MEMORANDUM
To: USC Faculty
From: Andrew T. Guzman, Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Steven D. Shapiro, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
Date: October 6, 2026
Subject: AI in the Classroom and Syllabi Updates
AI is rapidly becoming a routine part of how students learn and work both inside our classrooms and in other areas of their lives. Together, we have the opportunity to teach them to use it effectively and responsibly, including when to set it aside, and to rely on their own knowledge and judgment in either case.
Faculty are in the best position to decide what students should still be able to do on their own, and what they can now achieve with AI that was not possible before. Many of you have already built these expectations into your courses. Because the right approach will differ from class to class, a clear policy in every syllabus will communicate your decisions to students and help them understand where AI can amplify their learning, and where relying on it could undermine the USC education they have worked so hard to attain.
AI Policies on Course Syllabi
Effective Spring 2027, all syllabi must include an AI policy explaining the type of AI use and tools faculty members will or will not allow in their courses. To be clear, faculty set their own AI course policies; this memo only requires that it be communicated to students in the course syllabus. This requirement was recommended by the joint Academic Senate/Provost Committee on Information Services to help educate students about responsible AI use and reduce misunderstandings regarding AI use and academic integrity.
An updated syllabus template with guidelines has been developed by the Center for Excellence in Teaching (CET) and is available on the center’s website. We encourage you to download the template, which is already formatted to meet accessibility standards.
Please note, if you do not allow AI, we ask that you describe the tools you do not allow (e.g., generative AI), as well as highlight tools students may not recognize as AI (e.g., Grammarly) that are also not allowed.
If you do allow AI, we ask that you include the following details even when use is permitted, as these are among the most commonly misunderstood issues relating to AI and academic integrity:
- Specify whether only certain tools are permitted or students can choose.
- Inform students if permission varies across assignments or parts of the same assignment.
- Explain student responsibility for verifying the accuracy of AI-generated content.
- Describe how you expect students to disclose, cite, and document permitted AI use (USC Libraries AI Research Guide can help).
- Inform students of the Office of Academic Integrity’s AI-related academic integrity guidance and their obligation to use AI responsibly by…
- protecting personal, confidential, proprietary, and sensitive data.
- respecting copyright, licensing, and intellectual property when uploading or generating content.
- complying with applicable laws, USC’s Artificial Intelligence General Policy, and use agreements for all AI tools. (This AI Product Matrix may be useful in illustrating how USC-supported AI products can be used to protect data.)
- Invite students to seek clarification when they are uncertain whether a particular use is permitted.