As AI advances, it becomes more commonplace in the classroom for both teachers and students. The University of Pitt and several other institutions have put their foot down with AI in the classroom, with Pitt’s faculty unions holding out negations until an AI clause is implemented.
Slippery Rock University has yet to address the relationship between professors and AI. The university currently only regulates student AI use under Academic Integrity, a recent change as well only being added in revision in 2023.
The Equal Rights Amendment Advocates (ERA) club at Slippery Rock University looks to address the unregulated use of teacher AI use with a recent petition and AI Teach-in.
Arielle Westreich sat down with Rocket Staff to discuss the petition and ERA’s position on AI in the classroom.
Westrich explained how the main push was to urge professors to stop using AI during instruction. The petition began last semester and is currently sitting at 234 signatories. ERA has presented the petition to Slippery Rock Student Government Association (SRSGA) and are in preliminary talks.
Westrich elaborated on how AI impacts the Slippery Rock community, and the detriments generative AI can have to education.
“I think the harms of AI outweigh the benefits,” she said. “With environmental damage, collapse in critical thinking and a perpetuation of gender-based violence.”
Westrich rationalized the practicality of AI, but not at the expense of the students.
“It can be seen as a helpful pedagogical tool and it can lighten a professors workload, but it’s really frustrating when students pay money to take a course that’s just AI generated,” she said. “Professors are experts in their field. I think we in general, the people that signed the petition, really want to learn from professors and see that expertise shine through.
Most students have encountered AI in the classroom in some way. Westreich elaborated on how she has seen professors use AI.
“I have had AI worksheets passed out, and honestly the question don’t make any sense,” Westrich continued, “I have seen classroom expectations generated with AI. For a class we had a dress code expectation that was just AI generated.”
Westrich discussed what a policy on teacher AI usage at Slippery Rock would look like.
“Professors have academic freedom, so realistically I am not sure what that can look like, but I know something students are upset about is having to pay for AI models or being forced to use AI,” she said. “So I think, because it affects students so much, there should be an to option to be able to opt out of AI usage.”
Westrich emphasized that any change is good, whether be it formal policy or shift in professor perception.
“I don’t want to force anything on professors, because I greatly respect them and their pedagogical methods, but at the same time it’s disheartening to see,” she said. “So, if we can change the attitude towards AI, that would be a great next thing.”
Westrich and ERA have also just launched a similar petition to that of their AI one, urging Slippery Rock University to adopt formal policy regarding Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s presence on campus.
