Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU) is committed to promoting the responsible and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all its academic and administrative functions. As TNU’s Purpose statement states,
Trevecca intends that its graduates be socially-conscious, globally-aware, and actively-engaged individuals who are developing holistically in the cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual areas of being. The desire is that each student will develop as life-long followers of Jesus Christ. They are to be persons of strong Christian character able to make ethical decisions based on biblical principles and reflective thought. Their characteristics should include competence, responsibility, compassion, and the ability to integrate Christian faith and learning in practice.
TNU believes that faith, as narrated in Christian scriptures, is committed to the restoration of humanity so that we might become, once again, fully human. This is the foundation of the liberal arts experience at TNU. As such, our primary goal is to maintain a human-centric approach in the implementation of AI technologies. We believe that AI should serve as a powerful tool to enhance human capabilities, drive innovation, and address complex issues. Ultimate decision-making authority, however, must always rest with humans, ensuring that AI's role is to augment, rather than undermine, human values, ethics, and judgment. By doing so, we harness the benefits of AI to enhance the quality of life and work, while preserving the dignity and agency of all individuals.
This AI Ethical Use Policy establishes the principles and guidelines for faculty, students, and staff when using AI technologies on campus or in connection with university-related activities.
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Human-Centeredness: AI should serve as a powerful tool to enhance human capabilities and augment human values, ethics, and judgment, but authority must always rest with humans.
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Ethical Use: All users must use AI technologies in a manner that aligns with ethical principles and values, including honesty, respect, fairness, and privacy.
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Transparency: Faculty, students, and staff should ensure transparency in the use of AI technologies, making it clear when AI is being utilized and for what purpose.
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Data Privacy: Users must protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals' data and comply with all relevant data protection laws, including FERPA and HIPAA.
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Academic Integrity: Students and faculty must uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, and any use of AI for academic work must comply with the university's academic integrity policies.
Guidelines for Faculty, Students, and Staff
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Academic Use: Faculty and students may use AI technologies for research and teaching purposes, provided they comply with relevant academic standards and disclose the use of AI tools when presenting findings.
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Administrative Use: Staff may use AI for administrative tasks, such as data analysis, but must ensure that the use of AI does not compromise data privacy or security.
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Responsible AI Development: Those involved in AI development projects should prioritize ethical considerations, conduct testing to identify and mitigate bias, and regularly update models to improve fairness and performance.
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Data Security: Users should protect data used in AI projects from unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and securely store data in accordance with university policies.