Michael J. Silva's Linkedin Analytics

Tuition refunds for a professor using AI in the classroom? Many of you know that I taught as an adjunct professor, and Northeastern is also where I got my Masters degree. But this seems like a step too far from this student. Here's the skinny: A Northeastern University senior recently sparked debate about AI transparency in higher education after discovering her professor was using ChatGPT to create course materials-while simultaneously prohibiting students from using the same technology. ## Executive Summary Ella Stapleton, who enrolled at Northeastern this academic year, became suspicious when reviewing her organizational behavior class materials. She noticed telltale signs of AI generation: a stray ChatGPT citation in the bibliography, recurring typos typical of machine outputs, and images depicting figures with extra limbs-a common AI image generation flaw. What made this particularly frustrating was the professor's own policy. Rick Arrowood, an adjunct professor with nearly two decades of teaching experience, had explicitly prohibited students from using AI in his class syllabus. This apparent double standard prompted Stapleton to file a formal complaint with Northeastern's business school, requesting an $8,000 tuition refund for the course. After several discussions that continued until her graduation day, the university ultimately rejected her claim. When interviewed, Professor Arrowood acknowledged using various AI tools-including ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and an AI presentation generator called Gamma-to "refresh" his teaching materials. He admitted that while the generated content initially appeared impressive, he hadn't examined it thoroughly enough before sharing it with students. ## The Future This incident highlights the evolving relationship between AI and education. As AI tools become more sophisticated and accessible, we'll likely see more formal policies like Northeastern's recent AI guidelines, which now require attribution when AI systems are employed and mandate review of AI outputs for "accuracy and appropriateness." The classroom will increasingly become a testing ground for establishing ethical AI use standards. We'll see more institutions developing comprehensive frameworks that balance innovation with academic integrity, potentially creating tiered approaches where certain AI applications are permitted while others remain restricted. 🎓 Source: fortune