The following Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) guiding principles and expectations are issued by the Graduate School based on a comprehensive report developed by a cross-campus task force of graduate faculty and a graduate student representative, convened in Fall 2025 with representation from colleges and units across the university. The task force met monthly from August 2025 through January 2026 to identify graduate education specific considerations related to GenAI use and to develop recommendations.
Last Updated May 18, 2026
Ethical and Responsible Use of GenAI in Graduate Education at USC: Guiding Principles and Expectations
- Graduate programs should establish clear, discipline-appropriate guidelines regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). These guidelines should address expectations for coursework as well as major academic and research milestones, and other scholarly activities. Programs should clearly define permitted and prohibited uses of GenAI and any required disclosures. Expectations should be communicated to faculty and students, ideally through the Graduate Student Handbook, before students begin significant research or scholarly work, and should be revisited regularly throughout a student’s program of study.
- Faculty should incorporate clear expectations regarding GenAI use into scholarly training, advising, mentoring, and oversight of graduate student work. Graduate committees should coordinate to ensure expectations are aligned, consistently communicated, and appropriately applied across milestone activities and scholarly work.
- Graduate students are responsible for understanding and following program and faculty expectations related to GenAI use, seeking clarification when needed, and upholding academic integrity in accordance with the University’s Honor Code and related policies.
- Programs and faculty should clearly define when and how GenAI tools may be used, including any limitations or restrictions. Guidelines should also specify expectations for disclosure, including identification of the tools used, the purpose of their use, and the extent to which GenAI contributed to the final work product.
- Programs and faculty should develop guidance that aligns with disciplinary, professional, accreditation, and research standards. Where appropriate, programs are encouraged to consult alumni, professional organizations, and advisory boards to help inform expectations regarding ethical and responsible GenAI use in research, scholarship, teaching, and professional practice.
- All program-level guidelines should align with current University of South Carolina policies governing academic integrity, research compliance, data privacy, intellectual property, and the use of generative artificial intelligence technologies.
- When concerns regarding GenAI use arise, faculty members and graduate directors should address them promptly with students and, when appropriate, consult relevant college or university offices (e.g., Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity and Office of Research Compliance and the Graduate School.).
- Because GenAI technologies continue to evolve rapidly, the Graduate School will monitor emerging issues, update guidance as needed, and provide additional resources, including sample handbook language and academic unit examples to support programs in developing responsible and discipline-appropriate practices.
Access the Sample Program Handbook [pdf].
Academic Units
AI Guidelines (College of Education)
Use of Artificial Intelligence Policy [pdf] (School of Medicine)
Administrative Units
New Guidelines for AI in Teaching (Center for Teaching Excellence)
Responsible Conduct of Research (Office of Research Compliance)
AI and Academic Integrity at USC (Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity)
Responsible Use of Data, Technology, and User Credentials [pdf] (University Policy)
Taskforce Membership
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Andy Shumpert | McCausland College of Arts and Sciences |
| Aishneet Juneja | Graduate Student Association |
| Beth Barnes | Arnold School of Public Health |
| Carmen Maye | College of Information and Communications |
| Christine Blake | Arnold School of Public Health |
| David Mott | School of Medicine Columbia |
| Drew Martin | College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management |
| Ehsan Mohammadi | College of Information and Communications |
| Emily Schwitzgebel | School of Music |
| Hengtao Tang | College of Education |
| Jack Turner | Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing |
| Kala Dunn | University Libraries |
| Lucas Vasconcelos | College of Education |
| Marcia Purday | College of Information and Communications |
| Matt Klopfenstein | The Graduate School |
| Michael Grant | College of Education |
| Michelle Hardee | Center of Teaching Excellence |
| Mike Gavin | McCausland College of Arts and Sciences |
| Oz Ince | Darla Moore School of Business |
| Sara Donevant | College of Nursing |
| Terry Wolfer | College of Social Work |
| Vandana Srivastava | University Libraries |
| Yanfeng Xu | College of Social Work |
| Zachary Winkelmann | Arnold School of Public Health |