The Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENS) program encourages students to approach generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, DALL·E) with critical awareness, both of their capabilities and their consequences. 

While these tools may support brainstorming, writing, or organizing ideas, their outputs lack the context, nuance, or place-specific relevance that we, as people who seek to live and work in ways that speak to our values, bring to our critical thinking and writing. Starting with this lack of context is especially problematic when participating in interdisciplinary environmental work that values systems thinking, local knowledge, and lived experience. Moreover, generative AI tools demand significant computational, energy, and water resources, often far exceeding those of traditional digital tools. As people committed to sustainability, we must weigh these environmental costs against the convenience or novelty of AI use.

The use of AI tools in ENS courses:

• Is subject to each instructor’s guidelines. Students should follow the policies outlined in their course syllabi and consult instructors with any questions. Students should assume the use of generative AI tools is not allowed unless explicitly stated otherwise.

• Must be transparent. Any use of generative AI in submitted work (e.g., to draft a section, summarize content, or revise tone) must be clearly acknowledged.

• Must support, not replace, critical thinking. Assignments are graded based on your engagement with course content, your voice, and your reasoning. Overreliance on generative AI tools may result in work that lacks depth, originality, or relevance.

Students enrolled in ENS 399 (Independent Study) or ENS 491 (Practicum) must consult with their supervising instructor during the development of their work plan to determine an appropriate AI use policy for their individual project. These experiences are highly individualized, and AI use should align with the learning goals of the project.