Updated September 2024
This webpage replaces prior pages ChatGPT FAQs for Faculty and ChatGPT FAQs for Students that were published in February 2023 and October 2023.

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a category of technology that creates new content in response to prompts. GenAI is a rapidly evolving area affecting university education.

  • Content can be in the form of text, image, audio, video and software code, depending on the tool.  
  • The content that is produced can be very difficult to distinguish from that produced by humans.  
  • Where human brains learn based on relatively few examples, these tools have been trained on massive data sets of human-created content.
  • GenAI tools, such as Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, work by predicting what a human would produce in response to an input. 
See these additional resources for more information:
- University Library Research Guide: Artificial Intelligence: Understanding Generative AI

- Detailed information about GenAI technology in the LTE Toolkit

GenAI and Academic Misconduct

 Updated July 2024

Expectations for GenAI use, or non-use, are to be set out clearly by instructors as these expectations serve to define academic misconduct.

How the USask Academic Misconduct Regulations apply

Here are two relevant sections of the USask Academic Misconduct Regulations that may apply to academic misconduct involving GenAI use:

Unpermitted Assistance

= a student used a GenAI tool in a way that was not allowed.
  • See p. 6, point g (i)
    “failure to observe any stated rule with regard to the procedures used in an examination, assessment, or an activity undertaken for academic credit where such a failure could result in the student gaining relatively greater credit” 

Missing or inadequate attribution 

= a student included content or ideas originating with or derived from GenAI but did not acknowledge the source 
  • See p.7, point l
    “Adequate attribution is required. What is essential is that another person has no doubt which words or research results are the student’s, and which are drawn from other sources. Full explicit acknowledgment of the source of the material is required.” 
  • See p. 7, point l (ii)
    “The verbatim use of oral or written material without adequate attribution” 

Detection Tools: Not Approved

Updated Sept 2024

Tools to detect text or other outputs produced by GenAI are not reliable. False accusations can be devastating. No detection tool has been approved for use at the University of Saskatchewan. USask continues to monitor and assess detection strategies. 

Research has found problems with bias, false positives (accusing especially people writing in additional languages), false negatives (missed cases of GenAI use), and copyright concerns.

It is a potential copyright violation to put the work of another person into a third-party tool without their permission. If you, as the instructor, do not acquire permission from each student for submitting their work to GenAI or plagiarism detectors, doing so could be a copyright infringement issue and/or a violation of the University’s Use of Materials Protected by Copyright Policy. 

Students are advised to report use of detection tools on their intellectual property to their appropriate Associate Dean. 

Advice for students

Updated August 2024

GenAI is a rapidly evolving area affecting university education. Instructors are learning about GenAI and thinking about how to respond to it and include it. Students are responsible to maintain academic integrity, and this includes being knowledgeable about what GenAI use is allowed for assessments.  

Top Five Pieces of Advice: 

  1. Follow the rules laid out by each instructor. Usually these appear in the syllabus or instructions for assessments.    
  2. Recognize there will be differences in expectations between instructors and possibly between assessments in the same course. 
  3. Ask your instructor for clarification if no permissions or restrictions have been stated and if anything is unclear.
  4. Check out guidance available from the Library: Understanding Generative AI - Artificial Intelligence - Research Guides at University of Saskatchewan (usask.ca)
  5. Report use of unapproved detection tools to the Associate Dean in the College of the course of instruction.

For further advice, see the section About GenAI on this site's Students page. 

Fall 2024 - USask has launched provisional principles on the usage of AI by researchers, students, faculty, and support services. Click the button below to review the student guidelines and AI principles. 

Advice for instructors

Updated August 2024

Students are experiencing uncertainty and complexity, too. They have a wide range of views, as do faculty. Students will ask you to provide GenAI expectations for assessments so that they know what is permitted and what is not. Your stated expectations will define academic misconduct when it comes to GenAI use in your course.

Top Five Pieces of Advice: 

  1. Provide clear expectations.
  2. Explain your learning and integrity-related reasons for setting GenAI permissions or restrictions. 
  3. Provide a citation or acknowledgement format that supports transparent use. 
  4. Consider how assessments can be updated to reflect new GenAI uses and applications.
  5. Do not enter students’ assessments into third party tools, including in attempt to identify academic misconduct.

Fall 2024 - USask has launched provisional principles on the usage of AI by researchers, students, faculty, and support services. There are practical guidelines created for each group, along with resources and support for their implementation. Please click the button below to review the full website:

Stating GenAI expectations

GenAI uses can be thought of as on a continuum. Instructors may permit some uses and prohibit others that go past a certain level. Students may ask about certain uses to clarify what is permitted. Expectations should be stated very specifically because of the range of uses and contexts for assessment.

Sample syllabus statements

Sample supporting rationale

[When No GenAI Use is acceptable]

Any use of GenAI for assessments constitutes academic misconduct (in this course, and/or on this assessment)” 

As your instructor, I want to assess what students can do unassisted by GenAI.  If you use GenAI,  

  • you will not get the practice you need;  
  • the feedback you get will not be meaningful; 
  • your grade will not reflect what you can do unassisted by GenAI; and  
  • it will not be fair. 

[When only specific GenAI use is acceptable]

Some limited and specific use(s) of GenAI is acceptable in this assessment.  Any unacceptable use(s) will constitute academic misconduct.  See the following list of acceptable and unacceptable use [insert your specific examples]” 

As your instructor, I want to assess what you can do only with specific use of GenAI and other similar forms assistance.  I have permitted some uses and restricted other uses to support your learning. If you use GenAI beyond the acceptable uses: 

  • you will not get the practice you need;  
  • the feedback you get will not be meaningful;  
  • your grade will not reflect what you can do within the expectations; and  
  • it will not be fair. 
Sample uses with supporting rationale
  • Generate ideas
For the purposes of planning content multiple resources exist. You may use web searches, course materials, library resources, instructors, qualified peers and to support your process.
  • Identify relevant information to further research
  • Improve formate of what student has produced
For the purposes of finalizing content multiple resources exist. You may use software, library resources, instructors, qualified peers, and GenAI to support your writing process. 
  • Support final edits

Sample syllabus statement

Sample supporting rationale

[When GenAI use is acceptable with acknowledgement]

Use of GenAI is acceptable for this course/assessment and will not constitute academic misconduct when appropriately acknowledged.
As your instructor, I want to assess what you can do including when you have access to and use GenAI.

[When use of GenAI is required as part of a learning outcome]

Use of GenAI is required for this course/assessment and will not constitute academic misconduct.
As your instructor, I want to assess your ability to use according to specific criteria.

Example uses of GenAI

Three subcategories appear here, each with non-exhaustive example lists. Depending on the context for the assessment, you may find an example could better fit in another category.

  • Suggest a research question, key points, topic areas.
  • Create an outline for an essay, paper or report.
  • Outline steps to solve certain kinds of problems. 
  • Generate examples of something that was explained in class.
  • Sort ideas according to criteria.
  • Summarize key points from text inputted as a prompt.
  • Recommend approaches for conducting research​.
  • Identify strategies that could work for an example problem or context​.
  • Generate counter-arguments to key points​.

  • Proofread a draft for certain kinds of errors or issues.
  • Rewrite a student paragraph in a different tone.
  • Find ways to restate or vary word choice.
  • Get feedback and advice on a draft.
  • Rewrite a student draft for improved grammar, verb tense.
  • Assemble drafted content into a more cohesive whole.
  • Improve a thesis statement or research question.
  • Rewrite a draft to change word count.
  • Translate from one language into another.

  • Classify content.
  • Transform large data set.
  • Create a glossary of terms.
  • Generate a case study, piece of art, concept map, thematic representation.
  • Design an experiment or process.
  • Simulate a process or experiment.
  • Curate content to represent a theme or an argument.
  • Simulate an interview with a specific person, character or persona.
  • Analyze data for patterns, properties, interactions.
  • Generate code for a standard or novel problem.
  • Change a text-based story into a visual, or vice versa.
  • Redesign something to new specs.

Citing GenAI

As GenAI use becomes more and more common, standardized formats for citation and acknowledgement are becoming available for textual and non-textual outputs. 
  • See this USask Library Guide for details Citing Generative AI
  • Check journals and publishers in specific fields of study and research for additional information. 

Acknowledging GenAI use/non-use

Standard templates or formats for acknowledging GenAI use, or non-use, may be used. These should be consistent with and specific to the assessment in question.

  • Student name, assessment title, date of submission, relevant course details.
  • Signature line or equivalent where a student formally verifies their agreement with the statement.
  • Example standard statement: “I understand that as I student, I am responsible to become knowledgeable about academic integrity practices expected of me in my courses and this includes and is not limited to following expectations for GenAI use outlined by my instructor in this course”  

Purpose: To have a student formally confirm that they have not used GenAI in the ways an instructor has said are not permitted on an assessment.

Since GenAI is built into many everyday software, apps and tools now, the language of a “total ban” is not practical and it is recommended that specific restrictions be named. Example statements: 
  • "I confirm that I have not used any GenAI tools or technologies to generate the content of this assessment." 
  • "I confirm that I have not used any GenAI tools or technologies to produce or edit the [text/image/code/video/visuals] included in this assessment."

Purpose: To have a student (1) describe their permitted use in a way the instructor finds sufficient, and,  (2) formally confirm that they have not used GenAI in the ways an instructor has said are not permitted on an assessment. 

Example statements are listed below and may begin with a stem such as this: “I acknowledge specific uses of GenAI to produce this assessment and… ". 


Example statement format  Example of additional process description  
To create an outline: 
…I acknowledge the use of [tool(s)] to generate an outline for an assignment as permitted by the instructor. 		 I entered the following prompt(s) [insert] and limited my use of the output to assist me to plan my assignment.  The ideas and text used are cited appropriately where they are not uniquely my own.   
To start a research process: 
…I acknowledge the use of [tool(s)] to brainstorm topics for an assessment as permitted by the instructor. 		 I entered the following prompt(s) [insert] and used the output as a starting point for topic ideas/research directions. 
To edit: 
…I acknowledge the use of [tool(s)] to edit and format the final product for this assessment as permitted by the instructor.  		 I entered the following draft [insert link to document(s)] and entered the following prompt(s) to produce an improved draft which I then reviewed and made final modifications before submitting.   
To complete a task: 
…I acknowledge the use of [tool(s)] to complete the requirement as assigned by the instructor. 		 I entered the following prompt(s) [insert] and used the output in order to [insert assessment task].

Support

Advice and Guidance

Academic Integrity - Academic Integrity Strategist, Susan Bens  

Teaching with GenAI - Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning  

Copyright information - Copyright Coordinator 

Privacy information - Legal Counsel, Access and Privacy Officer, Rayelle Johnston