PWR Policy on the Use of GenAI and LLMs
The Program in Writing and Rhetoric’s policy about GenAI use in PWR courses is grounded in our focus on the learning objectives that constitute the foundation of the Writing and Rhetoric requirement, including -
- Students in PWR courses learn invention strategies to help them develop drafts in response to essay assignments, with the aim of exploring their ideas and making connections between ideas. They also learn revision strategies focused on further developing and refining their ideas and making decisions about organization and style to engage and guide the reader.
- Students in PWR courses complete research assignments in several stages, from crafting and refining initial research questions to engaging with a range of sources to developing an argument to add to the conversation.
We developed these guidelines for the use of LLMs in PWR classrooms to create and foster a learning environment focused on the growth of all students as writers, researchers, speakers, and thinkers.
In addition, the Program recognizes the impact of AI use on the environment (through water and electricity usage) and is committed to supporting a sustainable approach to writing and research practices.
PWR Policy on GenAI Use in PWR classes
Students may not use generative AI or LLMs to compose the drafts or revisions for any of the major assignments in their PWR classes. This includes using generative AI to compose or revise portions of their essay or scripts (from individual phrases or sentences to longer passages) or including in their essays/scripts paraphrases of LLM-generated writing or paraphrases of source material generated by LLMs. In addition, students may not rely on generative AI summaries of sources for their research and instead must actively read and engage themselves with the sources they draw on for their research projects and that they incorporate into their writing.
Beyond this program policy, individual lecturers may craft their own supplemental policies specifically addressing the use of genAI for initial scaffolding activities focused on brainstorming and exploration as well as for classroom work and other writing and research activities. Instructors will clearly explain these policies on the syllabus as well as in the assignment sheets; students should ask their instructors if they have questions about any aspect of this program policy or the policy in the instructors’ syllabus.
Violation of PWR’s AI policy is considered an Honor Code violation and will result in the involvement of Stanford’s Office of Community Standards (OCS).
If you have questions or concerns about our policy, please contact PWR Associate Director, Christine Alfano (alfano@stanford.edu).