By Amrit Brown<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professors this semester have been forced to re-evaluate their students\u2019 use of artificial intelligence due to its increasing popularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI uses range from spellcheck on Word documents and autocorrects on texts to programs that will write essays and take notes during class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The policy on AI is especially important in the English Department, where students are writing or reading for almost every assignment. Chair of the English Department Amy Gottfried said that the department has varying policies on AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some professors require that all AI be cited, while others have moved to only pen-and-paper assignments, written in class. Gottfried herself has some classes where students are not allowed to use technology. \u201cIt’s problematic if a person uses AI to complete an assignment, write an essay and does not acknowledge that they use that source,\u201d Gottfried said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gottfried is, however, most concerned about plagiarism. \u201cI want to emphasize that in all of our policies, the issue that comes up is when it is used to plagiarize,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hood College Student Handbook is very clear on AI. It states: \u201cPlagiarism includes unauthorized utilization of a generative artificial intelligence platform (e.g. ChatGPT). Even if a faculty member expressly approves of the use of a generative AI platform for assignment(s), the student must still provide attribution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gottfried also said that students are not doing themselves any favors if they plagiarize. \u201cIf you let it tell you what you think, if you let it tell you what you read, if you let it tell you how to say things, you’ve given up part of your humanity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gottfried added that students use AI when they are stressed or worried about an assignment. Professors, however, are willing to work with students. \u201cWe all are willing and eager to talk to students about their work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The math department has a slightly different outlook on the use of AI. In some classes, AI is commonplace. \u201cIn our introductory statistics classes (MATH 112 and MATH 213), students sometimes use AI tools to answer critical-thinking and quantitative literacy homework questions,\u201d Chair of the Math Department James Parson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These cases, however, are outliers. \u201cThe AI tools deprive students of the opportunity to learn the skills we teach with these questions,\u201d Parson said. \u201cThese skills are among the most important in these courses and contribute to the college competencies at the heart of every Hood student\u2019s education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students emphasized their use of AI spell and grammar checks. \u201cOn Microsoft, I just use spellcheck,\u201d Finn Scott-Daniels said. \u201cI’m a science major so I don\u2019t need Grammarly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ty Broughton uses spell check as well but takes it a step further by using Word document tools to analyze his writing strength and grammar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some students, however, don\u2019t use AI at all. Quade Gannon doesn\u2019t use spell check or Grammarly. He also doesn\u2019t support the use of Chat GPT. \u201cI just don\u2019t like it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"