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AI: Becoming an Informed User: AI @ Jefferson College

This guide reviews important concepts about artificial intelligence (AI) that Jefferson College students should know, including helpful uses, limitations, and risks.

AI and Academic Honesty at Jefferson College

Currently, Jefferson College does not have a formal AI use policy. However, that does not mean that there are no restrictions provided by your instructors nor any possibility that using AI without proper credit won't get you into trouble. Use the information on this page to learn more about using AI for your courses at Jefferson College.

Q&A: Plagiarism and AI

Is using AI considered plagiarism?

It depends. In many ways, the answer varies based on situation and academic institution. However, intentional or careless lack of acknowledgement of sources, including AI, does fall under the umbrella of plagiarism, and generating content from an AI tool and passing it off as your own work is certainly plagiarism. Additionally, any use of AI not pre-approved by your instructor and/or not properly acknowledged or cited in your work, could be considered cheating or plagiarism. The key is always to be ethical in your use, follow the rules established by your college, and do not deceive or mislead anyone about the origin of the work you submit. Learn more about plagiarism here.

Jefferson College's Stance on Plagiarism

Plagiarism – The unauthorized use of materials not written or created by the person claiming authorship. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following: 

a. Turning in a written essay produced by someone else. 

b. Collaborating on a written assignment without the specific approval of the instructor. 

c. Borrowing materials from any source—professional or amateur—and turning them in as original. 

d. Failure to acknowledge through appropriate citations any words, ideas, research, graphics, etc. produced by someone other than the person claiming authorship.

From the 2025-2026 Jefferson College Student Handbook, p. 18

Student Handbook

Check out Jefferson College's Student Handbook to review the Student Code of Conduct, examples of academic dishonesty, and the Rules of Procedure for those who violate the Code of Conduct (p.18-23). This handbook is full of other useful information as well, including where to find academic support and other policies and processes that may be helpful to you over the course of your time here. 

Sample Syllabus Statements on AI Use

At Jefferson College, your instructors can determine if/how AI can be used to complete assignments. Be sure to read your class syllabus to see which of the following three stances they have taken and the statements they have included/adapted. Reach out to your instructor if you have any questions about their policy on AI use before completing any assignment you may want to use it for. 

AI Prohibited

  • Using an AI Generator such as ChatGPT, iA Writer, MidJourney, or DALL-E is strictly prohibited in this class. All work must be your own. Submitting AI-generated material will be treated as plagiarism. 

  • Using Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc., for assignments is not permitted in this class; therefore, any use of such programs may be considered Academic Dishonesty under the Student Code of Conduct and will result in ____________ (failure of the assignment, failure of the course, etc.). 

  • The assignments in this course are designed to assess your [knowledge, skills, ideas]; therefore, the use of any generative tools, such as AI programs, is not permitted. Use of such tools will result in ________.

AI Permitted with Permission

  • This course is designed to prepare students for the world beyond college; therefore, the use of technological tools such as Generative AI is appropriate in certain, limited situations. Use beyond those circumstances is prohibited. We will discuss appropriate uses and citation methods. All other uses will be treated as Academic Dishonesty under the Student Code of Conduct. 

  • In this class, students can use AI programs such as ChatGPT to help generate ideas or to get feedback on drafts. Use of such technology to create entire _____ [essays, answers to test questions, projects, speeches, etc.] is prohibited. Students can submit their work to AI programs for feedback using prompts like this one: 

    • I am writing a ________ essay for my _______ class. The assignment is __________. What suggestions do you have to make this draft more effective? Do not rewrite the essay. Give me specific recommendations to improve it. 

  • This class will integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools as part of my commitment to innovative and engaging learning experiences. AI technologies have become an integral part of today’s world, and we will explore how to use them ethically, effectively, and responsibly. For example, students may experiment with generative AI to create an outline, analyze articles, get feedback on their own writing, summarize content, and develop a list of questions. 

  • Do not submit any work generated by an AI program as your own. You may use it for research in specific assignments. If you include material generated by an AI program, it should be cited like any other source material, using the appropriate citation format for this class. 

  • Students are allowed to use AI tools such as ChatGPT if the instructor allows and approves the use in advance. Students who use permitted AI tools complete this statement and submit it along with their assignments:

    • I acknowledge the use of [insert AI system(s) and link] to [specific use of generative artificial intelligence]. The prompts used include [list of prompts]. The output from these prompts was used to [explain use]. 

  • Acceptable uses of AI assistance include but are not limited to: 

    • Idea or topic generation

    • Developing search terms

    • Summaries or paraphrases of key concepts for study purposes

    • Creating an outline

    • Formatting citations

    • Soliciting general feedback about how to revise rather than asking for a rewrite

  • This policy is designed to allow students to use these tools to improve their own learning and understanding, not to replace their own processes of thinking and creating. Any use that results in students taking credit for words or ideas they did not produce will be treated as plagiarism.

AI Permitted

  • Students are encouraged to use artificial intelligence tools in this class to prepare them for their use in the workplace.

  • I expect you to use AI (ChatGPT and image generation tools) in this class and will require its use for some assignments. Their use is an emerging skill, and we will discuss appropriate uses of this cutting-edge technology so you are able to use it effectively and ethically. 

  • Students are allowed to use AI tools, such as ChatGPT or DALL-E, with no special permission or documentation required.