Since the emergence of generative AI in late 2022, faculty at Cornell University have been examining its implications for assessment, critical thinking, creativity, and the overall educational environment. The Provost”s Working Group on Innovation in Assessment (PWGIA) will tackle these pressing concerns during an event titled “Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence: Strategies for Responding.” This event is scheduled for November 12 from 2:00 PM to 3:15 PM in Rm. G64, Kaufman Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall.
Rob Vanderlan, executive director of the Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI), noted, “We”ve heard from many faculty that AI has challenged them to rethink their assignments. We can all benefit from thoughtful ideas for assignment design that tap into students” motivation to learn and incentivize them to engage in meaningful learning.”
The session will emphasize fostering student responsibility. M. Elizabeth Karns, a provost fellow and senior lecturer in statistics and data science at the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, will deliver the keynote address. She will provide guidelines and practical strategies aimed at both faculty and students.
A panel discussion featuring Tim Riley, a professor of mathematics and director of the Active Learning Initiative, along with Kate Navickas, a senior lecturer at the John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines and director of the Cornell Writing Centers, will follow the keynote. This discussion will focus on how students can take charge of their own learning and assume responsibility for their academic integrity.
Karns has devised recommendations to help faculty communicate their expectations regarding generative AI to students and to address potential academic integrity issues proactively. Additionally, she created a Canvas Course module that encourages students to reflect on their personal values and what they aim to achieve in their courses.
Riley and Navickas will share insights from their teaching experiences, illustrating how they have cultivated environments of ownership and accountability in their classrooms. Riley will explain his revised assessment methods in the Introduction to Analysis course, where he now requires a homework portfolio and allows students to retake quizzes to improve their scores. Meanwhile, Navickas will describe her use of a labor-based grading contract in her First Year Writing seminar, which rewards students for their efforts and progress rather than solely evaluating the final quality of their work. She will also discuss the integration of scaffolding and reflective practices throughout the semester to help students assess their own writing and deepen their understanding of the writing process.
Additional topics for discussion may include the establishment of formal and informal policies related to generative AI and academic integrity in courses, along with student feedback regarding the presenters” course policies, assessment approaches, and grading techniques.
This event is part of the ongoing efforts of the PWGIA, which is committed to exploring alternative and authentic assessment methods. The group recently welcomed ten faculty members into its 2025-2026 cohort of faculty fellows and has published new case studies from the 2024-2025 cohort, showcasing innovative assessment strategies implemented in Cornell courses over the past year.
“Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence: Strategies for Responding” is open to faculty and graduate students at Cornell University.
