Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guide

Vision

At Lewis and Clark, we embrace new challenges, venturing with the same curiosity, wonderment, and fortitude as the early explorers. Staying true to our mission, Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides us with an opportunity to apply the same principles in the exploration of new frontiers. 

Guide

Artificial Intelligence can feel intimidating or mysterious to many people. The goal of this guidebook is to help people understand and use AI tools effectively by breaking down complex concepts, promoting responsible use, and offering practical, step-by-step guidance. It builds confidence, saves time, and makes AI more accessible to everyone, from beginners to professionals, while helping us ensure consistent and ethical adoption.

To support these goals, the guidebook will also address the following key topics that shape how AI is understood, used and perceived across the LC campus:

  • AI Effects on Mental Health
  • AI & Sustainability
  • AI and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • How AI can increase productivity and, potentially, decrease it based on usage.
  • Privacy best practices with AI
  • AI & Information Security
  • How AI can enhance education from student and faculty perspectives
  • Reference/appendix sheet on how other institutions are handling AI.
  • How AI could affect student-to-student perspectives, and potential stigma from using vs not using.
  • How the community views us embracing AI, and how to approach the community with the new technology.
  • Proper citation of AI.
  • Recommendations for how much AI interaction is needed for certain assignments.

AI Use Policy

As AI becomes more common in education, it is crucial that we use it responsibly, ethically, and with the flexibility to innovate. This policy outlines how AI should be used by students, faculty, and administration to ensure that we continue pushing forward while keeping things fair and transparent. 

See policy

AI Guidance

 

As per the College's AI Policy, Students and Team Members are encouraged to use and explore artificial intelligence in applicable settings.  Below is terminology to consider when using AI:

AI Literacy and Pitfalls
• Hallucinations: AI may generate false or misleading information. Always verify.
• Bias: AI can misrepresent English as a Second Language (ESL) or cultural content.
• Verification: Human review is required to confirm accuracy, tone, and fit.

 

Below are the recommendations of the AI mover team ( team member committee) to ensure that all team members are prepared for AI in the classroom and in their roles to support the college.
Faculty and Staff Responsibilities
  • Clearly state AI expectations in syllabi or communications.
  • Use only LC-supported or FERPA-compliant platforms for student-related work.
  • Employees who wish to request Microsoft Copilot licensing, contact the helpdesk. Note that departmental costs will apply.
Levels of AI Use for Employees
The levels below outline when and how employees/students should appropriately use AI, ranging from situations where AI is strictly prohibited to tasks where full AI assistance is acceptable with proper human oversight.
Level 0 – Prohibited Use (Black)
  • Risk context: High risk, privacy or legal exposure.
  • Use: Avoid AI use with student records, grades, advising notes, health information,
    payment/card data, or internal records from access-controlled systems like
    Colleague.
  • Communicate: “AI not used due to data restrictions.”
  • Document: A short note explaining the decision can be helpful.
  • Note: Public AI tools store prompts externally. If in doubt, keep content inside LC
    systems or de-identify thoroughly.

Level 1 – No AI (Red)

  • Risk context: Elevated risk to trust, fairness, or ethics.
  • Use: Prefer human-only work for tasks relying on judgment, reflection, or HR-related decisions.
  • Examples: Hiring decisions, sensitive internal communications.
  • Document: Optional — if you considered AI and chose not to use it, a one-line note can provide context later.

Level 2 – Idea Generation (Yellow)

  • Risk context: Low, if content is checked and data is clean.
  • Use: Brainstorming, outlines, titles, lists of approaches.
  • Communicate: Optional (“Used AI for brainstorming only”).
  • Note: Watch for hallucinations and add bias awareness if suggestions skew one way.

Level 3 – Editing (Orange)

  • Risk context: Low to moderate.
  • Use: Grammar, clarity, tone edits of the content you wrote. You remain the author.
  • Examples: Revising memos, adjusting tone in emails.
  • Communicate: Optional (“Edited with AI assistance”).
  • Reminder: Verify edits do not change meaning. Quick human review recommended for public-facing materials.
Level 4 – Task Completion with Reflection (Blue)
  • Risk context: Moderate. AI drafts, you refine.
  • Use: Draft memos, reports, and lesson plans. You review, verify, and document changes.
  • Communicate: “Draft assisted by AI. Human reviewed and corrected.”
  • Document: Keep the prompt, draft, and final version with short notes on changes.
  • Reminder: Fact-check names, numbers, quotes, and links. Scan for bias to ensure outputs reflect LC’s values.
Level 5 – Full AI Use (Green, Internal/Low-Risk)
  • Risk context: Moderate to high externally, lower for internal work.
  • Use: Routine, templated, or low-risk tasks handled by AI with verification.
  • Examples: Internal agendas, summaries.
  • Communicate: “Produced with AI and human verified.”
  • Document: Save prompts, outputs, and brief verification notes.
  • Note: Use caution for external or reputational content; most institutions advise human revision before publishing.

Student Expectations

AI tools can help you brainstorm, edit, and even draft, but they don’t replace your effort,
creativity, or learning. Professors set the rules for each assignment. Think of AI like a
calculator—you can use it when allowed, but not for everything. All AI use should
respect human dignity and protect your identity.

Levels of AI Use in Assignments

The levels below outline when and how employees/students should appropriately use AI, ranging from situations where AI is strictly prohibited to tasks where full AI assistance is acceptable with proper human oversight.

Level 0 – Prohibited Use (Black)

  • Risk: Academic integrity violation.
  • Use: AI is not allowed for this assignment.
  • Examples: Submitting AI-written essays as your own, impersonating classmates/faculty, generating fake records or entering personal information about others.
  • Expectation: “AI not permitted. Work must be your own.”
Level 1 – No AI (Red)
  • Risk: Loss of fairness/authenticity.
  • Use: All work must be completed without AI, even light checks. These tasks rely on fairness and authenticity—your unique perspective matters here.
  • Examples: Exams, handwritten essays, reflections.
  • Note: Even “just checking” in AI counts as use.
Level 2 – Idea Generation (Yellow)
  • Risk: Low if used responsibly.
  • Use: AI may help generate ideas, outlines, or practice questions. Final work must be your own. Watch for bias in AI suggestions. If outputs skew one way, balance them with your own judgment.
    Examples: Brainstorming essay topics, study outlines.
  • Expectation: Save drafts or prompts if asked.
  • Tip: Watch for hallucinations, and add bias awareness — if AI suggestions skew one way, balance them yourself.
Level 3 – Editing Help (Orange)
  • Risk: Moderate if overused.
  • Use: AI may assist with grammar, tone, and clarity. You must supply the original draft. You remain the author—the AI only supports with edits.
  • Examples: Grammarly corrections, rephrasing awkward sentences.
  • Expectation: Professors may ask to see both draft and edited version.
  • Reminder: Verify that edits do not change meaning.
Level 4 – AI-Assisted Drafting with Reflection (Blue)
  • Risk: Moderate; requires careful review.
  • Use: AI may create a draft, but you must revise, fact-check, and add personal ideas.
  • Examples: Draft essays, project outlines, research summaries.
  • Expectation: Be ready to explain what you changed and why.
  • Reminder: Fact-check names, numbers, quotes, and references — AI is sloppy with sources.
Level 5 – Full AI Use with Oversight (Green)
  • Risk: Higher if unchecked.
  • Use: AI may be used throughout, but you are responsible for accuracy and originality.
  • Examples: Study notes, practice quizzes, first-pass research summaries.
  • Expectation: Never submit raw AI output as your own.

Equity and Access
LC is committed to ensuring that AI use supports equitable access for all students and
aligns with official institutional policies published at www.lc.edu

 References