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Academic Integrity

28Jul’26

Course Policies & Expectations, Generative AI

Setting clear academic integrity guidelines for individual courses or assignments ahead of time and effectively communicating them to your students enables them to focus on the learning objectives you want them to achieve.

If you encounter a student’s work in which you suspect AI may have been used inappropriately, you have several options for addressing the situation. 

Before an Assignment Is Due

Talk with your instructional team  

In some courses, TAs may do the bulk of the grading. Make sure they understand your AI policies and how students might use the tools. Determine a procedure for members of the instructional team to refer concerns about academic dishonesty to the instructor of record. 

Remember that AI outputs include randomness  

You are encouraged to familiarize yourself with AI tools and the type of content they can generate, and you may even choose to input your assignment prompt to see what AI produces. However, keep in mind that an AI response to the same prompt will be different each time and can be adjusted through more sophisticated prompting or use of a different tool. 

Get familiar with your students’ work

Recognizing the type of work a student typically produces will make it easier to notice when something seems starkly different. Including an in-class assignment early in the semester is one strategy for comparing later assignments, but note that some students will produce different work when free from time constraints.

After Students Submit Work

Check the reference list 

Although AI is capable of referencing real sources, the source may or may not actually contain the information stated by AI. Requiring students to cite sources and reviewing those citations can be an effective way to spot inappropriate AI use. Fabricating sources is a violation of Penn’s Code of Academic Integrity, regardless of whether AI is involved. 

Avoid AI detectors 

Several companies have created “AI detectors” that claim to evaluate whether text was written by an AI or a human. However, none of these tools are sufficiently accurate to serve as evidence that a student has used AI.  Additionally, AI detectors demonstrate bias by falsely flagging written work by non-native English speakers. Uploading student work to an AI detector may also violate Penn’s AI privacy policies. 

Talk with your students

 A non-accusatory conversation with your students about their work product or process can help you gauge whether or not they relied substantially on AI and be an opportunity for a teachable moment. 

Consult the Center for Community Standards & Accountability (CSA)

CSA can consult with instructors on suspected or confirmed academic integrity violations. They can answer questions and offer help for talking with an affected student, even if you are not ready or planning to report a violation. Visit Reporting Academic Integrity Violations to learn more about the reporting and disciplinary process. 

CETLI Can Help

CETLI staff are available to discuss ideas or concerns related to generative AI and your teaching, and we can work with your program or department to facilitate conversations about this technology. Contact CETLI to learn more. 

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