomes are.
Using AI in university assessments without permission or proper acknowledgement may be considered academic misconduct.
Academic misconduct includes any action or attempted action that may result in creating an unfair advantage in assessment or in obtaining an advantage or disadvantage for any other member of the academic community.
- The guidance warns that AI can be inaccurate or biased and says students remain responsible for their work
- The university permits students to use AI tools for study support and skill development, such as brainstorming, creating study materials, checking understanding, or getting feedback on drafts, so long as students critically review outputs
AI tools can support your learning, but they should be used carefully and critically.
Ways AI can support your learning include:
• brainstorming ideas for assignments
• generating practice questions or quizzes
• summarising key concepts or readings
• explaining difficult topics in simpler language
• giving feedback on structure, clarity or grammar in draft writing
• helping you reflect on your own understanding.
Students should be aware that AI can make mistakes, and students are ultimately accountable for the work they submit.
These tools can be useful in helping you to think, plan and reflect, but they are not a substitute for your own learning, understanding or judgment.
- No university-wide AI policy specific to programming or code generation is explicitly defined in the provided sources
- Any use of AI for coding assignments would therefore fall under the general assignment rules set by the tutor or assessment brief
not defined
Research
- AI tools cannot be credited as authors, and researchers remain responsible for checking accuracy, bias, confidentiality, and originality
- The university states that generative AI may be used in research-related writing only with full transparency and only where this is consistent with publisher, funder, and supervisory expectations
Researchers and postgraduate students using generative AI tools in writing or drafting must disclose this use where appropriate and ensure compliance with publisher, funder and University expectations.
Generative AI tools must not be listed as authors on research outputs.
Researchers are responsible for verifying the accuracy, validity and originality of all content, including content generated or edited using AI tools.
Researchers should not input confidential, sensitive or personal data into generative AI tools unless explicitly approved and compliant with data protection requirements.
- The research ethics policy requires researchers to use AI in data-related work responsibly and with appropriate oversight
- Researchers must protect confidential, sensitive, and personal data, and remain responsible for verifying the validity and accuracy of outputs produced with AI tools
Researchers should not input confidential, sensitive or personal data into generative AI tools unless explicitly approved and compliant with data protection requirements.
Researchers are responsible for verifying the accuracy, validity and originality of all content, including content generated or edited using AI tools.
The use of AI in research must be consistent with the principles of research integrity, transparency, accountability and ethical practice.
- The university explicitly subjects AI use in research to research integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical practice requirements
- Researchers and postgraduate students must disclose AI use where appropriate, must not name AI as an author, and must comply with university, funder, and publisher expectations
The use of AI in research must be consistent with the principles of research integrity, transparency, accountability and ethical practice.
Researchers and postgraduate students using generative AI tools in writing or drafting must disclose this use where appropriate and ensure compliance with publisher, funder and University expectations.
Generative AI tools must not be listed as authors on research outputs.
Academic Integrity
- When AI use is permitted in assessed work, students are required to acknowledge it following university guidance
- The university provides a specific declaration template and expects students to explain how AI was used; undisclosed AI use in assessments may be treated as misconduct
If you are allowed to use AI, you should acknowledge this, following the guidance from the University.
You must include an acknowledgement if you have used AI in an assignment where this is permitted.
Suggested acknowledgement:
I acknowledge the use of [name of AI tool] to [describe what it was used for, e.g. generate initial ideas, improve structure, check grammar]. I have reviewed and edited the output and take full responsibility for the final submission.
Using AI in university assessments without permission or proper acknowledgement may be considered academic misconduct.
- The university treats unauthorized or unacknowledged AI use as a potential academic misconduct issue and handles it through its academic integrity procedures
- The sources define academic misconduct broadly as conduct that creates an unfair advantage, but they do not set out a specific institutional position on AI detection tools in the provided materials
Using AI in university assessments without permission or proper acknowledgement may be considered academic misconduct.
Academic misconduct includes any action or attempted action that may result in creating an unfair advantage in assessment or in obtaining an advantage or disadvantage for any other member of the academic community.
An academic offence is a type of academic misconduct where there is sufficient evidence to support a reasonable belief that academic misconduct has occurred.
Institutional & Administrative
- The university provides guidance for teaching staff that AI use in learning, teaching, and assessment should be designed and communicated by tutors
- Staff are expected to make clear to students when and how AI is permitted in assignments, but no broader policy on grading, recommendation letters, or administrative uses is explicitly defined in the provided sources
Your tutor may have differing views on use of AI in assignments, but they should make this explicit.
Your tutor will make clear when use of AI is and is not permitted and to what extent.
A range of scenarios may apply to use of AI in assignment completion, for example:
• AI may be prohibited entirely in some assignments
• AI may be allowed in a partial and limited way, for specific defined tasks as set by the tutor
• AI may be integrated into assignment completion, where using the AI tool appropriately may be a component of the assessment
- Beyond that research-specific restriction, the provided sources do not define a university-wide list of approved AI platforms
- The university explicitly restricts researchers from entering confidential, sensitive, or personal data into generative AI tools unless this is expressly approved and compliant with data protection rules
Researchers should not input confidential, sensitive or personal data into generative AI tools unless explicitly approved and compliant with data protection requirements.
- The clearest university-level governance statement in the sources is that AI use in research must align with research integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical practice
- The university has published institutional guidance and principles for AI use in teaching, learning, academic integrity, and research ethics, but the provided sources do not set out a distinct overarching AI governance structure, committee, or strategy roadmap
The use of AI in research must be consistent with the principles of research integrity, transparency, accountability and ethical 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 University of Bedfordshire's AI Policies
University of Bedfordshire has defined AI policies in 12 of 12 categories, with an overall coverage score of 100%.
When AI use is permitted in assessed work, students are required to acknowledge it following university guidance. The university provides a specific declaration template and expects students to explain how AI was used; undisclosed AI use in assessments may be treated as misconduct.
The university treats unauthorized or unacknowledged AI use as a potential academic misconduct issue and handles it through its academic integrity procedures. The sources define academic misconduct broadly as conduct that creates an unfair advantage, but they do not set out a specific institutional position on AI detection tools in the provided materials.
The university explicitly restricts researchers from entering confidential, sensitive, or personal data into generative AI tools unless this is expressly approved and compliant with data protection rules. Beyond that research-specific restriction, the provided sources do not define a university-wide list of approved AI platforms.