For Faculty
Middlebury faculty are empowered to choose their approach to teaching with generative AI.
It is critical that faculty and instructors provide guidance to students about appropriate and inappropriate uses of generative AI in their classes. Faculty are asked to provide guidance to students via the course syllabus and to discuss their expectations in class.
Syllabus Statements
Middlebury has provided three syllabus statements that instructors can use or adapt to provide AI-related guidance to students. We recommend starting with this language and adding more specific information for your class. For example, for each assignment, you can provide guidance on appropriate and inappropriate uses of generative AI, using a tool such as Can I Use AI?
Option 1: Use Prohibited
Sample syllabus language: Using AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Bard) is forbidden in this class. You may not use them to assist in any part of your homework or other assignments. Any use of generative AI tools will be treated as a violation of Middlebury’s Honor Code.
Option 2: Limited Use
Sample syllabus language: You may use AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Bard) to help generate ideas and brainstorm, but only on assignments for which I have given permission to use AI tools, as specified on the syllabus. Outputs generated by these programs may be inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. I will hold you accountable for the accuracy of your work. Be aware that use of AI may also limit your own independent thinking and creativity. Do not submit any work generated by an AI tool as your own. If you include material generated by an AI tool, it should be cited like any other reference material (e.g., MLA or APA style citation). Any un-cited or inappropriate use of AI tools will be treated as a violation of Middlebury’s Honor Code.
Option 3: Allowed or Supported Use
Sample syllabus language: You are expected to use AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT and image generation tools) in this class. In fact, some assignments will require it, with appropriate citation (e.g. MLA or APA style citation). Learning to use AI is an emerging skill and we will be learning that skill together. If you have concerns about using these tools, please talk to me about your concerns so that we can find suitable alternatives.
Detection of AI
Concerns about unauthorized use of AI have led some faculty and institutions to explore AI detection software and other safeguards.
Content detectors such as Turnitin, Pangram, and GPTZero look for repetitive phrasing and an overuse of certain words to identify AI content. OpenAI and Google have created watermarks to identify AI-generated video, audio, images, and text.
Widespread use and availability of AI have elevated longstanding concerns around academic integrity and how to support the important but hard work of critical thinking. According to our strategic working group on AI and technology, Middlebury needs “pedagogical practices that are resilient to technological disruption because they center what AI cannot replicate.”
Middlebury is investing in faculty to support the development of new teaching practices. In the meantime, we offer several considerations on the use of AI detection tools, as follows:
Efficacy
These detection tools continue to develop. At this time, AI detectors have varied reliability, can demonstrate bias against non-native English speakers, and are more readily available to those who can afford advanced models (see this review of research from Bowdoin).
At this time, based on evaluations of efficacy, we recommend that faculty who employ AI detectors do so as supplementary tools to prompt further inquiry, rather than use these detectors as the sole basis for evaluating academic misconduct. (Hadra et al. 2026)
Fostering Trust, Adapting Practices
An additional concern about the use of AI detectors is the impact on student engagement.
“Stepping up policing around AI use builds an adversarial atmosphere of distrust between instructors and students, which hurts students’ motivation and morale.”
Rather than rely on detection software, MIT suggests that faculty have transparent dialogues about AI use, foster intrinsic motivation, and create inclusive classrooms that support student engagement.