Teaching & Learning
- Unauthorized use of generative AI on coursework is treated as cheating under the academic standards policy
- Use of AI for coursework and assignments is not governed by one uniform university-wide permission rule; it depends on course or assignment guidelines
- The university states that student AI use must be consistent with course guidelines, and faculty are advised to specify what is and is not allowed in classes and assignments
Reflect on when it is appropriate to use AI tools and when it is not, depending on the situation and context. Make sure that your use of AI tools is consistent with the AI guidelines for your course, university, employer, or other approving authority.
It is good teaching practice to be clear and transparent about the purpose, task, and criteria for assignments and learning activities. This includes communicating with students about what is and is not allowed with regard to the use of AI in classes and for course assignments. We recommend that you include an AI statement in the syllabus and discuss it with your students on the first day of class.
Cheating: For this policy, “Cheating” is defined as: (1) Obtaining or providing unauthorized resources and/or information while executing, completing or in relation to coursework, through verbal, visual or unauthorized use of books, notes, text, technologies and/or technological devices, including but not limited to mobile devices, smart phones, cell phones, calculators, translators, software or other materials; (2) Unauthorized use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) content generators or generative AI tools; (3) Unauthorized collaboration on coursework; (4) Turning in the same work in more than one class (or when repeating a class), unless permission is received in advance from the instructor; (5) Taking an examination for another student, or arranging for another person to take an exam in one’s place; (6) Altering or changing test answers after submittal for grading; (7) Altering or changing grades after grades have been awarded; (8) Altering or changing other academic records once these are official; and/or (9) Facilitating or permitting any of the above-listed items.
- Exam and assessment use is handled through course-level rules, but unauthorized AI use during assessments is prohibited as cheating
- Sample syllabus language states that some courses may ban all AI use across quizzes, exams, problem sets, and written assignments, while the academic standards policy separately treats unauthorized AI use and unauthorized information during exams as misconduct
This applies to all assessments in the course, including case studies, written assignments, discussions, quizzes, exams, and problem sets.
The following actions are prohibited:
* Submitting any part or all of an assignment statement or test questions as part of a prompt to a large language model AI tool.
* Incorporating any part of an AI-written response into a submitted assignment or assignment component.
* Using AI to summarize or contextualize reading assignments or source materials.
* Submitting your own work for this class to a large language model AI tool for iteration or improvement.
Cheating: For this policy, “Cheating” is defined as: (1) Obtaining or providing unauthorized resources and/or information while executing, completing or in relation to coursework, through verbal, visual or unauthorized use of books, notes, text, technologies and/or technological devices, including but not limited to mobile devices, smart phones, cell phones, calculators, translators, software or other materials; (2) Unauthorized use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) content generators or generative AI tools; (3) Unauthorized collaboration on coursework; (4) Turning in the same work in more than one class (or when repeating a class), unless permission is received in advance from the instructor; (5) Taking an examination for another student, or arranging for another person to take an exam in one’s place; (6) Altering or changing test answers after submittal for grading; (7) Altering or changing grades after grades have been awarded; (8) Altering or changing other academic records once these are official; and/or (9) Facilitating or permitting any of the above-listed items.
Examples include, but are not limited to: presenting work written predominantly by another as one’s own, presenting a central idea or thesis previously formulated by another as one’s own, obtaining or distributing an exam without the instructor’s permission, submitting coursework completed by another person, or completing coursework for another person, copying answers, using cheat sheets/notes/books or any type of unauthorized information during exams when expressly prohibited, falsification or fabrication of data, unauthorized use of artificial intelligence to a severe and egregious degree.
- The university permits AI as a learning aid and encourages responsible use for tutoring, feedback, studying, and general learning support
- Students may use AI tools for personalized learning and research assistance, but they are told to verify information, rely on authoritative sources, and check with professors when assignment-related use is involved
Use AI tools in a way that is consistent with enhancing and supporting your own and others’ agency, creativity, connection, and critical thinking. AI tools may be used to augment these qualities but should not be used to supplant them.
Generative AI can be used to help students with learning. It has the potential to provide students with personalized learning experience on any topics. Below are some ideas about using AI as a personal tutor.
Timely feedback is essential for student learning. Although not a substitute for instructor feedback, with well-constructed prompts, AI-generated feedback can help students improve their work.
Generative AI has the potential to be a personal tutor for students. For AI to be an effective tutor, an interactive dialogue between students and AI is needed. A well-crafted prompt helps create a dialogue between students and AI, guiding students through learning. Although students may use any generative AI tools, AI Tutoring Pro is a tool specifically designed for this purpose.
AI tools can assist in the research processby:
* brainstorming ideas for topics, research questions, and research designs
* searching for sources or generating search strategies such as keywords, phrases, and concepts for searching
* summarizing or simplifying large quantities of text for aid in literature reviews
* analyzing and visualizing data to identify themes, trends, and other patterns
* translating information into other languages
* improving writing through editing, proofreading, and clarifying ideas
To address these limitations, you can use some of the following strategies:
* Confirm the information you get from a generative AI tool by researching it in authoritative sources.
- Course-level policies govern the use of AI for code generation
- Students remain responsible for the correctness, design, and security of any submitted code
- The university provides sample syllabus language that allows the use of AI for generating code, provided the student includes a comment indicating the tool and prompts used
AI-Generated Code: Allowed with citation. If an assignment allows the use of AI tools to generate code, you must include a comment in your code that indicates which tool and what prompts you used. You are still responsible for the correctness, design, and security of your code.
Research
- The university allows AI to be used as an aid for improving writing in research contexts, but stresses that authentic, original writing must remain the student's own
- It also advises students to cite original sources in academic papers rather than citing an AI tool, and no Graduate School filing rule on AI in theses or dissertations is defined in the provided sources
While generative AI tools can be good at producing generic or formulaic writing (e.g., an email or press release template), they are not as good at conveying authenticity or uniqueness in writing. Sharing your own original ideas using your distinctive voice is essential for good writing and thinking. When using AI for writing, only use tools as aids for improving writing.
AI tools can assist in the research processby:
* improving writing through editing, proofreading, and clarifying ideas
* Find original sources of information (e.g., scholarly journal articles accessible through the library website) to cite in academic papers, rather than citing an AI tool.
- It also restricts use of AI with most library-licensed content and warns users not to share confidential or regulated data in AI tools
- The university states that AI may assist with research data analysis and visualization, but users must verify outputs and use authoritative sources because AI can hallucinate or present false information
AI tools can assist in the research processby:
* analyzing and visualizing data to identify themes, trends, and other patterns
However, these tools also have limitations for research. Be aware that these tools may:
* hallucinate (i.e., make things up)
* list information sources that don’t exist
* present false information in an authoritative tone
* reflect biases found on the internet (e.g., make assumptions about gender, race, etc.)
To address these limitations, you can use some of the following strategies:
* Confirm the information you get from a generative AI tool by researching it in authoritative sources.
Generally, the answer is no (unless it is a vendor’s AI tool that interacts with the vendor’s content or if it is an open access article). This applies to articles, ebooks, streaming videos, or any other content from a library database.
It is strongly advised not to share Sensitive, Confidential, or Regulated data on AI tools, as the confidentiality of data may be compromised based on the tool’s data-sharing practices.
- While not a standalone policy, the university's AI guidance promotes ethical principles for research and general use
- Users are instructed to use AI to support human agency, avoid causing harm to others, and be aware of potential AI biases related to gender, race, and other factors found on the internet
Use AI tools in a way that is consistent with enhancing and supporting your own and others’ agency, creativity, connection, and critical thinking. AI tools may be used to augment these qualities but should not be used to supplant them.
Be a good citizen and don't use AI tools to cause harm to others.
Be aware that these tools may: reflect biases found on the internet (e.g., make assumptions about gender, race, etc.)
Academic Integrity
- The university requires acknowledgment or citation of AI use when AI tools or AI-generated content are used
- University guidance also encourages users to disclose AI use in academic settings as appropriate, and failure to acknowledge or cite AI use in submitted work is identified as cheating in sample syllabus language
Users are encouraged to familiarize themselves with relevant policies and disclose the use of AI in academic settings as appropriate.
All use of AI tools or content must be acknowledged or cited. If you do not acknowledge or cite your use of an AI tool, what you submit will be considered a form of cheating, as outlined in Academic Integrity Policy (UAM 6,502).
Please make sure to use the appropriate guidelines for acknowledging/citing generative AI in your assignments.
- The university explicitly discourages the use of AI detection tools, citing their notorious unreliability and high false positive rates
- Enforcement for unauthorized AI use is handled through the standard academic misconduct process, which classifies such use as cheating with sanctions that scale based on severity
AI detection tools are notoriously unreliable and have high false positive rates. We discourage their use at the University.
Cheating: For this policy, “Cheating” is defined as: (1) Obtaining or providing unauthorized resources and/or information while executing, completing or in relation to coursework, through verbal, visual or unauthorized use of books, notes, text, technologies and/or technological devices, including but not limited to mobile devices, smart phones, cell phones, calculators, translators, software or other materials; (2) Unauthorized use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) content generators or generative AI tools; (3) Unauthorized collaboration on coursework; (4) Turning in the same work in more than one class (or when repeating a class), unless permission is received in advance from the instructor; (5) Taking an examination for another student, or arranging for another person to take an exam in one’s place; (6) Altering or changing test answers after submittal for grading; (7) Altering or changing grades after grades have been awarded; (8) Altering or changing other academic records once these are official; and/or (9) Facilitating or permitting any of the above-listed items.
Level A Violations: Instances where the student’s actions constituted academic misconduct to a modest degree.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
1. Improper documentation of quoted text; unauthorized collaboration on coursework that does not rise to a Level B or C.
2. Unauthorized use of artificial intelligence to a modest degree.
Level B Violations: Instances where the student’s actions constituted substantial academic misconduct. Examples include, but are not limited to: multiple failures to document quoted text within an assignment, inappropriate paraphrasing of others’ written work, falsely signing in another student as present in class, submitting the same coursework for two different courses without instructor permission, unauthorized use of artificial intelligence to a substantial degree.
Level C Violations: Instances where the student’s actions constitute severe and egregious acts of academic misconduct.
Examples include, but are not limited to: presenting work written predominantly by another as one’s own, presenting a central idea or thesis previously formulated by another as one’s own, obtaining or distributing an exam without the instructor’s permission, submitting coursework completed by another person, or completing coursework for another person, copying answers, using cheat sheets/notes/books or any type of unauthorized information during exams when expressly prohibited, falsification or fabrication of data, unauthorized use of artificial intelligence to a severe and egregious degree.
Institutional & Administrative
- Copilot Chat is also available to students, faculty, and staff through the university's Microsoft licensing
- Faculty are encouraged to make course AI rules explicit and may use AI for teaching preparation, content design, and generating rubrics or low-stakes assessment materials
- The university also requires human review before adoption of AI-generated output and states that official course sanctions must remain aligned with the academic standards policy
It is essential that we establish clear guidelines in our classes about when and how AI use is appropriate.
Faculty and students should also be familiar with the University’s Academic Standards policy (UAM 6,502). Any sanctions for violations of the academic standards policy that are stated in a course syllabus must align with those specified in UAM 6,502. As such, faculty may not create their own sanctions that differ from the policy. Adhering to the official policy ensures consistency, fairness, and clarity in upholding academic standards across the university.
Before you start, keep in mind that all generative AI output is considered a draft and must be reviewed (for accuracy and bias) and revised before adoption.
Generative AI can be used to help with teaching preparation, saving the time spent on tasks such as creating course materials, writing assignments and examples, and generating rubrics for grading.
(Re-)Design assignments
Generating (low stakes) quiz questions
Generating multiple versions of assessment questions
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is a generative artificial intelligence (AI) chat platform currently available to University of Nevada, Reno students, faculty, and staff as part of the university’s existing Microsoft licensing.
- The university does not have a formal campus AI vendor contract and says AI use is at the user's discretion and risk, though it currently recommends Microsoft Copilot if an AI resource is needed
- Users are strongly advised not to share sensitive, confidential, or regulated data in AI tools, must follow privacy and security requirements, and Copilot Chat used with the Work option is described as not using prompts, answers, and viewed content to train underlying models
Absence of Formal Campus Vendor: The University currently does not maintain any explicit contracts or internal agreements with individual AI vendors. Consequently, any utilization of AI software is undertaken at the discretion and risk of the user. While the University allows access to certain AI tools or resources, it does not endorse or guarantee the performance, reliability, or outcomes of these tools. If an AI resource is needed, the campus is currently recommending the use of Microsoft CoPilot.
Data Protection Imperatives: As with any third-party software or tools not directly supplied by the University, it is imperative to adhere to all recommended data protection protocols. This includes ensuring compliance with relevant privacy laws, safeguarding sensitive information, employing encryption or other security measures to mitigate risks associated with data breaches or unauthorized access.
Confidential Data Protection: Safeguarding both UNR’s data and individual user information is paramount. It is strongly advised not to share Sensitive, Confidential, or Regulated data on AI tools, as the confidentiality of data may be compromised based on the tool’s data-sharing practices.
Users with access to data contained on UNR’s systems that is classified as Confidential or Regulated must take all necessary precautions to prevent unauthorized access to this information. Examples of Confidential or Regulated Data include but are not limited to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Graham Leach Bliley Act (GLBA), proprietary, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Payment Card Industry (PCI), and confidential research data.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is a generative artificial intelligence (AI) chat platform currently available to University of Nevada, Reno students, faculty, and staff as part of the university’s existing Microsoft licensing. When you log in to Copilot Chat with your NetID and use the Work option, your prompts, answers, and viewed content are not used to train the underlying large language models.
- The university presents an institutional AI initiative through PACK AI and states that it is integrating AI into research, teaching, and learning
- Its institutional materials emphasize responsible and ethical AI use, alignment with existing university policies, and support for campus AI literacy, but the provided sources do not define a formal AI committee or governance body with binding oversight authority
The University of Nevada, Reno is launching a new chapter in AI innovation — one that weaves artificial intelligence into the fabric of our research, teaching, and learning.
We’re beginning a new era at the University — where AI-powered tools and resources are available to every student and faculty member. These innovations are here to enhance teaching, inspire discovery, and make everyday work more efficient. Whether you take your first step or dive right in, now is the time to start your AI journey with us.
This policy is designed to align seamlessly with existing University policies, ensuring a steadfast commitment to maintaining safety, security, and academic integrity across the institution.
The goal of this policy is to establish clean guidelines and requirements for the usage of AI tools within UNR. Applicable to all students, employees, contractors, and third parties utilizing AI platforms on behalf of the University, this policy aims to provide a framework that ensures responsible and ethical AI usage across the institution to be cautious around information security, data privacy, copyright, and academic integrity.
The group has also identified opportunities for library support of AI, such as through in-person and online instruction in the appropriate use of AI tools and the learning of AI competencies.
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 Nevada, Reno's AI Policies
University of Nevada, Reno has defined AI policies in 12 of 12 categories, with an overall coverage score of 100%.
The university requires acknowledgment or citation of AI use when AI tools or AI-generated content are used. University guidance also encourages users to disclose AI use in academic settings as appropriate, and failure to acknowledge or cite AI use in submitted work is identified as cheating in sample syllabus language.
The university explicitly discourages the use of AI detection tools, citing their notorious unreliability and high false positive rates. Enforcement for unauthorized AI use is handled through the standard academic misconduct process, which classifies such use as cheating with sanctions that scale based on severity.
The university does not have a formal campus AI vendor contract and says AI use is at the user's discretion and risk, though it currently recommends Microsoft Copilot if an AI resource is needed. Users are strongly advised not to share sensitive, confidential, or regulated data in AI tools, must follow privacy and security requirements, and Copilot Chat used with the Work option is described as not using prompts, answers, and viewed content to train underlying models.