Augustana College Reading/Writing Center GenAI Policy
Introduction
The Reading/Writing Center (RWC) believes the power of writing lives in more than the end product. Its power also lives in the discovery, exploration, decision-making, problem-solving, and creativity that the process of writing engages. And it lives in written work’s impact on human audiences.
Written work shapes how we human readers see and understand ourselves, others, and the world around us. It expands and deepens knowledge and connects us to the past. It inspires wonder, purpose, imagination, curiosity, action, and more. Ultimately, we believe that writing’s value cannot and should not be replaced by artificial intelligence. There is still important work for writers to do, and we need to develop skills to do that work effectively.
Though artificial intelligence is likely here to stay, human readers play a crucial role in encouraging and supporting writers to develop and strengthen their skills and understand the impact of their writing. RWC tutors provide student writers crucial insight into their reading/writing processes and the impact of their written work (especially in in-person consultations). RWC tutors provide clear, manageable feedback and, more importantly, coach students to apply that feedback to strengthen their written work and grow as readers and writers.
We have organized our policies by the core values – openness, transparency, trust, agency, and respect for difference – that inform them. If you have any questions, please contact us by email at readingwritingcenter@augustana.edu.
Value 1: Openness and transparency
We view all students as learners with good intentions. Openness and transparency allow us to tailor support to individual needs, skill levels, and purposes for reading/writing.
1. We will encourage students to be open about AI use by asking about professors’ AI policies, inquiring about students’ AI use, and coaching students toward ethical and productive uses of AI when appropriate in in-person sessions.
2. We will not assume students’ decisions to use AI are dishonorable or lazy. We will work actively to understand what drives a student’s choices of reading/writing technologies.
3. We will work to acknowledge and counter biases that often lead readers to hasty assumptions about AI use based on identity markers rather than concrete information about what writers know, have done, and seek to do with reading/writing.
4, When student writers request feedback via email, we are limited in what we can do to understand these writers and the choices they have made. As a result, when we are unable to judge if the writer used AI in ways that violate course policies, we will provide the student no or limited feedback. In those cases, we will encourage the student to follow up with an in-person appointment to discuss the steps the student took to write the draft and provide the student with feedback to guide their next steps.
Value 2: Trust and agency
The RWC works to maintain its status as a trusted go-between for students and faculty members. RWC tutors’ suggestions guide learning by helping students make informed choices about their own work.
1. RWC tutors will ask about the AI policies and guidelines for each course and/or assignment and guide students to make choices that adhere to those policies. When there is no clear policy, tutors will encourage students to ask their professors and will operate with the assumption that AI use is prohibited.
2. RWC tutors will not enforce or report violations of course policies and assignment guidelines. Rather, tutors will inform students of the risks and consequences of submitting work that violates course policy and provide students with clear steps to revise, edit, and proofread to avoid violations. It is up to the student, though, to take those steps.
Value 3: Respect for difference
RWC tutors, like the student body, are not homogeneous. They hold various backgrounds, expertise, and beliefs. Given these differences and the changing technological landscape, tutors’ comfort levels, experiences with, and views about appropriate and ethical uses of AI will vary.
1. In our feedback, RWC tutors will be open about our views on AI while framing those views as part of a developing conversation in which other views are valid and worth considering. We will work with students to help them understand their reasons for or against AI use and help students reach their goals with appropriate, ethical tools and best practices as we know them.
2. As a staff, the RWC will participate in ongoing conversations and training to develop our understanding of best practices of AI use in reading/writing.
Last updated May 1, 2025