AI Use in The Writing Center: Suggestions for Students and Faculty

Updated August 2024

Real conversation is at the heart of every Writing Center appointment, and using conversation to help students think through their writing and writing process takes priority in a Writing Center session over the use of any technology, including generative-AI. However, technology in many forms can be effectively utilized to enhance the writing process. With this in mind, we offer some guidelines and suggestions for students who wish to use generative AI (GAI) as part of their writing process, as well as some considerations for faculty.

Suggestions for Students

Tips for Successful Writing Center Appointments

Yes, you can bring your AI-enhanced writing to The Writing Center!

  • Prior to your WC appointment, check with your professor or on the assignment sheet if AI-use is permitted.
  • Bring your assignment sheet and the AI policy for the assignment to your appointment.
  • Disclose your use of AI to the consultant, regardless of whether AI is permitted on the assignment. Your consultant will not report unpermitted AI-use to the professor, but will encourage you to use AI ethically and in accordance with your professor’s guidelines. Telling your consultant how and in what ways you used AI will lead to a more productive appointment for both of you.

Tips for Successful AI-Use in your Writing 

  1. Always use AI critically
    Don’t “trust” AI to give you the correct answer, citation, grammar rule, or format for a type of writing. Just as you would double-check the credibility of a source for a research project, carefully review the output provided by your AI tool.
  2. Always use AI ethically
    Follow your professor’s guidelines for using AI at all times. Don’t submit your own or someone else’s writing into AI before carefully considering the implications.
  3. Understand how AI can benefit you at different stage of writing process
    Used ethically and critically, AI can be beneficial, especially for the beginning (brainstorming) and ending (proofreading) stages of the writing process.
  4. Learn how to ask AI good questions 
    Start with simple, direct questions and use follow-up questions to get a more precise response. Here is one useful guide on how to ask good questions, and here is another one.
  5. Understand AI’s limitations
    AI is no replacement for your own ideas and voice. Also, be careful not to overuse or become overly reliant on the tools.
  6. Keep track of how you’ve used AI so you can explain it later
    Use a subscription-based AI tool rather than Google search. A subscription tool like ChatGPT will keep a record of all your queries.
  7. Finally, always check AI output and make sure the writing you submit is your own.
Considerations For Faculty
  • Both students and Writing Center consultants need guidance from you regarding the level of AI-use allowed (if any). In addition to a statement on your syllabus, it would be helpful to provide an AI statement on each assignment sheet.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to disclose any AI-use to the WC consultant. If a student comes to The Writing Center with an assignment that does not clearly indicate if AI tools are allowed, WC Consultants may not think to ask the student about their AI-use or course policy.
  • If a student admits to using AI tools to generate work for an assignment that does not allow the use of those tools, the WC consultant will inform the student that the use of AI tools in this instance may be a violation of the Honor Code and of the professor’s assignment guidelines. This response assumes that the assignment sheet and/or syllabus clearly indicate that AI tools are not permitted for use with this assignment.
  • Based on what help the student wants, the consultant may brainstorm with the student new ideas and strategies for completing the assignment without AI tools.
  • If an assignment allows, and both the student and tutor are comfortable using AI tools, the WC consultant may employ AI tools in these specific ways during sessions:

Gathering general information on a topic. Ex: What’s a historiography?
Brainstorming ideas for a topic. Ex: What are some arguments surrounding immigration?
Formatting citations. Ex: Format this source into APA style.
Outlining ideas. Ex: Using this thesis statement, create an outline for a 5-page paper.
Revising outlines. Ex: Any recommendations for revising this outline?
Rewording of ideas. Ex: What’s another way of saying…?
Specific language issues. Ex: What are some suggestions for making this paragraph more concise?

In addition, WC consultants may discuss with students the accuracy and potential bias of AI-generated material and citation of AI-generated material and/or use of AI tools (if required). Consultants will err on the side of caution and suggest the student both cite the material and ask the professor for more guidance.