As artificial intelligence tools become more common in classrooms, many students and instructors at OCCC have struggled to understand when and how these tools should be used. This semester, the Arts, English and Humanities Division introduced new AI guidelines to address that confusion, and early results show a significant improvement.
According to AEH Dean Jennifer Fike, the first thing to understand is that these are not official policies.
“These are what we’re calling guidelines,” she explained. “Suggested guidelines.”
The guidelines were originally developed by recent Chair of English Jake Nelson and Interim Chair of Humanities and Philosophy Angela Cotner. They noticed a growing number of concerns among both students and faculty members.
“There was an increasing number of students who were frustrated about AI – when to use it, how to use it,” Fike said.
At the same time, instructors were also unsure how to handle AI use in assignments, especially in writing-heavy courses.
Because of these concerns, the AEH Division decided to create a clearer framework. The goal was not to ban AI, but to define its appropriate use.
“The problem lies with generating an entire assignment from a prompt,” Fike explained. “When you generate an assignment from start to finish, it can’t be the student’s original work.”
This, she said, violates the college’s academic integrity standards.
However, the guidelines do not completely restrict AI use. Instead, they encourage flexibility depending on the course and instructor.
“Some classes encourage AI use on certain assignments, and some professors don’t want any use at all,” Fike said. “We need to allow for that.”
For example, in her own Composition II class, Fike allows limited AI use for certain exercises.
“I allow my students to use AI tools to give them a variety of answers,” she said. “Then they choose the one that’s closest to their own and revise it so that it is their work.”
This approach supports learning while still maintaining academic integrity.
Another important part of the guidelines focuses on communication. Faculty members are encouraged to clearly explain their expectations about AI in their syllabi and assignments. At the same time, students are given the option to choose whether or not they want to use AI tools.
The guidelines also address concerns about AI detection software. While these tools can sometimes flag potential issues, they are not always reliable.
“We don’t want professors to rely on AI detection software,” Fike said. “The companies admit that it’s not always accurate.”
Since the guidelines were introduced in the fall semester, the impact has been noticeable.
“The change has been tremendous,” Fike said. “I have not had a single discussion about AI use with a student since then.”
She also noted that faculty conversations have shifted from frustration to clarification and improvement.
Looking ahead, OCCC plans to continue educating both new and current faculty members about these guidelines. Regular meetings at the beginning of each semester will ensure that instructors stay informed and consistent in their approach.
Overall, the new AI guidelines at OCCC represent a balanced approach, one that recognizes the growing role of technology in education while still protecting the value of original student work.
