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The University of Mary Washington Student Newspaper Serving the community since 1922
Ringer
VOLUME 98 | ISSUE 2
September 13, 2024
Professors adjust their policies to accommodate AI surge
MADISON FRY Staff Writer
their own critical use of AI when they’re on the job market?” she said. This year, UMW introduced Microsoft Professors at the University of Mary Copilot as an AI tool available to all students Washington are being offered various and faculty paid for by the university. CoPilot developmental opportunities, such as panels, reading groups and round-table discussions, to is an AI program that is included in students’ learn more about navigating the use of Artificial tuition and grants full access to the program as a part of Microsoft 365. Intelligence in the classroom. “I do think it’s a positive that we have access Several faculty members have opted to create to CoPilot. It allows all of us equal access, an AI usage policy for their courses. UMW which is important, and by encouraging any AI does not currently have a university-wide use through CoPilot we can equal the playing AI policy and discretion is left to individual field at least a bit in the classroom,” said professors. “AI certainly is not going anywhere, I believe Johnson-Young. Because of the rise in prominence of AI that we must help prepare our students for life after Mary Washington, by ensuring that, first, programs, some professors, including Associate Professor of Communication Adria Goldman, everyone has equal/equitable access to AI and created policies to help students understand everything it has to offer and, second, that our classroom expectations regarding the students know how to use it responsibly and technology. with a discerning, critical eye,” said Associate “AI (such as ChatGPT or similar technology) Professor of Spanish Antonia Delgado-Poust. should not be used in our class for assignment Some professors have had to change their assistance or as a research source. It can be class structure and assignment descriptions to used in the course as a topic of discussion or adapt to the rapid increase in AI usage. as an artifact for study (with proper citation),” “Like many of my colleagues in modern languages, I have moved any substantial writing Goldman’s policy says. “If using AI in the course, it is recommended to speak with Dr. G exercises in my beginner and intermediate prior to starting to make sure the use is in line language courses back into the classroom,” with our course practices.” said Delgado-Poust. “In my more advanced While Goldman prohibits the use of AI in literature and culture courses, I’ve created more scaffolding for writing assignments, so as to try some of her courses, she allows limited use for outlining and brainstorming in others. She to discourage the urge to plagiarize.” acknowledges that students will have to use AI Associate Professor of Communication, eventually, so she wants to teach them ways to Elizabeth Johnson-Young, explained that she use the technology appropriately. changes her AI policy every semester and that While UMW equips students with access to the policy differs between the courses she Microsoft Copilot at no cost, some prefer to use teaches. Johnson-Young discourages heavy other programs. Senior psychology major Bailey reliance on AI and encourages students to Weatherby explains that she likes to use Chat create critical content on their own. “If AI is doing their work for them now, how GPT and Grammarly because she enjoys seeing how fast AI is improving and growing. She will they be able to demonstrate confidence has also been in classes where the use of these and competency in their work and talk about programs has been encouraged or required.
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“We used [AI] for making art designs online,” she said. “I liked it because it helped my picture design come more to life and it was a unique way to make art.” Trey Rudisill, a senior accounting major, said that he was surprised to hear that in his Accounting Information Systems class, AI use was heavily encouraged. He finds Microsoft CoPilot especially useful when trying to understand accounting in Excel. However, junior communication and digital studies major Erin Landfair said that she does not use AI because she has never felt a need for it. “...I have done activities where we are encouraged to use AI to compare and contrast,” she said. “I didn’t mind using it to compare but I definitely am not a fan of using it for an actual assignment”. Many students think that professors should be required to receive training on AI use in the classroom. Landfair said that AI is a “gray area” and there should be a university-wide policy. “I do believe that professors should receive training regarding AI as it seems to be a tool that is here to stay within the collegiate realm and will only grow in future career paths,” Rudisill said. “If collegiate academia decides to ignore AI in the classroom, it will result in its improper use by students in their assignments and future graduates will be left unprepared as to how to implement AI in their future jobs.” Many expressed a hope that the university will continue to provide opportunities for both students and professors to further their understanding of AI use in the classroom, and compliance with the Honor Code. “As I become more familiar with AI and the ways in which it can help both my students and me in and outside the classroom, I’m sure that I will be using it more frequently and effectively,” said Delgado-Poust.
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