These pages were developed to provide an overview of our university community’s current approach to the evaluation and use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) platforms and tools.  

The educational resources, guidelines, policies, and technology support pathways listed here have been assembled and refined by campus partners and through the work of the 2023-25 JMU Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.  

In simple terms, GenAI can generate text, images, video, and other information in response to questions or input provided, based on training models and datasets that are often inaccessible to the end user. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are shaping education, research, work, and daily life — with different impacts across our many professions and fields.  

JMU’s basic stance toward AI is to support disciplinary difference and academic freedom in a framework of responsible experimentation & appropriate, ethical use — while preparing our students for exciting future careers. 

Learn more about our commitment to protecting your personal information and JMU’s institutional data at MyJMUData’s entry on AI.

  1. Teaching and Learning

    • Instructors are strongly encouraged to establish syllabus language that outlines their expectations and defines the appropriate or inappropriate use of GenAI tools in relationship to course- or discipline-specific student learning outcomes. Ethical considerations, syllabus statements, and suggestions for class assignments are available from the JMU Libraries in this guide, with additional resources for instructors here. 
    • Students should consult with their instructors and read the syllabus to clarify expectations regarding the use of GenAI tools or platforms in each course. When permitted by the instructor, students should appropriately acknowledge and cite their use of GenAI applications. The Libraries recommends the Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence from the Imagining the Digital Future Center, and JMU students may sign up for a self-paced Libraries course on AI basics here.

  2. Research and Scholarship

    • Researchers are encouraged to consult with co-investigators, advisors, collaborators, funding agencies and field experts to evaluate the appropriateness of using AI in research activities.
    • When using GenAI tools, maintaining research integrity and safeguarding intellectual property, confidentiality, and ethical standards is essential. All users should review and evaluate the output for accuracy and potential bias and should disclose the use of GenAI with proper attribution.
    • Researchers should not input federal, state or university data into externally sourced (non JMU sanctioned) GenAI tools due to the high risk of exposing sensitive information to public or open-source domains.   

  3. JMU Business

    • Staff and administrative/day-to-day use of approved GenAI tools such as CoPilot can enhance work efficiency and productivity.  However, any usage should align with the guidelines listed below. JMU employees should discuss the appropriate use of GenAI in the workplace with their supervisors.

The only generalized GenAI tool currently approved for use and available to the entire JMU community is Microsoft CoPilot Chat. JMU users have data protections when logged into the service, meaning that Microsoft does not monitor access and no data is ingested to train the AI model. Microsoft CoPilot for M365 is also approved and available as an extra-cost subscription for JMU employees only. More information and FAQs are available. 

To support researchers, the JMU Libraries provides ScopusAI. This tool facilitates the analysis of complex content by generating summaries, with references, based on Scopus abstracts.   

As AI functionality is added to tools the university provides, such as Zoom, it will be evaluated by Information Technology and specific guidance will be provided to the campus community.  A review of Zoom’s AI Companion is in progress.   

Other JMU IT-approved software is listed here. The Libraries lists and describes academic software here. 

Due to state-level restrictions and university policy protections, all JMU technology requires review and approval by Information Technology — including AI and GenAI applications.  This requirement applies to AI in research and teaching, as well as for more general use.   

No GenAI or AI tools are authorized for use with JMU data without prior approval from JMU Information Technology. Why? Using JMU-licensed AI tools (such as Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection) provides contractual protections of university data when used properly and when all prompt data remains in JMU-specific storage. 

Requests for review may be submitted with the button below. Information on the AI models used by the technology will be requested as part of the Technology Solution Request (TSR) review. 

TSR Submission 

The Standard for Acceptable Use of Artificial Intelligence with University Data is posted here. 

Standard mitigations or usage requirements for AI platforms and tools are posted here. 

Please note that the use of AI tools for research purposes may require additional review by JMU's Institutional Review Board (IRB).  Faculty and staff are encouraged to discuss the responsible use and costs of AI tools and systems with their supervisors before requesting review.  

Relevant JMU and Commonwealth policies and AI-related principles include:  

  • Transparency matters. Any AI tool used to generate content that is then shared must include a disclaimer noting that an AI tool was used to generate it, the platform utilized, and the date of use. 
  • Compliance and data security should be considered in the use of all technology that include AI. Users must follow all relevant laws and university policies regarding copyright, intellectual property, property rights, data security and confidentiality. All users must adhere to existing university policies including: 
  • Human oversight is required with the use of AI tools.  Users must review all AI-generated material for accuracy, reliability, and appropriateness.  Outputs must be verified and refined to reflect human judgement and ethical standards. 
  • Data privacy is key.  Users should protect their personal, confidential information and proprietary intellectual property when using AI tools. It’s important to understand what data is collected, stored and used and what privacy policies apply. Be cautious with sensitive information to ensure data privacy and maintain control over your data. Learn more about JMU’s approach to AI data privacy and data governance at MyJMUData. 
  • Understand that all answers may not be accurate or appropriate.  All AI- generated content should be closely reviewed by a knowledgeable person before using or publishing.  Responsibility for verifying AI output lies with each user, and diligence is critical to maintaining trust and integrity for our community. 
  • Be mindful of data bias potential.  AI models are trained on large data sets and bias may be present in the training data, affecting the results presented. 
  • Learn about prompt engineering.  It takes time and practice to develop good prompting skills that result in relevant and reasonably accurate responses.  There are many resources available on prompt engineering, including short courses and videos provided to you through JMU’s subscription to LinkedIn Learning. (Learn how to make a LinkedIn Learning account. Explore other, custom self-paced learning resources from the JMU Libraries.)  

Given the changing nature of AI-related technologies and regulations, review and updates to these guidelines will be on-going.   

JMU Libraries resources on AI: The Libraries provides research and learning materials and has created self-paced courses, modules, and guides for faculty and students, customized to JMU. They also host periodic facilitated workshops and discussion sessions, and welcome consultation requests.   

Outcomes of the JMU Task Force on Artificial Intelligence 

Data Governance at JMU 

Faculty Experts on AI at JMU 

AAUP’s Report on Artificial Intelligence and Academic Professions

AI Ethical Guidelines from EDUCAUSE’s 2025 working group 

JMU’s Data Stewardship and Information Security Framework 

JMU’s Standards for the Acquisition and Assessment of Technology 

JMU’s information page on CoPilot Chat with Data Protection 

Guidance on the use of AI in Student Affairs assessment practices 

 

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