CAMPUS: TAMIU Honor Code update includes AI

By Anahi Ugartechea
Bridge contributing writer
Published Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023

At the start of the Fall 2023 semester, TAMIU’s Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating introduced a new entry for the use of artificial intelligence.

The new AI entry was implemented to reduce dishonesty in the classroom. Students must continue to practice being ethical in all their academic career, in and out of the classroom.

The Texas A&M International University Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating, part of the University’s course policies attached to every syllabus, lists several violations of the Honor Code that involve cheating: receiving unauthorized aid on a take-home examination, using unauthorized materials during a test, looking at another student’s test paper to copy strategies or answers and others, etc.

A new violation of the Honor Code, under cheating, includes the use of AI tools.

According to the University Course Policies, under the cheating violations of the Honor Code, it includes “… using generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT. Unless allowed by each professor, students are expected to complete each assignment without assistance from others, including automated writing tools.”

Professors and students are asked to report any type of violations to the Honors Council. Students require permission to use AI tools from their professors in order to not trigger a violation that could lead to a disciplinary action from the University.

 “It is kind of like once you taste it, you are going to keep on trying it,” Instructional Assistant Professor Daniel De La Miyar said. “If you use it once, then they are going to go back because it is a lot faster and easier.”

De La Miyar believes none of his experiences with AI tools were positive during his time as a professor. He would rather see a student’s point of view on a certain research or assignment instead of easily picking it up with AI.

“In all honesty, I do not believe that ChatGPT should be integrated at all within schools because it can very easily be abused,” pre-nursing major Andrea Niño said. “I prefer for instructors to have strict guidelines in what is required, especially in any kind of writing class.” 

Niño also said there are TAMIU resources available for student use, like the tutoring center, which can help students improve their papers.

AI can lead to a way of cheating through a student’s academic career. The TAMIU Honor Code change should help prevent students from making a dishonest choice in their work, so they do the necessary work to gain knowledge.

 “AI is being abused in the way that you are just relying on this artificial intelligence to write everything for you,” De La Miyar said. “There is no learning in this … there is no growth mindset.”

If students rely on AI to do the assignments assigned in the course, students will not absorb the classroom lessons. Plus, with detection tools built into Blackboard, students are likely to get caught.

There are ways AI could be encouraged in the classroom. Professors are allowed to permit student use of AI writing tools; some faculty permit the use of Grammarly.

Grammarly is free to TAMIU students. This writing AI-assistance software helps students with grammar, spelling and punctuation. The use of Grammarly is up to the professor’s AI-usage policy, as written in their respective syllabi.