In concurrence with the start of the fall semester, Azusa Pacific University rolled out a new campus wide AI policy. Google Gemini will be a tool used to inspire and assist students as they prepare to be difference makers in their fields. Louise Huang, PhD, professor and vice provost for academic services, oversaw the policy’s creation alongside chief information officer Joe Desuta. The two co-chair the AI Stewardship Group (ASG), a cross campus, cross functional committee of faculty and staff from IT, cyber security, advancement, and student belonging behind the policy’s creation and roll out.
Gemini was rolled out to faculty in March along with training and guides to keep faculty informed of the benefits of AI while encouraging them to become familiar with the guidelines of the policy. While some disciplines are expected to use the system more than others, use of Gemini is at the discretion of the professor. According to the policy, “Students may use AI for brainstorming, research support, grammar/style editing, study aids, and learning/exploration, only with explicit instructor permission and proper disclosure/citation.”
Prohibited violations of the system include claiming AI generated work as original. “By introducing Gemini, we’re promoting asking questions such as where’s the limit to using AI and how do we properly cite images and quote the work it’s doing,” Huang said. “We are not unaware of this powerful and prevalent technology, so rather than shying away from it, we want to show our students how to use it responsibly and give them transferable skills for the workplace.” In the past few years, the expectation for college graduates to have experience and expertise using AI has increased among employers. Dedicated to preparing students to be work force ready, the ASG has created space in the classroom for exposure to the technology that is deliberate and intentional in embedding AI into curriculum.
As a Christian university, APU keeps ethics at the core of the conversation when it comes to using AI in a way that serves others and serves God. According to the policy, “It [the AI policy] is designed to uphold APU’s commitment to academic integrity, foster critical thinking, and prepare students for an AI-integrated world, all within the framework of our Christ-centered mission.” Huang and the ASG hope that the new policy works twofold to change the common perception about AI as a way to cut corners or incite misconduct while also encouraging students to see it as a learning partner and resource platform.
We’re using Christian ethics to form boundaries around the use of AI rather than seeing it as only a tool to generate revenue or make things easier,” Huang said. “That means that we may be using this technology differently than other higher education institutions. We’re also using it to start conversations about how we raise thoughtful leaders.
Faculty members and students will continue to receive training as Gemini becomes more widely used on campus. To promote not just the celebration of APU’s step toward innovation through AI but the carefully crafted policy guidelines as well, there will be a campus wide Integrity Week from September 15-19. “We’ll come together as a community to embrace deep learning rather than just outsourcing information from AI,” Huang said. “We will show the APU community what it can look like to raise and equip students to have honesty, integrity, and virtue as we roll out such a powerful tool.”
To read more about the intention and proper use of artificial intelligence on campus, read through the resources here.