Teaching & Learning
- AI use in assessed coursework is allowed only when the assessment brief or module tutor does not prohibit it
- The university requires students to follow assessment-level instructions and, when AI is used, to be transparent about that use
- Examples show that permitted use may include editing, language support, research assistance, drafting support, and structured reflection, but the conditions are set within the assignment design
At York St John, we support the thoughtful and responsible use of GenAI - not as a replacement for your thinking, but as a tool that supports your work, when appropriate.
1. I have checked my assessment brief, or with my module tutor, and the use of GenAI tools is not prohibited for my assessment type.
Summative assessment: Students may use AI (for example, Grammarly, ChatGPT) for editing and language support, but they must explain this on their assignment coversheet and keep their original and draft versions along with a transcript of the prompts used for their tutor to check if required.
GenAI can be used for trend forecasting, SWOT analysis or drafting reports - but students must document the tools, prompts, and critical checks used, evaluating and justifying their use within The Portfolio, and clearly citing such use in the Strategic Plan.
- Students using AI-enabled assistive technology in assessments must still comply with assessment rules
- For assessments, AI use is governed by the specific module or assessment brief rather than a single blanket permission
- The university also treats use of unauthorized materials in exams as misconduct, so AI is not allowed in exams where it is unauthorized
1. I have checked my assessment brief, or with my module tutor, and the use of GenAI tools is not prohibited for my assessment type.
York St John University is committed to supporting students in using assistive technology to help with learning. However, to maintain academic integrity, any AI-enabled tools used for assessments must be applied in line with the rules set out in your module or assessment brief. Always check these instructions before using Generative AI (GenAI) features.
Do not use unauthorised materials during exams.
- Students with reasonable adjustments may also have AI tools as assistive technology
- The university supports responsible AI use for learning, provided it supports rather than replaces student thinking
- Students may use AI as part of learning, but they are expected to fact-check outputs, watch for bias and hallucinations, and seek tutor or learning-support guidance if unsure
At York St John, we support the thoughtful and responsible use of GenAI - not as a replacement for your thinking, but as a tool that supports your work, when appropriate.
If you use a GenAI tool as part of your learning or assessment, you must clearly state this on your work.
GenAI tools are not experts. They can invent information or reinforce harmful stereotypes. Always check:
* Factual accuracy
* Sources, and
* Bias in wording, imagery or assumptions.
Some students may have AI tools provided as part of reasonable adjustments, and we have additional guidance to help you decide whether and how to use AI:
If unsure or in need of further guidance, I have spoken to my tutors and/or the learning support teams for help to avoid academic misconduct or poor academic practice.
- This indicates allowed use with required human oversight and documentation rather than unrestricted submission of AI-generated code
- The university provides examples where AI-assisted code generation is permitted in assessed work, but students must explain why they used it, assess its reliability, and annotate how they reviewed or corrected the output
Summative assessment: Students use GenAI tools (among other tools) to help interpret and visualise a real-world dataset. They are encouraged to use Large Language Models to draft exploratory data summaries or generate code snippets - but must explain the rationale and assess reliability.
* Code notebooks must contain comments indicating where and how AI was used.
* Students annotate where they improved or corrected AI-generated code.
Research
- The university explicitly warns against falsifying or manipulating data and research results
- In a taught assessment example involving real-world datasets, AI can be used to help interpret and visualize data and to draft exploratory summaries or code, but students must explain their rationale, assess reliability, and document where AI was used and corrected
Never falsify or manipulate data, research results, citations or attendance.
Summative assessment: Students use GenAI tools (among other tools) to help interpret and visualise a real-world dataset. They are encouraged to use Large Language Models to draft exploratory data summaries or generate code snippets - but must explain the rationale and assess reliability.
* Code notebooks must contain comments indicating where and how AI was used.
* Students annotate where they improved or corrected AI-generated code.
- The only explicit related integrity rule in the provided sources is that research results must not be fabricated or falsified
- The university's provided research ethics pages do not state a specific AI policy for grant proposals, IRB or ethics applications, or ethics declarations
Never falsify or manipulate data, research results, citations or attendance.
Academic Integrity
- Disclosure of AI use is required when students use GenAI in learning or assessment
- Examples also require coversheet declarations, documentation of tools and prompts, and citation of AI use in submitted work
- The university says students must clearly state AI use on their work, which may include describing how it was used and submitting prompts and outputs
If you use a GenAI tool as part of your learning or assessment, you must clearly state this on your work. This might involve:
* Describing how you used it, on a cover sheet or reflective note, and
* Submitting your prompts and outputs with your work.
Summative assessment: Students may use AI (for example, Grammarly, ChatGPT) for editing and language support, but they must explain this on their assignment coversheet and keep their original and draft versions along with a transcript of the prompts used for their tutor to check if required.
* Coversheet includes a declaration of how AI tools were used.
GenAI can be used for trend forecasting, SWOT analysis or drafting reports - but students must document the tools, prompts, and critical checks used, evaluating and justifying their use within The Portfolio, and clearly citing such use in the Strategic Plan.
* Submitting GenAI generated content without citation of the AI tool or evidence of how you used it (Principles 1 and 2)
- No explicit policy on AI detection tools is defined in the provided sources
- It identifies submitting AI-generated content without citation or as one's own work as misconduct-related behavior
- The university states that hidden or uncited AI use can breach academic integrity and may lead to academic misconduct investigation
"Using AI may not be cheating - but hiding it could be a breach of academic integrity."
* Submitting GenAI generated content without citation of the AI tool or evidence of how you used it (Principles 1 and 2)
* Submitting GenAI generated content as if it were your own work (Principles 1 and 2)
Whether malicious or accidental, use of any technology that breaches Academic Integrity can result in you being investigated for academic misconduct.
Institutional & Administrative
- The provided sources do not set a general university-wide policy for faculty or staff use of AI in grading, feedback, lesson planning, recommendation letters, or administrative communications
- One case-study example shows teacher trainees being allowed to use GenAI for lesson planning within a portfolio-based assessment, but this is student assessment guidance rather than a staff-use policy
not defined
- The guidance does not provide a named list of approved AI platforms in the provided sources
- Its IT policy also requires only university-approved software and approved methods for IT configuration
- The university requires users to be careful about information entered into AI tools and to safeguard personal, confidential, or sensitive information
AI tools may also use the prompts and data you enter into it to support its own training and future responses. You must consider carefully what information you put into an AI chatbot and whether that information is appropriate to put into a tool which will process it.
If you handle personal, confidential or sensitive information, you must take all reasonable steps to safeguard it and should be aware of and follow the requirements of the Data Protection Act (2018) and the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (GDPR). Take particular care with removable media, mobile and privately owned devices.
* Only installing software approved by the University following the security measures in place.
* Only reconfiguring and/or connecting devices to the network using approved methods.
- York St John has an overarching institutional position that supports thoughtful, responsible, ethical, critical, and creative use of generative AI
- Its guidance is framed around institutional principles rather than a detailed implementation roadmap or named AI governance committee in the provided sources
# York St John University Guiding Principles on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (2025)
Working ethically, critically and creatively with Generative AI.
At York St John, we support the thoughtful and responsible use of GenAI - not as a replacement for your thinking, but as a tool that supports your work, when appropriate.
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 York St John University's AI Policies
York St John University has defined AI policies in 11 of 12 categories, with an overall coverage score of 92%.
Disclosure of AI use is required when students use GenAI in learning or assessment. The university says students must clearly state AI use on their work, which may include describing how it was used and submitting prompts and outputs. Examples also require coversheet declarations, documentation of tools and prompts, and citation of AI use in submitted work.
The university states that hidden or uncited AI use can breach academic integrity and may lead to academic misconduct investigation. It identifies submitting AI-generated content without citation or as one's own work as misconduct-related behavior. No explicit policy on AI detection tools is defined in the provided sources.
The university requires users to be careful about information entered into AI tools and to safeguard personal, confidential, or sensitive information. Its IT policy also requires only university-approved software and approved methods for IT configuration. The guidance does not provide a named list of approved AI platforms in the provided sources.