Policies & syllabus
Rules and ready-to-use language
What Northeastern requires, and text you can copy into your syllabus and assignments.
Summarized from Northeastern's Standards and Recommendations for the Use of Generative AI in Teaching and Learning (July 2025, PDF). If this page and the PDF ever differ, the PDF and the university's AI Policy govern.
You decide how AI fits your course
- No course is required to use AI. Each instructor decides. (If you teach from a shared syllabus that includes AI, follow its learning outcomes.)
- You may prohibit AI, for example when students need to master foundational skills or produce their own creative work.
- Start from your learning goals. AI can help students reach some goals and get in the way of others, so the right answer can differ between assignments in the same course.
Rules to know before you start
- Don't rely on AI detectors. They're unreliable and produce false positives, so the university doesn't recommend them. Using any detection tool requires prior approval from the AI Review Committee (NU login).
- Don't use AI to grade open-ended work without review. Using generative AI to grade essays, written or multimodal work requires AI Review Committee review. Closed-form items like multiple choice are not covered by this rule.
- Protect personal information. If an AI use involves confidential or personal information (including student information covered by FERPA), it must go to the AI Review Committee. Encourage students to use university-supported tools vetted for security and privacy, such as the NU Claude Portal.
- Check publisher rules before uploading readings. Textbook and journal publishers set what you may do with their material in AI tools.
- You're responsible for what you share. If you use AI to help make course materials, check them for accuracy before students see them.
- If you suspect misuse, start with a conversation. Ask the student to explain their process or how they reached their answer. If you still have an academic-integrity concern, follow the standard process with OSCCR.
Sample syllabus statements
From the university standards. Pick one, then adapt it. Say why your policy supports your course goals.
AI use not permitted
Generative AI is a valuable tool for many purposes, but in this course, we will be learning skills that you will need to be able to apply on your own before you can succeed with more advanced work in your career and future courses. You will also need these skills to spot and correct errors in the output of AI. Therefore, AI is not permitted in this course except when explicitly stated.
AI use sometimes allowed
AI tools are permitted for specific assignments as indicated in the syllabus. Each assignment will clearly state whether AI use is allowed and to what extent.
AI use encouraged
Generative AI is reshaping our field. This course is a great place to experiment with it. For this reason, I encourage the use of AI, and I also require that you document and reflect on your use to have a record of experience and insights. You will do this in an AI journal, updated weekly.
Your own AI use (optional)
Some course materials have been developed with the assistance of AI tools. All such content has been reviewed and edited by the instructor for accuracy.
Label each assignment
Use the same easy-to-spot label on every assignment so students always know where they stand.
| Label | What it tells students |
|---|---|
| Prohibited | Use of AI is prohibited on this assignment. |
| Permitted | Use of AI is allowed on this assignment; specific tools and uses must be cited (Example: “AI was used for feedback on first draft.”). |
| Encouraged | Use of AI is encouraged on this assignment; follow the assignment instructions for guidance and citation requirements. |
| Required | Use of AI is required on this assignment; follow the assignment instructions for guidance and citation requirements. |
Ask students to disclose their AI use
When AI is allowed, ask students to say how they used it. A one-line statement is often enough (for example, “I used AI to summarize my notes”). For some assignments you may want the prompts or full chat transcript instead.
Disclosure template (adapt freely)
AI use statement
Tool(s) I used:
What I used it for:
How I checked what it produced:
What I changed, rejected, or wrote myself:
Template written for this site; the university standards recommend disclosure but don't prescribe a format.
Talk about it in class
- First week: explain your expectations out loud, not just in the syllabus, and invite questions.
- Each new assignment: revisit what AI use is appropriate for that task and why.
- Model transparency: tell students how you do and don't use AI, including in feedback and grading.
Related policies: Policy on the Use of AI Systems · FERPA policy · Code of Student Conduct · AI Review Committee FAQ (NU login)