Sample U-M Syllabus Statements

Generative AI Tools and First-Year Writing @ Stamps

Developed by Ali Shapiro

In your studio classes, you are asked to sketch a figure model or sculpt an object or design a prototype, sometimes with a final product in mind but more often in the spirit of experimentation and discovery. Actually doing these things—sketching, sculpting, scrapping a draft and starting again—is not only essential to but inextricable from learning; as you know from these classes, process is vitally important to your development as artists and designers.[1] This is especially true of your foundations classes, because you are just beginning to evolve your creative practice.

The same truths hold in this foundational writing class. Writing is more than just putting words on paper; it's an opportunity to hone your critical thinking skills and engage in a messy, unpredictable creative process. For this reason, I encourage you to write “manually,” without relying on ChatGPT or similar AI writing assistants. The acts of writing, brainstorming, revising, and so on are inextricable from learning. Actually doing them is what will help you to develop a deeper understanding of the topics we cover in class and grow as writers and thinkers in ways that will serve you at Stamps and beyond.

Last but not least: as artists and designers, we know that being human and making stuff ourselves is important. Our creativity is mysterious and compelling and difficult; while AI and other technologies will doubtless open new routes for creative expression, I suggest we resist handing ourselves (and our images, and our texts) over too easily to the ‘bots. 

Here are the policies for AI-assisted writing in this class[2].

1. If using GAI, you still have to fulfill the assignment, which likely means you will have to do more than simply copy-paste a prompt into a GAI tool: you will still be expected to incorporate class concepts, develop your writing in response to feedback, and so on.
   
   
2. If using GAI, you must leave a comment on Canvas that says “I used GAI to write this essay.” Then, document and discuss how you used GAI in your reflections, just as you would any other step in your writing process. 
   • Using GAI will not affect your grade. However, if you use the AI to write an assignment, I will use the AI to provide feedback on that assignment. This is not a punishment, but it is a nod towards a kind of “fairness”--if you want to engage human-to-human, I’m here for it; if not, we can both put our energy elsewhere. I will work with the AI to make sure the feedback is useful and relevant, just as you work with the AI to make sure you’re fulfilling the assignment. 
      
3. You should be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of all submitted work. This means that you can discuss in class and with me the content of your writing, references to any outside sources and concepts, and the writerly choices you made.
   
   
4. You are responsible for verifying your work is factually correct and sourced according to academic standards. For our class, please use APA citing and formatting guidelines.

[1] Of course, in some classes, you practice using digital tools like the Adobe Creative Suite; still, the goal is to “get your hands dirty” as you learn about the technology and, eventually, harness it to realize your own creative ideas according to your own vision and values. Along similar lines, ChatGPT can be a useful tool, but using it well requires foundations-level knowledge and skills that you first need to develop in the ways I’ve described above: by actually doing writing, by experimenting with your own style and developing your own perspective.

[2] Parts of this policy are modeled on the work of Dr. Stephanie Moody and The Sentient Syllabus