Your use of any AI tools in your teaching remains optional, unless it is a curriculum requirement.

Clearly communicate your expectations regarding AI use in each assignment and in the classroom to your students in the syllabus, during first day of class, and at intervals throughout the semester.

• Provide explicit details about instructor use, student assessments, and assignments involving AI.
• Where possible, offer students guidance on how AI tools are being used within your field, discipline, or relevant professional contexts to help them understand the practical implications and potential benefits or drawbacks.
• Be open with students about any use of AI in preparing teaching materials to promote a transparent learning environment.

Engage learners in open conversations about AI use and academic integrity in various learning contexts and at multiple points throughout the learning experience.

Do not use AI detectors for grading decisions or academic misconduct investigations because they are unreliable, biased, and may unintentionally compromise students’ learning and well-being. Any form of detection (AI or otherwise) is subject to the “balance of probabilities” test.

• In addition, AI tools require a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) and informed student consent. Inputting student work into these tools without consent could violate both privacy legislation (if done without authority) and copyright protections.

• Approach academic integrity holistically by considering and addressing the reasons why students use AI tools in ways that are not permitted (i.e., build in AI literacy, clear guidelines, and other pedagogical strategies).
• Establish explicit expectations about when, how, and if AI may be used for specific assignments and activities.
• When AI is not permitted, you should review the existing curriculum and course pedagogy to redesign and/or move assessments into the classroom to ensure the course educational goals will not be compromised by prohibited use of AI.
• When AI use is permitted, ensure your students understand they are responsible for verifying the accuracy of AI generated content.
• Guide students to always disclose the use of AI and reference the nature of that use in assignments, exams, and research papers (e.g., in the “acknowledgement section”).
• Promote understanding of AI tools’ limitations, biases, and ethical considerations and explain the purpose of using AI in assessments/assignments.
• In cases where there is reasonable evidence of a violation of course or assignment expectations, begin by having a conversation with the student about your concerns before reporting them in accordance with academic integrity procedures, which uses a “balance of probabilities” standard.
• Provide students with sample language on how to acknowledge AI use (e.g., permitted, limited, or prohibited) so expectations are concrete and consistent.

• Ensure you use AI tools approved by SFU in ways that protect student’s privacy, data security, and intellectual property. Verify that these tools support effective teaching practices, disciplinary standards, and institutional policies by confirming they’ve undergone necessary reviews, such as a PIA. 
• Students should always be clearly informed when their data will be collected or used within AI systems, and explicit student consent must be obtained to protect both privacy and copyright rights of students. Data input into AI tools must be limited to only what is necessary, avoiding sensitive personal information unless specifically approved.

• Select AI tools that are relevant and align with AI use in students' field, discipline or potential workplace.
• Select AI tools that do not create barriers (i.e., costs, service availably) for learners or instructors.
• Choose freely available (or open source) AI tools, or ensure the cost is in line with SFU’s values and policies.
• Prioritize the use of institutionally supported AI tools or ones that are intuitive, accessible, and designed for a diverse student body (i.e., consider various cultures, different knowledge systems, multi-lingual, neurodivergent and learners with differing abilities). 
• Ensure that AI tools are compatible with assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers) and meet accessibility standards. 
• Consider the number and complexity of AI tools in the context of all educational technology in a course to avoid cognitive overload.

• Regardless of whether AI use is permitted or not, design assessments and learning activities which emphasize human-centered approaches that focus on "process", not "product” to enable students' thinking and learning.
• Adapt grading practices and rubrics to assess critical engagement rather than just content accuracy. 
• Approved AI tools can be used to improve the grading process by providing timely, detailed and personalized feedback on assignments, however, the instructor/teaching assistants must be responsible for all feedback and grading and not rely on AI as the only source of feedback for students.
• Make explicit whether generative media (images, audio, code, video) are allowed in assignments and guide students on how to evaluate and credit them responsibly.

• Foster critical thinking by encouraging deep analysis and reflection both with and beyond AI-generated content.
• Apply pedagogical approaches to facilitate higher student achievement with AI assistance than without (i.e., critically analyze AI-generated content for accuracy, bias, and ethical implications; use AI for concept clarification and summarization but develop personal insights before (or later depending on pedagogical goals) when completing assignments.
• When its capabilities permit, you can implement approved AI tools to help personalize the content focus and level of challenge for each student.
• Instructors are encouraged to consult the Centre for Educational Excellence (CEE) for resources, sample syllabus language, and workshops on AI in teaching.
• Remember that AI should augment—not replace—core teaching practices and your professional judgment.