Artificial Intelligence Guidelines at HCC

• Human-centered decision making
  • AI is a tool—not a decision-maker.
    Final responsibility for academic, instructional, and operational decisions rests with people.
• Integrity and accountability
  • Use of AI must align with HCC’s academic integrity expectations. Unauthorized or undisclosed AI use may constitute misconduct.
• Transparency
  • Be open about when and how AI is used in academic or professional work. Proper attribution is expected when AI contributes meaningfully to outputs.
• Accessible
  • AI should support—not hinder—access to learning.
• Privacy and security
  • Protect student, employee, and institutional data at all times. Sensitive information must never be entered into unapproved AI tools.
• Critical thinking first
  • AI can assist—but not replace—learning, analysis, or expertise. Users are responsible for verifying accuracy and avoiding overreliance.

AI Use Spectrum

Faculty may determine A.I. classroom use along this spectrum:

• A.I. Not Allowed (Impermissible)
• Limited Use (Permissible)

Syllabus Statements

Faculty may use approved syllabus statements to clarify A.I. expectations.

Purpose: Learn effectively while maintaining integrity and privacy.

Do

• Do follow syllabus rules/instructor guidance
• Do use AI for learning support
• Do verify and cite output
• Do protect personal data
• Do check for bias and accuracy
• Disclose AI Use
• Adhere to intellectual property and copyright regulations
• Do refer to the Academic Integrity policy in handbook

Don't

• Don’t submit AI work when not allowed
• Don’t share sensitive data such as confidential or personally identifiable information
• Don’t rely blindly on AI outputs
• Do not use AI to deceive (e.g., deepfakes/impersonation and misinformation) or to cause harm (harassment, threats, fraud, or illegal activity)

Purpose: Support teaching, research, and operations while protecting privacy and institutional data.

Do

• Do follow FERPA/HIPAA and data policies
• Do use approved tools
• Do disclose AI Use
• Do minimize and de-identify data
• Do verify and cite outputs
• Do maintain human oversight
• Do check bias and accessibility
• Adhere to intellectual property and copyright regulations

Don't

• Don’t upload sensitive data such as confidential or personally identifiable information to public tools. Aligned to FERPA/HIPAA and data policies.
• Don’t allow AI to make high-stakes decisions
• Don’t rely on AI to create citations; verify in library databases
• Do not submit AI work as your own unless permitted**
• Don’t misrepresent authorship
• Don’t use unapproved tools
• Do not use AI to deceive (e.g., deepfakes/impersonation and misinformation) or to cause harm (harassment, threats, fraud, or illegal activity)