AI Use Policy Guidance & Template

Instructor Guidance for Incorporating an AI Use Policy in Your Course Syllabus

The ATLAS Teaching & Learning with Technology (TLT) team has developed this webpage to support LAS instructors in creating clear, course-specific AI use policy statements for their syllabi. 

Because there is no single institution-wide policy that applies to all instructional contexts, decisions about whether – and how – AI tools may be used are discipline-specific and ultimately determined by the instructor. The guidance below offers key considerations, suggested components, sample language, and practical approaches to help you develop a policy aligned with your learning goals and pedagogical approach.  

You may use this page as a starting point for developing or revising your own course AI use policy. For a more structured drafting tool, download the fillable template linked below. 

Use the Fillable AI Use Policy Template 

To help you move from guidance to implementation, ATLAS has created a fillable AI Use Policy Template that you can adapt for your course syllabus. The template prompts you to identify your course learning goals, select an overall approach to AI use, clarify permitted and prohibited uses, provide assignment-specific expectations, and include disclosure or citation requirements where appropriate. 

Download AI Use Policy Template

Note: This template is intended for instructor use and should be customized before being added to a syllabus. 

Why include an AI use policy in your syllabus?

AI tools are increasingly accessible, and many students are already using them in their coursework. A clearly articulated policy helps set expectations and supports student success.

Benefits of an AI Use Policy

Clarify expectations

Define what is permitted, encouraged, or prohibited in your course.

Reduce ambiguity and prevent misunderstandings

Without clear guidance, students may unintentionally use AI in ways that conflict with course expectations.

Support academic integrity

A well-articulated policy establishes shared standards and reinforces ethical academic practices.

Address AI use more effectively than a blanket prohibition

Simply adding a statement to an academic integrity policy that prohibits AI use may not provide students with enough guidance about what constitutes appropriate or inappropriate use. A course-specific policy can distinguish between permitted, prohibited, and conditional uses of AI and explain how those expectations connect to your learning goals.

Ensure expectations are aligned with your course

AI use policies are most effective when they reflect the learning objectives, assignments, assessment methods, and disciplinary norms of a particular course. A policy copied from another course may be overly restrictive, too permissive, or misaligned with your instructional goals. Adapting policy language to your own course helps make expectations clearer and more meaningful to students.

Save time and reduce stress

Addressing unclear or undocumented AI use after the fact can be time-consuming and challenging for both instructors and students.

Important

A written policy alone is not sufficient. Discussing the policy in class on the first day of class and regularly – explaining your rationale, expectations, and learning goals, and modeling appropriate AI use – is essential for it to be effective.

Building Your AI Use Policy

When drafting your policy, consider including the following:

Recommended policy elements

Alignment with course learning goals

  • Explain what students are expected to learn – in particular, the skills and knowledge you want students to develop in the course.
  • Clarify how assignments and assessments support these goals.
  • Indicate where independent student work is essential.

Permitted vs. prohibited use

  • Clearly describe what types of AI use are:
    • Allowed (e.g., grammar checking, revisions for clarity)
    • Conditionally allowed (e.g., specific uses, with citation or disclosure)
    • Prohibited (e.g., generating final submissions without attribution)
  • Your stance on what is allowed can be for the overall course or per assignment, as you see fit.
  • Be specific about tools if relevant, or keep it tool-agnostic and focus on activities.

Definition of misuse

  • Provide concrete examples of unacceptable use.
  • Clarify how misuse relates to existing academic integrity policies.

Student responsibilities

Emphasize that students are responsible for:

  • Verifying accuracy of AI outputs
  • Properly attributing or disclosing AI use (if required)
  • Ensuring submitted work reflects their understanding/competence

Expectations for transparency and citation

  • Indicate whether and how students should:
    • Disclose AI use to promote transparency (e.g., in a statement or footnote)
    • Cite AI tools or outputs to attribute AI-generated content as a source
  • Provide a sample disclosure statement or format/content to include.

Process for suspected misuse

  • Describe how concerns will be addressed:
    • Review process
    • Possible outcomes
    • Alignment with campus academic integrity procedures
  • Be transparent about any tools used to support evaluation (if applicable).

Instructor transparency

  • If applicable, disclose whether AI tools were used to develop course materials or the policy itself. Individual materials should include a citation or disclosure if developed with or by AI.
  • If applicable, disclose whether AI tools will be used to assist in the assessment of student work.  
    • We do not recommend using AI alone to assess student work.  
    • Graduate TAs may not use AI to assess student work without a clear policy drafted in advance with the faculty supervisor.
    • Students should be given the option to have their work assessed without AI upon request before or after receiving a grade. 

Additional considerations for LAS instructors

To strengthen your policy and make it actionable for students, consider:

Providing assignment-level guidance

  • Refer to the overall AI policy
  • Specify expectations for each major assignment (e.g., “AI tools may be used for revising for clarity but not for drafting the final essay.”)
  • Specify disclosure expectations/format 

Using a tiered policy approach

Many instructors find it helpful to categorize assignments as:

  • AI Encouraged
  • AI Allowed (limited/specific use) with Disclosure
  • AI Prohibited/Not Allowed

Modeling appropriate use

Demonstrate examples in class:

  • Using AI to clarify course concepts
  • Critically evaluating outputs
  • Revising own work with AI suggestions 

Addressing limitations of AI

Remind students that AI outputs may:

  • Contain inaccuracies or fabricated information
  • Reflect bias
  • Lack discipline-specific nuance or depth 

Connecting to course values

Frame assignment-level guidance in terms of:

  • Learning goals
  • Skill development
  • Intellectual growth

This helps students understand why restrictions or permissions exist. 

Sample Syllabus Language

Depending on your instructional approach, you may adapt language such as the examples below for your course:

AI Encouraged

  • AI tools may be used to help generate ideas, develop outlines, and identify questions for further exploration. All submitted work should reflect your own analysis, interpretation, and understanding of course materials.
  • AI may be used to improve grammar, organization, and clarify your writing. AI-generated text should not be incorporated into assignments without explicit permission from the instructor.

AI Allowed with Limitations and Disclosure

  • AI use is permitted for preliminary research and concept exploration. Students must independently verify all information and cite any sources used in accordance with course requirements.
  • When using AI tools, students should apply critical judgement, verify factual claims, and evaluate outputs for accuracy and appropriateness before incorporating them into their work.
  • AI tools may be used in some assignments but not others. Refer to assignment instructions for specific guidance regarding permitted uses, prohibited uses, and disclosure requirements.
  • AI use is permitted for this assignment provided that you include a brief disclosure describing how the tool was used and how its outputs contributed to your work.

AI Prohibited

  • To support the development of foundational skills in this course, assignments must be completed without the use of generative AI unless explicitly authorized by the instructor.
  • Because developing independent writing and critical thinking skills is a central learning goal of this course, the use of generative AI to draft, rewrite, or substantially edit assignment content is not permitted.
  • Unless otherwise noted, all major assignments must be completed without the assistance of generative AI tools. Unauthorized AI use may be considered a violation of course expectations and academic integrity policies.

Additional Resources