Statement on Generative AI (GenAI) and Writing

At W&M’s Writing and Communication Center (WCC), we believe in the power of conversation to help students think through their writing. Our consultants engage with students to develop their ideas, improve their writing skills, and foster a deeper understanding of the writing process. We prioritize human engagement and conversation as the primary means to support student learning outside of the classroom. At the same time, we acknowledge that approaches to writing change as technologies evolve. We seek to find a responsible middle ground on generative AI (GenAI) to help students navigate these changes and grow as writers.

The following statement is our effort to define guidelines about the role of generative AI (GenAI) in the WCC. It explains our current position and is designed to help our consultants, our student clients, and faculty understand how we approach the use of GenAI by students and/or consultants at the WCC.

Our Approach to GenAI at the Writing and Communication Center (WCC)

Human Conversation First: The dialogue between student and consultant remains foundational to our approach. This human-to-human interaction (based on principles of peer collaborative learning) is irreplaceable in developing critical thinking and writing skills.
Conservative Integration: We take a measured approach to GenAI tools, using them selectively and purposefully to augment—never replace—the human conversation.
Faculty Guidelines Paramount: When students bring coursework, we prioritize helping them meet their instructor's specific expectations and requirements regarding GenAI use.

Supporting Academic Integrity

Maintaining academic integrity--and teaching about it--remains a cornerstone of our mission:

Faculty Expectations: We honor and uphold individual faculty members' guidelines on GenAI use in their courses.
Responsible Use: When appropriate, we help students understand the difference between using GenAI as a thinking partner versus substituting it for their own intellectual work.
Transparency: We encourage open conversations about if and how GenAI tools have been used in the writing process, and we help students discover appropriate, discipline-specific ways to acknowledge or cite GenAI use.

For Students: Bringing AI-Augmented Work to the WCC

We want students to feel comfortable discussing their writing process honestly:

No Need to Hide AI Use: If you've used GenAI in your writing process, you don't need to conceal this fact. We're here to help, not to monitor or police the use of GenAI tools.
Come Anyway: Even if you've used GenAI tools, we still encourage you to visit the Writing and Communication Center. Our trained undergraduate consultants provide insights, guidance, and a sympathetic connection that GenAI cannot.
Learning Focus: Our concern is your development as a writer and thinker. At times, our focus on your learning may include discussing the appropriate and effective use of GenAI in a given context.

For Faculty: Prioritizing Your Course Expectations

We want faculty to know that we prioritize their course goals and expectations in our sessions with students:

Clear Expectations: We encourage you to clarify your policies on AI use in your syllabi and assignment sheets. STLI offers advice and examples in their Instructor GenAI Policy Communication Guidelines.
Honoring Your Guidelines: We respect and uphold your AI-use policies. When questions arise about AI use in assignments, we will review and discuss your guidelines with students.
Human Conversation First: Our sessions focus on substantive discussions about writing, not technological shortcuts.
Partnership in Teaching: We see ourselves as partners in helping students develop writing and communication skills, and we welcome ongoing dialogue with faculty about navigating GenAI in writing instruction. Faculty can initiate conversations about the role of GenAI in their course(s) by emailing the WCC Director or Assistant Director. The Studio for Teaching and Learning (STLI) also maintains a page on AI Instructional Resources.

How We Might Use GenAI in Sessions

Our student-first philosophy guides all our sessions:

Prioritizing Student Needs: We will never impose GenAI use on students who are uncomfortable with it or who do not wish to incorporate it into their writing process. When appropriate and aligned with faculty expectations, we might include GenAI in specific, limited ways that enhance student learning about writing.
GenAI Literacy Support: We are also committed to serving as a resource to students as they develop both functional and critical GenAI literacy skills. When students are using GenAI in assignments, we may engage in discussions about ethical use, share alternatives that do not require GenAI, and/or demonstrate approaches to using GenAI that enhance learning and support educational goals.

GenAI Literacy in Consultant Training

We recognize that individual consultants may have varying levels of comfort and experience with AI tools:

Ongoing Training: We commit to providing all consultants with both functional and critical GenAI literacy training to help them develop a deeper understanding of these tools and the critical judgment to determine when they should be avoided and when they might be used to facilitate the learning process.
Consultant Discretion: Consultants maintain professional discretion in determining when and how AI tools might be appropriately integrated into a session, based on their expertise, comfort level, and assessment of both faculty guidelines and pedagogical value.

By taking this measured approach to generative AI technologies, we aim to remain focused on our core mission: developing students' writing abilities through meaningful human conversation while also engaging with evolving writing technologies in alignment with faculty expectations and student comfort levels.