Topic
The position and approach of UC
AI in higher education:
03 July 2024
The University of Canterbury is committed to the advancement of knowledge through innovation and collaboration. We acknowledge the potential of the generative capabilities of artificial intelligence (referenced here as generative AI) as an emerging set of technologies that have transformational capabilities across many domains.
HOW TO APPLY
Generative AI offers significant opportunities to enrich teaching and learning, support our world-class research, and streamline organisational efficiency within the institution.
UC recognises the importance of developing high-quality guidelines to mitigate risks in the areas of academic integrity, research quality, institutional reputation, and equity and inclusion for both staff and students. As part of its ongoing efforts towards responsible AI governance, UC commits to the development of institution-wide competency so that where it is appropriate these technologies can be used as a force for positive change.
These 9 core principles will guide our approach to AI.
- Ethical: We will uphold and promote ethical standards aligned with UC values (and the underlying attributes of tika, pono and aroha) to guide the use of generative AI systems, mitigate the risk of bias, and foster transparency, academic integrity, and accountability.
- Evidence-Based: We will ground our approach in research and data, using an interdisciplinary lens to understand the capabilities and limitations of generative AI technologies.
- Outcome-Focused: We will design guidelines and initiatives that align with UC’s strategy and are responsive to the needs of local and global communities and industry partners.
- Innovative: We will explore new applications of generative AI to enrich teaching, learning, research, and organisational efficiency at UC.
- Collaborative: We will engage with key stakeholders, including academic staff, the UCSA, the Office of Treaty Partnership, the Pacific Development Team, external accreditation agencies and and industry partners, in open dialogue around the use of generative AI.
- Bicultural: We will honour the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by partnering with Māori to ensure guidelines protect Māori data sovereignty and elevate mātauranga Māori.
- Accessible: We will work towards equitable access to generative AI tools, education, and support for staff and students.
- Sustainable: We will foster awareness of the resource-intensiveness of generative AI and cultivate sustainable practices among our community.
- Secure: We will strive to ensure the privacy and security of key stakeholder data as paramount to protecting individuals’ rights and institutional security.
This is a fast-moving area, and the impact of these technologies is likely to increase over time, so guidelines should be flexible, open, grounded in evidence, and subject to regular review.
