1. Aiding and Abetting in an Academic Offense: Intentionally assisting another person to participate in any act of academic misconduct including cyber-academic misconduct.
2. Cheating: Knowingly engaging in acts involving dishonesty, deceit, deception, fraud, fabrication, or falsification in any academic work. Copying the work of others. Permitting others to complete assignments including the use of commercially produced research papers.  No student shall receive or give assistance not authorized by the instructor in taking an examination or in the preparation of an essay, laboratory report, problem assignment, or other project that is submitted for purposes of grade determination. 
3. Course Materials: Removing or defacing materials from the University library system that have been placed on reserve.
4. Dishonesty: Knowingly furnishing false information to defraud or gain a benefit.
5. Disturbances in the Classroom: Participating in behaviors in the classroom that prevent others from realizing the full benefit of the learning environment. Engaging in behaviors in the classroom in an attempt to stifle academic freedom of speech.
6. Plagiarism: To represent written work taken from another source as one’s own is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense. The academic work of a student must be their own. One must give any author credit for source material borrowed from them. To lift content directly from a source without giving credit is a flagrant act. To present a borrowed passage without reference to the source after having changed a few words is also plagiarism. Engaging in an act or acts by using someone else's work or generative artificial intelligence and presenting this work as ones own.
7. Self-plagiarism: Recycling work submitted for one particular assignment for another assignment without the faculty member’s permission.
8. Generative AI:  A type of technology that produces content (text, images, other media, etc) in response to prompts provided by the user. The content is generated through machine learning that mirrors the human brain and therefore produces human-like materials. Examples of Large Language Models (LLMS) that generate text include ChatGPT, Bing, Gemini (formerly Bard), and Claude 2. Generators frequently used to create images include Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E and Midjourney. 

Examples of Areas Where Academic Misconduct Most Likely Occurs

 “Essentially, students are expected to do work that is assigned to them and submit products that represent personal and individual effort only.”

In an exam setting

1. Presenting as your work, test answers that are not your work, including the following:
   1. Using resources other than those specifically allowed by the instructor (e.g., generative artificial intelligence; notes or another person)
   2. Copying from another student’s test
   3. Using notes from any source during a test when notes are not allowed
   4. Using materials that the instructor is not making available to the whole class (Exception: students with disabilities needing accommodations
   5. Recycling an assignment that has been used in another course (unless approved by the instructor)
   6. Acquiring a copy of the exam without permission
   7. Providing answers for or soliciting answers from another student with or without permission of the other student (Note: This may either be an attempt to help or harm the targeted student)

On a written assignment

1. Presenting as your own work duplicated work that you did not create:
   1. Purchasing written work from an external source
   2. Copying work from a free external source (online or otherwise)
   3. Presenting as your work something another person or generative artificial intelligence has created
   4. Altering text from another source
   5. Altering select words of some original text in order to conceal plagiarism

Academic dishonesty that is possible in various settings:

1. Providing money or favors in order to gain academic advantage
2. Falsely stating that work was given to the instructor at a certain time when it was not
3. Correcting the responses of a graded assignment and presenting them to the instructor as incorrectly graded material
4. Pretending to be someone you are not; taking the place of another
5. Or any other behavior that violates the basic principles of integrity and honesty or syllabus guidelines

(Excerpt from the Academic Integrity Statement Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Academic Integrity in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, 2012) 

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly transforming our world, and higher education is no exception. Over the course of the 22-23 academic year we saw significant developments in the utilization and capacity of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Here at WKU, we believe in embracing cutting-edge tools to empower our faculty and enhance student learning. These ongoing developments have a substantial impact on teaching and learning, and it is necessary for us to consider the implication of AI in our classrooms. This page introduces you to the exciting possibilities of GenAI in your teaching practices, providing practical strategies and inspiring examples from your colleagues.

If you have additional questions, suggestions, or resources you would like to share, please contact citl@wku.edu. 

Provost Message

Generative AI Tools in the Classroom

WKU Syllabus Information Links

 

Note: Faculty have the right to not allow students to use Artificial Intelligence services in the completion of their assignments no differently than how faculty often restrict access to other technologies such as calculators for certain examinations and homework assignments. In the same course, a calculator may be permitted for one assignment and not another. We encourage professors to make it clear if Artificial Intelligence was allowed on one assignment and not a following assignment.

Academic misconduct is a violation the Code of Student Conduct and must follow procedural due process (WKU Student Handbook, College Handbook, Syllabus)

 

Role of the Faculty Member or Reporting Party

1. Faculty member or reporting party should meet or communicate with the offending student to inform of the policy violation. Procedures must conform to those outlined by the Faculty Handbook, Student Handbook, and syllabus. Communication should:
   1. Inform student of intentions, consistent with procedural due process, of the violation with an opportunity to give a response.
   2. Inform student of intent to refer to The Office of Student Conduct
2. Faculty member or reporting party should notify The Office of Student Conduct using the Academic Misconduct Report Form. Reports should be submitted at the time of the incident.
3. Faculty actions following notification to the student and the Office of Student Conduct:
   1. May choose to assign a failing grade on the assignment
   2. May choose to assign a failing grade for the class without an option to withdraw

Role of the Office of Student Conduct

The Office of Student Conduct will review for any additional action. Faculty members are strongly encouraged to report policy violations to The Office of Student Conduct so that we may assist the student in correcting the behavior, hold students accountable for their actions, track violations, and stop serial violators.

1. Following the referral and submission of supporting documentation via the Academic Misconduct Reporting Form an incident report is generated within the Office of Student Conduct.  https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?WesternKentuckyUniv&layout_id=5
2. The Office of Student Conduct staff will meet with the student to:
   1. Determine whether additional sanctioning is necessary. 
   2. Connect student to other campus resources (safety net)
3. The Office of Student Conduct according to the procedures outlined within the guidelines of FERPA will permit limited disclosure of conduct outcomes, and maintains records related to cases involving violations.
4. Any Suspension or Expulsion may occur at the recommendation of the University Disciplinary Committee

Appeal Process

A student who believes a faculty member has dealt unfairly with him/her in a course involving academic dishonesty may seek relief through the Student Complaint Procedure.

REPORTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT

Q.  What is AI?

A. Generative AI:  A type of technology that produces content (text, images, other media, etc) in response to prompts provided by the user. The content is generated through machine learning that mirrors the human brain and therefore produces human-like materials. Examples of Large Language Models (LLMS) that generate text include ChatGPT, Bing, Gemini (formerly Bard), and Claude 2. Generators frequently used to create images include Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E and Midjourney. 

 

Q.  Does using Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) violate the code of conduct?  

A.  Generative Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are not permitted for any type of work at WKU unless it is authorized to use as a  tools per the syllabus guidelines. If you choose to use these tools without the expressed or written permission, your actions will be considered academically dishonest and a violation of the WKU Student Code of Conduct. 

Tip: Much like any technology used to aid in the completion of academic work, it is the user's responsibility to ensure that the use of that technology is both permitted to be used by the course instructor and that the use is clearly cited and/or documented in some way so that it clear what work was created by the user of the service and what portion of the work was created by the technology.

 

Q. Is work (essays, responses, code, images) created by an artificial intelligence engine covered by the Student Code of Conduct?

A.  Yes.  The Student Code of Conduct was written to address behavior, not technologies. In addition, work submitted for credit that was created by AI-engines can be addressed using the Dishonesty and General Rules Codes for acts of Academic Misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

 

Q. How will I know if use of Artificial Intelligence is allowed in my course?

A.  Students academic work must be their own. To lift content directly from a source without giving credit is a flagrant act of academic dishonesty. You are not to use unauthorized assistance in any course, assignment, homework, laboratory, on field work, or scholarship unless such assistance has been authorized specifically by the faculty or instructor. These requirements apply to all students — undergraduate, graduate, and professional.

The following link will take you to syllabus statements you should be aware of for your courses.  

Click on ChatGPT & Generative AI Statement

Tip:  It is ultimately, the student's responsibility to ask their faculty or instructor if they plan to use Artificial Intelligence. Not knowing is not an excuse for a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. If a student is found to be using unauthorized aid in the submission of an assignment of any kind it may be deemed a violation. 

 

Q.  Can i use Artificial Intelligence to help me with my homework?

A.  Students are responsible for knowing their faculty or instructor’s expectations when it comes to using AI tools.  If it is unclear whether AI tools are allowed in a particular course or for an assignment, it is the student’s responsibility to ask their faculty or instructor before using them. Expectations may vary from course to course.

 

Q.  Should I use citations when using Artificial Intelligence in my work?

A.Yes. When using Artificial Intelligence or ChatGPT to generate statements, figures, images, etc. be sure to cite the work both in text (if applicable) and in a works cited page. Remember that Artificial Intelligence is a new technology so citation guidelines are currently being developed and are subject to change.

Tip:  Professors have the right to not allow students to use Artificial Intelligence services in the completion of their assignments.  It is your responsibility to ask first.