Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) platforms are powerful and evolving tools that can survey vast collections of data and generate many kinds of text and other content that mimic human compositions. The Faculty encourages students to make use of these powerful tools appropriately. The Faculty also recognizes the potential for misuse of GenAI. We intend to strike a balance in this policy that will serve the formation of our students. The impact of generative AI on higher education continues to unfold, with many potential benefits for and disruptions of traditional pedagogy.
The student is responsible for the accuracy of all work submitted. GenAI output may include references to published material, (alleged) quotations from published material, more or less reliable summaries of published material, more or less reliable summaries of topical information without references to specific sources, and “hallucinations”—false information. All GenAI quotations and summaries should be compared to published material to verify its accuracy.
As a general rule, GenAI use that supports the professor’s learning goals for the assignment is appropriate; use that frustrates those goals is inappropriate. The instructor of record shall determine whether and when GenAI use is appropriate in a course. Faculty members may forbid the use of GenAI throughout a course, or they may allow it on specific assignments or in specified ways, or they may allow students to use it without restriction.
The Faculty recommends that instructors include course-level GenAI policies in course syllabi and that instructors apply specific assignment-level policies to each assignment. The following models may be used or adapted for this purpose.[1]
Model policy statement: Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) may not be used for any part of this course (or assignment). Using AI to generate ideas, outlines, or prose in this course (or assignment) is considered unauthorized assistance under the Saint Meinrad Generative Artificial Intelligence Policy.
Example: In a take-home quiz, prohibit any AI brainstorming; require students to upload handwritten work and give a brief oral presentation (five minutes in office hours or Zoom) explaining one step of their reasoning.
Model policy statement: You may use generative AI for brainstorming and outlining only. Any text included in your submission must be your original writing. If you consult AI, include a short “AI use” note at the end: list the tool, date, prompt(s), and how you used the output. Directly pasted AI text is not permitted.
Example: In a research project, allow students to use GenAI to generate opposing viewpoints and an outline, but require their final text to be original and supported by sources they locate independently.
Model policy statement: You are encouraged to use generative AI as a collaborator for idea generation, drafting, and revision. You remain responsible for accuracy, originality, and citation. Include an “AI use” note (tool, date, prompt(s), and contribution). When quoting or closely paraphrasing AI output, mark it as such and provide attribution.
Example: In a Scripture course, invite students to use GenAI to gather interpretive commentaries on a given text and to submit that AI-generated summary along with a repository log of their AI search results and a reflective memo on what they accepted or rejected and why.
The student shall fulfill the learning goals of the assignment.
Where a professor allows GenAI to be used on an assignment, the student who uses GenAI shall document its use, cite its source, and preserve records of the GenAI output. The student is responsible for the accuracy of information gathered by means of GenAI.
Students who, with permission, use AI-generated translations of foreign languages shall give proper attribution and are cautioned to test the quality of the translation.
Representing work that you did not produce as your own, including work generated or materially modified by AI, constitutes academic dishonesty. Use of generative AI in a way that violates an instructor’s articulated policy or using it to complete coursework in a way not expressly permitted by the faculty member, will be considered a violation of academic integrity.
Students using text generated by AI shall preserve the original AI output text in their files for the assignment. If the GenAI platform offers a permanent link to the output, that link may serve as a record. This record may serve the student’s need if the GenAI output included false or incoherent claims.
Students using GenAI assistance in any way on any assignment shall include a statement describing their use of AI in that assignment and citing its source. For example:
“The author(s) would like to acknowledge the use of [Generative AI Tool Name], a language model developed by [Generative AI Tool Provider], in the preparation of this assignment. The [Generative AI Tool Name] was used in the following way(s) in this assignment [e.g., brainstorming, outlining, grammatical correction, citation, which portion of the assignment].”
Any text that has been generated by a GenAI tool must be cited in the same manner as other sources, and any revision or editing of the AI generated text should be noted. The Chicago Manual of Style provides instructions for citing AI-generated content.
The prompt used to generate the AI output, if not included in the text, shall be added to the note. Multiple prompts (as in an extended conversation) may be summarized.
For more information, see The Chicago Manual of Style website, F.A.Q. on documentation
[1] In the 2026 revision, we modified the policy statements recommended at Notre Dame.