Professors adjust their policies to accommodate AI surge

by MADISON FRY

Staff Writer

Professors at the University of Mary Washington are being offered various developmental opportunities, such as panels, reading groups and round-table discussions, to learn more about navigating the use of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom.

Several faculty members have opted to create an AI usage policy for their courses. UMW does not currently have a university-wide AI policy and discretion is left to individual professors. 

“AI certainly is not going anywhere, I believe that we must help prepare our students for life after Mary Washington, by ensuring that, first, everyone has equal/equitable access to AI and everything it has to offer and, second, that our students know how to use it responsibly and with a discerning, critical eye,” said Associate Professor of Spanish Antonia Delgado-Poust.

Some professors have had to change their class structure and assignment descriptions to adapt to the rapid increase in AI usage.

“Like many of my colleagues in modern languages, I have moved any substantial writing exercises in my beginner and intermediate language courses back into the classroom,” said Delgado-Poust. “In my more advanced literature and culture courses, I’ve created more scaffolding for writing assignments, so as to try to discourage the urge to plagiarize.”

Associate Professor of Communication, Elizabeth Johnson-Young, explained that she changes her AI policy every semester and that the policy differs between the courses she teaches. Johnson-Young discourages heavy reliance on AI and encourages students to create critical content on their own.

“If AI is doing their work for them now, how will they be able to demonstrate confidence and competency in their work and talk about their own critical use of AI when they’re on the job market?” she said.

This year, UMW introduced Microsoft Copilot as an AI tool available to all students and faculty paid for by the university. CoPilot is an AI program that is included in students’ tuition and grants full access to the program as a part of Microsoft 365. 

“I do think it’s a positive that we have access to CoPilot. It allows all of us equal access, which is important, and by encouraging any AI use through CoPilot we can equal the playing field at least a bit in the classroom,” said Johnson-Young. 

Because of the rise in prominence of AI programs, some professors, including Associate Professor of Communication Adria Goldman, created policies to help students understand classroom expectations regarding the technology. 

“AI (such as ChatGPT or similar technology) should not be used in our class for assignment assistance or as a research source. It can be used in the course as a topic of discussion or as an artifact for study (with proper citation),” Goldman’s policy says. “If using AI in the course, it is recommended to speak with Dr. G prior to starting to make sure the use is in line with our course practices.” 

While Goldman prohibits the use of AI in some of her courses, she allows limited use for outlining and brainstorming in others. She acknowledges that students will have to use AI eventually, so she wants to teach them ways to use the technology appropriately.

While UMW equips students with access to Microsoft Copilot at no cost, some prefer to use other programs. Senior psychology major Bailey Weatherby explains that she likes to use Chat GPT and Grammarly because she enjoys seeing how fast AI is improving and growing. She has also been in classes where the use of these programs has been encouraged or required. 

“We used [AI] for making art designs online,” she said. “I liked it because it helped my picture design come more to life and it was a unique way to make art.”

Trey Rudisill, a senior accounting major, said that he was surprised to hear that in his Accounting Information Systems class, AI use was heavily encouraged. He finds Microsoft CoPilot especially useful when trying to understand accounting in Excel. 

However, junior communication and digital studies major Erin Landfair said that she does not use AI because she has never felt a need for it.

“…I have done activities where we are encouraged to use AI to compare and contrast,” she said. “I didn’t mind using it to compare but I definitely am not a fan of using it for an actual assignment”. 

Many students think that professors should be required to receive training on AI use in the classroom. Landfair said that AI is a “gray area” and there should be a university-wide policy.  

“I do believe that professors should receive training regarding AI as it seems to be a tool that is here to stay within the collegiate realm and will only grow in future career paths,” Rudisill said. “If collegiate academia decides to ignore AI in the classroom, it will result in its improper use by students in their assignments and future graduates will be left unprepared as to how to implement AI in their future jobs.”

Many expressed a hope that the university will continue to provide opportunities for both students and professors to further their understanding of AI use in the classroom, and compliance with the Honor Code. 

“As I become more familiar with AI and the ways in which it can help both my students and me in and outside the classroom, I’m sure that I will be using it more frequently and effectively,” said Delgado-Poust.