Policies | Middlebury

As we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, Middlebury College recognizes the profound impact these technologies are having on education, research, and society at large.

We are committed to fostering an environment that embraces innovation while upholding our core values. As this is an emergent technology with a great deal of flexibility and power, guidance and policy will continue to develop along with the capabilities of the technology and our understanding of how they impact our community.

As with any technology, AI use at Middlebury must comply with institutional policies. These policies are designed to support and protect members of the Middlebury community while aligning to Middlebury’s mission and values. Our goal is to ensure that AI use contributes positively to the Middlebury tradition of critical thinking, rigorous inquiry, and holistic education while safeguarding the rights and privacy of all our community members.

Policies Relevant to AI Use

The following information is meant as a guide and may not include every relevant policy.

Policy	Goal	Details
Data classification	Protect the privacy and security of Middlebury community members	Familiarity with the data classification structure will help guide your interactions with AI tools. AI data should be restricted to public data (Level 1). If you want to use a specific AI tool with non-public Middlebury data (Level 2 or Level 3) please request a consultation with ITS. Be sure to carefully review the AI tool’s terms of service for any intellectual property or copyright clauses that could impact the data you enter, your work, or ownership of created content.
Responsible use of computing and network services and facilities	Protect Middlebury’s information technology systems and networks from misuse, internal and external threats	These policies focus on legal compliance, safeguarding sensitive information, maintaining the integrity and security of IT systems, and promoting an environment of respect and collaboration. Community members are expected to avoid actions that could compromise the functionality of IT resources or the privacy of others.
Intellectual property	Protect the intellectual property of members of the Middlebury community	Different AI tools treat information very differently. Before using an AI technology make sure you understand how it will treat the content you enter and that the content it creates aligns with Middlebury’s (and your own) view on intellectual property. Individual instructors may provide additional guidelines around AI use in their courses.
Academic integrity College Institute Language Schools	Protect academic standards and rigor, support authentic student learning	Individual instructors may provide additional guidelines around AI use in their courses.