Artificial Intelligence Policy

Artificial Intelligence and Writing:

Official Policy of the Sacred Heart-Griffin English Department for

Academic Year 2025-2026.

The English Department has set forth the following policy with respect to the use of AI to complete writing assignments:

Any use of AI to generate text through ChatGPT, Jasper Chat, Google Bard, or any other such application, no matter what directives the student may provide to the application, shall be considered an act of academic dishonesty, subject to the same disciplinary measures as defined for any act of plagiarism.  We acknowledge that detection tools for AI-generated texts are not foolproof at this time.  Therefore, a comprehensive process will be used to determine if a student has used AI, including:

1)  Evidence that the student's work significantly departs from the student's 

                 established writing style as demonstrated by previous writing assignments.

2)  The absence of specific supporting content that would demonstrate clear 

                  knowledge of the writing assignment and source texts.

3)  The indication of AI-generated text on TurnItIn.com.

4)  The student’s past discipline record.  

5)  An interview with the student in which the student will be expected to adequately 

                 defend the ideas described in the assignment.

All of these components are not necessarily needed to make a positive determination that a student text is AI-generated, but a clear indication from TurnItIn.com is required.  

Special Note:  As the website Grammarly provides a form of generative AI when students accept large-scale suggestions that rewrite sentences for them, such use will also be included as unacceptable.  Grammar checkers can be acceptable, but only if students make the necessary changes themselves, using their own language.  The use of Grammarly to change one's writing will register as an AI match on TurnItIn.com and can result in a penalty.  

The student is responsible to determine whether any form of technology is acceptable or unacceptable, especially when attempting to use technology that was not presented in the classroom.  

Further, it is NOT recommended to run your paper through an online plagiarism/AI  checker before submission to TurnItIt.com.  These free checkers do more to cause confusion than help.  If you did not plagiarize, there is no need to check to see if you did.  

I agree to follow the above policy that prohibits the use of AI to complete student writing assignments:

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Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature

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Student Name - Printed Date