Academic integrity tested by growing AI presence

At the university, faculty and students are navigating new challenges to academic integrity as artificial intelligence tools reshape how assignments are being completed. 

AI tools such as ChatGPT and Meta AI are becoming increasingly common in college classrooms. 

“Defining AI tools in the context of academic work, key word is tool,” Robert Smith, chair of management/international business and professor said. “It’s not a replacement for learning; it’s not something that should substitute your own creativity and work as either a student or a faculty member doing research.” 

While these tools can help students with writing, research and brainstorming, they also raise serious concerns about academic integrity. 

The university’s Academic Integrity Committee has not issued a single general rule on the use of AI, but guidance has been created for faculty. 

On the Faculty Development Office’s AI in coursework page, the faculty senate has recommended that professors include clear statements in their syllabi explaining how AI tools may be used. 

The Center for Educational and Assistive Technology has also weighed in on the issue. Director Bogdan Zamfir said AI can serve as a helpful starting point for assignments when used transparently. 

“It’s good for that kind of brainstorming and things like when you have an idea and you’re trying to figure out what exactly you’re doing,” Zamfir said. “You don’t want to use it to write your stuff with it.” 

Zamfir also compared the current moment with AI tools to when the internet was first introduced. 

“If you think about the internet and how it started, it was people just putting information on the web,” Zamfir said, “and at first it was fine because there wasn’t that much stuff, but it exploded, and everybody had so much that any Google search gave you a million pages.” 

As with the internet, the goal should not be to ban technology but to teach students how to use it responsibly and effectively. 

Zamfir also noted that as technology evolves, it is important to not solely focus on access to information, but also on how students interpret and apply it effectively. 

“So, the way I saw this is: how do you take that information and change it into knowledge? And I think that’s what these systems do; they take information and change it into something more meaningful,” Zamfir said. 

Students are also critically reflecting on the ethical line that separates assistance from dependency on AI tools. 

Student leaders in tech-focused fields are also weighing in on the use of these tools in academic fields. 

“AI tools can be useful and positive to a point where people are not relying entirely on their use,” computer science major Zachary Mercado, a senior and president of the computer science club, said. 

Mercado highlighted that due to AI’s capabilities, students may be tempted to take advantage of it. 

“A lot of people end up giving in to the fact that AI can do the answers for them.” 

As more students turn to AI for support, professors are beginning to revise syllabi content to clarify expectations around AI use. 

The Generative AI resource page from the Office of Online Learning advises faculty to specify expectations in advance, so students understand when AI assistance is considered appropriate. 

National surveys confirm that AI is already a fixture in education. 

A 2025 Copyleaks report found that 90% of U.S. students have used AI tools for schoolwork, with 53% saying they use them regularly and 29% daily. Professors are also adapting to the use of AI tools. 

A Gallup survey found 60% of U.S. public schools professors used AI often for lesson planning and grading support. 

As the numbers show, AI is no longer a distant trend but an active presence in classrooms nationwide. For now, students and professors face a rapidly evolving landscape with mixed feelings. 

Some see AI as a valuable aid; others fear the consequences of its misuse both ethically and academically. 

“As long as an educator is informing their students of the correct usage and non-usage I think that can help mitigate any threats to education,” Smith said.

Smith places emphasis on the clear communication between educators and students when it comes to the usage of AI in the classroom. 

“Teachers have a big responsibility and I don’t think absolutely forbidding AI’s use on the part of a professor is a wise or even smart idea,” Smith said.