Educator Guidance

It is at the discretion of the faculty member whether to use Generative AI in the classroom. SMU requires that faculty communicate to students about the use of AI via their syllabus, and we have created a statement builder for this purpose.

Faculty who use AI in the classroom should provide clear guidelines around AI use in the class for graded and ungraded assignments, self-study outside of class, and support through other SMU avenues, as well as a disclosure statement if AI is used for other pedagogical aspects such as assignment building or grading.

Faculty are asked to become familiar with SMU’s guidance around privacy and data security. It is important to remember that having access to data does not imply permission to scrape the data or use it to train an AI model.

Faculty are encouraged to consult SMU's AI-specific guides on topics such as "Managing Questions about Academic Integrity & Generative AI”; "Guide for Research & Data Analysis"; "Practical AI for Teaching"; "Streamline Your Workday – Using AI to Save Time"; "Practical AI for Creatives"; and "Leveling Up – From AI Beginner to Expert."

Faculty members are encouraged to open conversations and discussions with students about AI use within their discipline and to foster a culture of curiosity. SMU is curating resources for faculty to explore and share about AI, including links specifically designed to address AI by the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), SMU Libraries, and the Office of Information Technology.