Responsible & Ethical AI Use
Original Version: September 23, 2026 | Updated: September 23, 2026; November 11, 2026 | Effective Date: November 11, 2026
DSDT College recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly important tool in education and the workplace. AI can support learning, productivity, research, creativity, and professional development when used appropriately. This policy establishes expectations for the responsible, ethical, secure, and appropriate use of AI by DSDT students, faculty, staff, administrators, and other members of the College community. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that AI is used in a manner that supports the College’s educational mission, protects confidential and proprietary information, maintains academic integrity, prevents conflicts of interest, and upholds institutional accountability and professional standards.
This policy applies to all DSDT College students, faculty, staff, administrators, contractors, consultants, and other individuals using AI in connection with DSDT College activities, coursework, systems, resources, or institutional business. Individual courses, programs, or departments may establish additional requirements regarding AI use when necessary to meet educational objectives, professional standards, accreditation requirements, certification requirements, or applicable regulatory expectations.
AI should be used as a tool to support human learning, judgment, creativity, and decision-making, not as a replacement for individual responsibility or professional judgment. Individuals remain responsible for all work they submit, information they communicate, materials they produce, and decisions they make when using AI. AI-generated information must be reviewed for accuracy, completeness, appropriateness, and potential bias before it is relied upon or shared. AI must not be used in a manner that violates College policies, applicable laws and regulations, contractual obligations, ethical standards, or the rights of others.
Students may use AI when permitted by their instructor or course requirements. Appropriate uses may include brainstorming, studying, improving grammar or organization, explaining concepts, generating practice questions, assisting with coding, or supporting other learning activities. AI use may be restricted or prohibited for specific assignments, examinations, assessments, or other activities when the purpose of the assignment is to evaluate the student’s individual knowledge, competency, or skills. Students are responsible for understanding and following the AI requirements established by their instructors and programs. When AI use is prohibited or restricted, students must complete the applicable work independently and in accordance with the instructor’s directions.
Using AI does not automatically constitute academic misconduct. However, submitting AI-generated work as one’s own when AI use is not permitted may constitute a violation of DSDT College’s Academic Integrity Policy. Students may not use AI to misrepresent their work, complete assessments without authorization, fabricate information or sources, plagiarize, or otherwise avoid the learning objectives of an assignment or program. Academic misconduct involving AI will be addressed in accordance with the College’s established academic integrity policies and procedures.
Faculty may require students to disclose when and how AI was used in an assignment, project, or other academic activity. When disclosure is required, students should accurately identify the AI tool used and describe how it contributed to the completed work. Faculty may establish additional citation, documentation, or disclosure requirements based on course objectives, assignment expectations, or program requirements.
Faculty may use AI to support instructional and professional activities when appropriate. AI may assist with developing instructional materials, creating examples or practice activities, improving written materials, brainstorming, research, coding, and other instructional tasks. Faculty remain responsible for reviewing AI-generated content before incorporating it into instruction, assessments, or course materials. Instructional materials must be accurate, appropriate for the course, and aligned with established program and course learning outcomes. Faculty must also ensure that AI use does not compromise student confidentiality, academic integrity, assessment validity, or the quality of instruction.
Employees may use approved AI tools to assist with routine administrative, operational, and business activities. Appropriate uses may include drafting correspondence, organizing information, creating templates, summarizing non-confidential materials, developing reports, and improving productivity. Employees remain responsible for reviewing AI-generated information before it is used, distributed, or incorporated into institutional records or decisions. AI must not independently make decisions that significantly affect students, employees, or other members of the College community. Such decisions must involve appropriate human review and authorization. Employees may not use AI in a manner that conflicts with their professional responsibilities, assigned duties, or other applicable College policies.
Individuals using AI in connection with DSDT College activities must avoid situations in which personal, financial, professional, or outside interests could improperly influence their responsibilities or decisions on behalf of the College. AI tools may not be used to obtain unauthorized personal or financial benefits through access to institutional information, student records, confidential materials, or College resources. Individuals must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest to the appropriate College administrator and refrain from participating in decisions where an undisclosed or unresolved conflict could compromise impartiality. Individuals involved in institutional evaluations, accreditation activities, procurement, personnel decisions, or other official College matters must exercise professional judgment and disclose any relationships or interests that could affect their objectivity.
Confidential or sensitive information must not be entered into publicly available AI tools unless the tool has been approved by DSDT College for that specific purpose.
Protected information includes, but is not limited to:
Users must understand that information entered into third-party AI systems may be stored, processed, or used according to the provider’s terms, privacy practices, and data handling procedures. Individuals are responsible for protecting confidential information and ensuring that any approved AI use complies with applicable privacy, security, and confidentiality requirements.
All materials, communications, records, and information related to institutional accreditation activities must be treated as confidential when designated or required to be confidential under applicable accreditation requirements or College policies. This includes, but is not limited to, Council on Occupational Education (COE) evaluation materials, institutional self-studies, evaluation team reports, Commission communications, accreditation decisions, confidential discussions, and materials provided to or reviewed by individuals participating in accreditation activities. Such materials may not be uploaded, shared, reproduced, summarized, or processed through publicly available or third-party AI systems without prior authorization from the College and confirmation that the proposed use complies with applicable confidentiality requirements. Individuals participating in accreditation activities must maintain the confidentiality of information obtained through their participation. Information may only be disclosed in accordance with established communication protocols, applicable accreditation requirements, and authorized College procedures. AI must not be used to influence, manipulate, or improperly obtain information concerning accreditation evaluations, institutional decisions, or confidential proceedings.
Users must not upload confidential DSDT College materials, proprietary curriculum, examinations, assignments, student work, or other protected materials into an AI system without appropriate authorization. Users are responsible for respecting copyright, intellectual property, licensing requirements, and the rights of others when using AI-generated or AI-assisted content. College-owned materials, instructional resources, institutional records, and student work must be used only for authorized purposes. AI-generated content must not be represented as original institutional or individual work when doing so would be misleading or violate applicable requirements.
AI systems may produce incorrect, incomplete, outdated, biased, misleading, or fabricated information. Users are responsible for reviewing and verifying AI-generated information before relying upon it. AI-generated citations, references, data, statistics, and other factual information must be independently verified before being used for academic, professional, administrative, or institutional purposes. Individuals remain accountable for the accuracy and appropriateness of materials produced with AI assistance. AI-generated information does not replace professional expertise, institutional approval, or established decision-making procedures.
AI may assist with administrative or instructional processes, but final decisions regarding student academic performance, academic misconduct, graduation, disciplinary matters, or other significant student outcomes must include appropriate human review. AI-generated information or an AI-detection result alone must not be treated as conclusive evidence of academic misconduct. Faculty and administrators must use professional judgment, established College procedures, and appropriate supporting evidence when evaluating student work or making decisions that affect student outcomes.
DSDT College recognizes that AI may provide useful accessibility and learning support for individuals with disabilities or other documented learning needs. Nothing in this policy is intended to prevent the appropriate use of AI-based accessibility tools or approved accommodations. Students and employees who require accommodations must continue to follow the College’s established accommodation procedures.
Individual courses and programs may establish additional AI requirements when necessary to meet course objectives, professional standards, accreditation requirements, certification requirements, or industry expectations. These requirements may include restrictions on AI use, approved tools, disclosure expectations, documentation requirements, or specific activities where independent work is required. Students and faculty are responsible for following the AI requirements established for their respective courses and programs.
All applicable employees, faculty, administrators, and other individuals authorized to use AI in connection with College activities are responsible for reviewing and complying with this policy. The College may require individuals to complete an annual acknowledgment confirming that they have received, read, and understand this policy and agree to comply with its requirements. Failure to use AI responsibly or in accordance with this policy may result in disciplinary or academic action under applicable DSDT College policies and procedures. Violations involving confidential information, conflicts of interest, academic integrity, or institutional records may also be addressed under other applicable College policies and procedures.
AI technology and its use in higher education continue to evolve. DSDT College will periodically review this policy to address changes in technology, legal requirements, regulatory expectations, accreditation standards, and institutional needs. This policy will be reviewed no less than annually and updated as necessary to maintain institutional compliance, protect confidential information, and support the responsible use of AI throughout the College.
