Academic Integrity

Handling Plagiarism & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Misuse

As an instructor, you may occasionally encounter plagiarism and/or AI misuse in your courses. Many cases are inadvertent, and all are opportunities for learning and growth. Correct citation is crucial in student development. The steps outlined below will guide you through this process.

1. Adjunct Faculty Suspects Violation: 

a.  If the concern is plagiarism and the paper has run through Turnitin or another plagiarism/originality detector, research the passages that have been flagged to  determine how much source material has been used and in what way it was used. Turnitin and other automated tools cannot be used to detect AI misuse.

b.  If the concern is AI misuse, the instructor should review the submission for indicators that the work may not reflect the student’s own effort. No automated tool can reliably determine AI authorship.

2. Initial Adjunct/Student Communication: Email the student using the template with the grounds for your suspicion, including specific passages as is possible and allowing the student an opportunity to respond.  In preparing for this initial email faculty should:

a.  In cases where potential inappropriate AI use or plagiarism is suspected but cannot be conclusively determined, instructors should schedule a Zoom meeting with the student (in lieu of assigning a zero on the assignment). The purpose of this meeting is to assess the student’s comprehension of the content by asking questions related to the assignment and evaluating the student’s ability to explain key concepts. This process ensures that academic integrity is addressed while providing students with an appropriate opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the material. See GFD Oral Defense Guidelines.

b.  If the concern is AI misuse the instructor should notify the student of suspected AI misuse. The student may admit to the misuse of AI or if the student denies AI misuse, they will need to send the instructor the original document ASAP (if it is a Google doc, they will need to give the instructor Editor access). 

3. Adjunct Determination: 

a.  Adjunct Faculty determines that the error was on their part and thanks the student for their willingness to collaborate and that no further action is required. 

b.  If the Adjunct Faculty determines that an infraction has occurred, then the Adjunct notifies the appropriate PD by completing the Academic Integrity Concern form.

4. Program Director (PD) Reviews List of Previous Infractions: This will inform the next step of this process. 

5. Adjunct and PD Determine the Violation Level:

a.  Level 1 Violation - Informal Educational Resolution (IER) Pathway: Resolution is handled within GFD and PD adds resolution and students name to the “Suspected Plagiarism/AI Misuse” spreadsheet (for future tracking). A Level 1 Violation does not appear on the student's educational record.

Resolution may include: (a) a resubmission by a stated deadline, or (b) the assignment warrants a zero with a warning

b.  Level 2 or 3 Violation - Formal Reporting Pathway: Resolution is determined by PD and Adjunct instructor. PD consults with the Program Director team prior to submitting the “Academic Dishonesty Report” and adds a resolution on the “Suspected Plagiarism/AI Misuse” spreadsheet.

Resolution may include: (a) a resubmission by a stated deadline would suffice, or (b) the assignment warrants a zero, or (c) the plagiarism and/or AI misuse is egregious enough to warrant an F in the course. If option c is appropriate resolution to infraction, PD will notify the GFD Associate Dean prior to submitting the Academic Dishonesty Report. 

6. Once a Level 1 determination has been made, the adjunct or PD (if necessary) is to notify the student of the decision via email, outlining clearly your concerns and the steps the student may take to rectify those concerns. If a Level 2 or 3 determination is made, the adjunct or PD (if necessary) is to notify the student of the decision via email and the PD will submit the violation to AAO. The AAO will assume responsibility for follow up and will communicate a final determination. See email template for recommended correspondence.