The History Department follows the university’s general rules governing the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in both regular course work and independent projects such as the junior papers and senior thesis.

The act of writing is, first and foremost, an act of thinking. As a result, the History Department explicitly prohibits the use of AI as a text-generation tool in the writing of course work, final examinations, and independent projects alike. A student may not submit AI-generated text, either in whole or in part, as their own output. A student may not rely on AI-generated text as a rough or partial draft which they then modify or paraphrase before submitting it as their own work; likewise, a student may not use generative AI in editing and revising their work.

That said, an instructor may wish to grant exceptions for AI use in a course assignment.  Examples of such exceptions include, but are not limited to: the use of AI for broad brainstorming purposes, such as source location or information retrieval, or in select cases for the transcribing or translating of primary sources (but not their analysis). If so, such practices are allowed as long as the student strictly follows the instructor’s guidelines and discloses the specific use in writing. Such exceptions may be made in fall-term History 400 courses, but never in independent projects like the spring junior paper or the senior thesis.

In all, the History Department reminds students to extend the general sentiment embodied in the University Honor Code – a promise that their work is essentially their own – to the use of all emerging technologies like generative AI.

The departmental norm is that faculty advisers of undergraduate students’ independent work should be on campus and not on leave; departures from this norm are strongly discouraged. This expectation is intended to facilitate regular contact during the student’s work on the project but also, in the case of the senior thesis, to guarantee that the faculty member will be available for the senior departmental exam.

However, if a tenured faculty member wishes to advise while on leave, special arrangements may be secured with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Department Chair.

If an arrangement is approved, the advisee and adviser must sign a statement acknowledging that the arrangement is an exception to departmental norms. The adviser will commit to being on campus for the senior exam; the advisee will acknowledge that their adviser may be off campus for the remainder of the year.