323 Instructional and Assignment Use of Artificial Intelligence

Approved by Board of Trustees
Effective Date: June 17, 2025
Responsible Division: Academic Affairs
Responsible Office:  University Provost
Responsible Officer: Vice Provost for Faculty and Strategic Initiatives

I. Purpose

This policy describes standards and procedures for student, faculty, and staff use of artificial intelligence, including generative artificial intelligence, technology for instructional and/or assignment purposes. Middle Tennessee State University recognizes that advances in various artificial intelligence technologies provide a range of creative and academic opportunities, while also producing significant creative and academic challenges. Students, faculty, and staff using AI tools should do so in ways that are responsible, ethical, and consistent with university guidelines summarized in this and other relevant policies.

II. Scope

This policy applies to the use of artificial intelligence, including generative artificial intelligence, for instructional and/or assignment purposes. This policy does not apply to the use of AI tools, however defined, for research, in noninstructional settings, or for personal use.

III. Definitions

1. Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to a variety of a machine-based systems that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments and that is capable of using machine and human-based inputs to perceive real and virtual environments, abstract such perceptions into models through analysis in an automated manner, and use model inference to formulate options for information or action.
2. Gnerative artificial intelligence (GAI) refers to machine learning technologies capable of generating new content, including but not limited to text, images, videos, and music. Broadly, GAI refers to algorithmic tools with specific applications that, based on natural-language input, analyze patterns in large data sets to generate new content and media historically associated with human-driven creative processes.

IV. Standards and Procedures

1. Colleges, departments, and other university units are encouraged to provide broad guidance on instructional and assignment use of AI, generative or otherwise, consistent with relevant disciplinary, professional, and curricular standards.
2. In the classroom, individual faculty members have the discretion to set standards and procedures for the use of GAI tools in the course sections that they oversee. These standards and procedures should address the limits of permissible GAI use (including attributing and/or citing GAI tools, if appropriate) and should be carefully articulated in class and the syllabus.
3. Students may use GAI tools when permitted by faculty-specified standards and procedures. However, students must not outsource the work they are expected to complete for an assignment to GAI (as defined in section III) in a manner that circumvents the intended learning outcomes of a course and its assignments. Students should not utilize content produced entirely by GAI to complete course assignments unless specifically authorized by the faculty member leading the course.
4. It is the student’s responsibility to adhere to the GAI standards and procedures for each course in which they are enrolled. Where there is uncertainty regarding course-specific expectations for permissible use, students should consult with the faculty member leading the course prior to utilizing GAI tools.
5. In the absence of explicit standards and procedures from a faculty member, GAI tools may not be used for any purpose in any graded assignment or any written work submitted for credit. Explicit standards and procedures may include spoken or written faculty permission to use GAI in unanticipated ways (i.e., for a specific assignment). In such cases, permission must be granted or denied to all students in a particular course in an equitable manner.
6. Faculty and staff may use GAI tools to support instruction insofar as that use complies with relevant ethical and professional policies and standards, including but not limited to Policy 010 Ethics and Code of Conduct, Policy 121 Privacy of Information, Policy 140 Intellectual Property Policy, and the Curriculum and Classroom Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines included in MTSU’s Faculty Handbook.
7. Faculty may use GAI to supplement and/or refine their creative and academic work as part of instruction and/or assignments. However, faculty should not rely on content produced solely by GAI to create entire courses as part of their instructional duties.
8. Instructional and/or assignment use of GAI by faculty, staff, and students must abide by the university’s existing Information Technology policies, including but not limited to Policy 910 Information Technology Resources and Policy 920 Information Security.
9. Students, faculty, and staff are prohibited from inputting confidential data (as defined in Policy 920 Information Security) into GAI tools that retain that data as part of the tool’s training set.
10. Content created using GAI may be factually incorrect. When use of GAI is permitted, faculty, staff, and students should confirm the validity of AI-generated content.

V. Violation

1. Student use of GAI in ways not allowed by this policy or faculty-specified standards and procedures falls under the definition of academic misconduct established in Policy 312 Academic Misconduct.
2. Faculty and staff use of GAI for instructional and/or assignment purposes in ways not allowed by this policy are subject to disciplinary procedures applicable in their academic or work unit.

Forms: None.

Revisions: June 2025 (original)

Last Reviewed: June 2025

References: Policy 010 Ethics and Code of Conduct; 121 Privacy of Information; 140 Intellectual Property Policy; 312 Academic Misconduct. 910 Information Technology Resources; Policy 920 Information Security.