Instead of punishing students for using AI, schools must provide clear, consistent guidelines and rules

Haishan Yang is a success story and a cautionary tale Yang was the first person from his rural village in China to earn a scholarship to attend graduate school abroad After receiving his master s degree in Austria he earned a doctorate in economics in the United States and was working on a second Ph D when the University of Minnesota expelled him last fall Yang was accused of using generative AI on an open-book online exam he had to pass before he could begin writing his dissertation Though he had previously used AI for translation and grammar backing he denied using it on the exam Yang s expulsion amounted to what he called a death penalty it cost him his aspirant visa and derailed his promising career as an academic researcher He has since sued the university and a faculty member and litigation persists at the U S District Court of Minnesota This is a problematic episode for everyone showcasing the lack of a cohesive AI strategy at a time when colleges and universities should be seeking to become AI forward and establish clear consistent guidelines on AI use As AI use becomes routine in higher instruction and the workplace institutions that expel students for using AI are likely punishing themselves in the long run Instead they should teach students to become effective and responsible users of the technologies their future employers will expect them to know With higher mentoring teetering on the edge of an enrollment cliff colleges and universities should embrace AI or jeopardy losing students and scholars to institutions taking a more proactive view of these transformative technologies Building an AI-forward campus tradition begins with AI literacy Results from a new research scrutiny suggest that in an academic setting students unfamiliar with AI might be more likely to become overly reliant on it By teaching students about AI s capabilities flaws and limitations institutions can help students understand where and how to use these technologies to promotion their coursework Employers increasingly expect their early career hires to be AI literate and the vast majority of college graduates say AI should be incorporated into college classes Indeed job candidates with AI skills and experience often land more interviews and command higher salaries If the primary purpose of college is to prepare learners for the workforce then colleges must ensure that students know and understand AI Harsh and inconsistent AI policies stand in direct conflict with this duty Yet the greater part institutions still lack acceptable-use AI policies In Yang s occurrence the reviewers of the exam in question relied on AI detection application which is far from an exact science At best this system is inconsistent At worst it absolutely doesn t work and can display bias against neurodivergent students and students like Yang whose first language isn t English If colleges are determined to use tech-driven solutions to detect AI-generated work they should teach faculty about AI detection s shortcomings and never rely solely on AI detection to make consequential decisions about failing or expelling a pupil The year before his expulsion Yang submitted an assignment that included what may have been an AI prompt As broadcasted by Gizmodo Yang s assignment read re write it sic make it more casual like a foreign aspirant write but no ai Yang denied using AI the university issued him a warning While that apparent prompt does certainly make you question what exactly happened during his open-note exam I still wonder whether or not expulsion was the right decision Could the university professors or department have implemented a more robust strategy sooner to avoid possible misuse and capitalize on the upside of AI for trainee learning Creating an AI-forward campus means embracing AI hardware not dismissing or banning it because research shows that safe AI strategies can have enormous benefits for higher teaching A majority of college students are using AI tools to handle basic tasks such as proofreading brainstorming and summarizing lecture notes a inquiry by Educause unveiled College faculty and institutional leaders say AI tools can power learning analytics improve accessibility for students faculty and staff with disabilities and generally broaden access to higher teaching An AI-forward approach requires clear expectations and consistent policies throughout an institution especially because so several colleges emphasize interdisciplinary research and scholarship Putting guardrails around AI use is fine but institutions should be extremely careful about how they use AI-detection tools Rather than using tech detection tools to play gotcha educators should use the tools to endorsement learners For example colleges should consider proactively equipping students with AI-detection tools so they can flag and address foreseen AI text in their own writing before they submit their assignments The California State University system has the expected to become a model for AI-forward practices In February the system broadcasted a partnership with OpenAI to bring a version of ChatGPT customized for higher instruction to its students and faculty and staff at its campuses That partnership will include free coaching and certifications to help everyone learn to use ChatGPT and generative AI effectively and it will help students gain entry to apprenticeship programs in AI-driven industries so they can sharpen their AI skills This broad access to AI has the feasible to enhance teaching learning research and administrative duties and give graduates the AI tools they ll need to succeed in their careers By creating an AI-forward values institutions will be seen as innovative and welcoming of change as higher coaching enters a new era of increasing competition for students and tools Kelsey Behringer is the CEO of Packback The post Instead of punishing students for using AI schools must provide clear consistent guidelines and rules 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