The College of Business encourages the thoughtful and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance learning, creativity, problem-solving, and professional development. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into business practice, students are expected to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to use these tools effectively, ethically, and responsibly. Faculty may establish course-specific expectations regarding the use of AI, and students are expected to follow those expectations.

Our Goal for College of Business Graduates

The College of Business believes AI literacy is a core business competency. Our goal is not simply for students to be exposed to AI or become casual users of AI tools. Rather, we seek to develop graduates who can demonstrate how they have leveraged AI to solve meaningful business problems, accelerate learning, improve decision-making, and create value.

By graduation, students should be able to articulate on a résumé, in an interview, or in the workplace how they used AI to achieve outcomes that would have been difficult, time-consuming, or impossible using traditional approaches alone.

Examples include:

• Preparing financial statements and business analyses independently, then using AI to identify trends, risks, and opportunities
• Developing five-year revenue, expense, and cash flow projections through AI-assisted modeling and scenario analysis
• Analyzing lawfully-obtained large datasets and generating actionable recommendations for organizational decision-makers
• Creating marketing strategies, customer insights, or operational improvements that combine AI-generated information with human judgment and business expertise

In every instance, AI should enhance learning and performance rather than replace critical thinking, professional judgment, or discipline-specific expertise.

An Important Note About Ethical Considerations, Plagiarism and Use of Content from JMU Libraries in Generative AI Tools

Always be mindful that there is a risk of plagiarism when using AI-generated content. The algorithms are trained on vast amounts of existing text, making it difficult to ensure originality. This can lead to unintentional duplication or even copyright infringement. Additionally, uploading copyrighted material to an AI large language model without permission can lead to legal consequences, including copyright infringement claims. Even if the model is for private use, sharing or redistributing copyrighted content can violate the law and put the institution at risk. Please familiarize yourself with related information on the JMU Libraries site. When in doubt, please consult your JMU Liaison Librarian who can advise on the terms governing specific databases and identify vendor-provided AI features that are covered by existing licensing agreements. This applies to content routinely used by students and faculty in the College of Business including, but not limited to, library subscriptions, case collections, financial databases, and industry reports.

Faculty Authority and Course Expectations

Because expectations may differ across courses, assignments, and disciplines, individual faculty members retain the authority to determine how and when AI tools may be used in their classes. Faculty discretion operates within the University’s copyright and licensing obligations. Assignments will not require students to input licensed or copyrighted materials into AI tools in ways those agreements prohibit. Additionally, students are responsible for following the guidance provided in each course syllabus and assignment.

A Shared Responsibility

The College of Business views AI as a shared responsibility among students, faculty, and staff. We are all learning together, exploring new applications, and identifying ways to use these tools to improve learning, innovation, and organizational performance.

Faculty are expected to experiment with AI in course design so that students gain hands-on experience applying these tools to discipline-specific problems. Students are expected to actively engage in these learning experiences and seek opportunities to apply AI in ways that enhance their knowledge, skills, and professional readiness.

The goal is not simply to learn about AI, but to demonstrate the ability to leverage AI to solve real-world problems. Students should graduate with tangible examples of how they used AI to create value, accelerate learning, improve outcomes, and support better decisions.

These experiences should become part of a student's professional story. The ability to articulate meaningful AI-enabled projects on a résumé strengthens a student's candidacy for competitive internships. Likewise, demonstrating the successful application of AI during an internship can create additional résumé credentials that enhance prospects for full-time employment and long-term career success.

As AI continues to reshape the workplace, employers will increasingly seek graduates who can demonstrate not only technical proficiency, but also sound judgment, ethical decision-making, and the ability to use AI responsibly to create measurable organizational value.

Student Responsibilities

Students are expected to:

• use AI in ways that support learning rather than replace learning;
• complete academic work with honesty and integrity;
• review and validate AI-generated content for accuracy and appropriateness before submitting work;
• protect confidential, proprietary, and personal information when using AI tools;
• respect copyright and licensing terms, as described above;
• disclose the use of AI tools when instructed by the faculty member;
• follow all course-specific requirements regarding AI use.

When in Doubt, Ask

AI use is encouraged across the College of Business. When course-specific expectations apply, faculty will communicate them clearly. If expectations are unclear, ask your faculty member. Failure to comply with faculty or University guidance regarding AI may constitute a violation of course policies and/or The JMU Honor Code (including, but not limited to, section II.A.16).

In Conclusion

The College of Business at James Madison University is committed to graduating students who can demonstrate not only that they understand AI, but that they have applied it to solve real-world problems, create meaningful value for organizations and society, and enhance their own career opportunities through demonstrable AI-enabled achievements. This commitment reflects our belief that the most successful graduates will not simply know about AI. They will be able to show how they used AI to learn more effectively, perform at a higher level, solve complex business problems, and deliver measurable results in academic, internship, and professional settings.