New Honors AI Policy

Introducing the University Honors AI Policy

The Honors Program is announcing a new policy providing guidelines for appropriate AI use in Honors classrooms. Designed by the University Honors Program Committee, comprised of DePaul University Honors Program leaders and faculty, the new AI policy establishes expectations for when and how AI tools may be used in Honors coursework while preserving the integrity of the learning process. It also introduces a requirement that any use of AI—no matter how minor—must be disclosed.

To help students better understand how the policy applies in practice, we have created a detailed FAQ page that walks through common scenarios, clarifies expectations, and provides examples of appropriate disclosure.

You can explore the new Honors AI Policy Resource here: Honors AI Policy & FAQ.

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University Honors Program AI Policy

Approved by the University Honors Program Committee February 2026

The University Honors Program provides a liberal arts curriculum designed to enrich students’ understanding of the human experience in all its complexity.  At the same time, Honors courses develop students’ critical thinking, reading, research, and communication skills, preparing them with the foundational knowledge required to navigate an increasingly complicated information ecosystem. 

The Honors Program believes that reading, researching, and writing are important processes to develop students’ critical thinking. Accordingly, the program does not support the use of generative or agentic AI in ways that bypass these learning processes.  There is much we can learn only through the laborious process of figuring out what to say and how best to say it.  Professors may, however, design assignments that use AI to enhance the development of skills and facilitate learning.  Each professor will specify in the syllabus the extent to which use of AI is permitted, if at all.

All use of AI in Honors classes must be disclosed and explained, even when such use is permitted by the instructor; this includes tools such as Grammarly, CoPilot, and other writing assistants.  If students choose to use AI, they must include a disclosure statement that explains which tools were used and to what end, whether that be for brainstorming, researching, outlining, drafting, editing, or any other purpose related to completing the assignment.  Failure to disclose use of AI will be reported to DePaul’s Academic Integrity Board as an academic integrity violation. 

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This policy applies to all Honors courses.

Because individual instructors may set specific guidelines for AI use in their syllabi, students should always review course policies carefully and ask questions when unsure.

AI Disclosure: The above text was proof-read and lightly edited with the assistance of Anthropic’s Claude. No AI tools were used to draft the Honors AI Policy. All information has been verified by the staff of the DePaul University Honors Program.