TCR-IT-017: AI Usage Policy
Summary
Section titled “Summary”Guidelines for appropriate use of AI tools (Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and other AI-powered assistants) by staff, faculty, and employees, to ensure FERPA compliance and support educational/administrative activities. Covers AI tools integrated in Google Workspace and third-party AI chatbots/services (ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, etc). Does not apply to students unless explicitly stated.
Why it exists
Section titled “Why it exists”TCR has chosen to embrace AI tools rather than restrict them, but that embrace comes with real risk: student records are FERPA-protected, and AI tools are not a safe place to put them by default. This policy exists to make the boundary explicit, so productivity gains don’t come at the cost of a compliance incident.
Policy
Section titled “Policy”Acceptable use
Section titled “Acceptable use”Staff/faculty may use AI tools for: drafting emails, reports, or presentations for non-sensitive administrative tasks; generating ideas/summaries for lesson planning, content creation, or research; and productivity tasks like scheduling, task management, and document generation.
Prohibited use
Section titled “Prohibited use”AI tools may not be used to:
- Process, store, or analyze student records or PII, including names, grades, enrollment details, disciplinary actions, or other FERPA-protected records.
- Input confidential or proprietary institutional data (financial records, internal reports, sensitive college data).
- Communicate directly with students regarding grades, academic performance, or advising as the primary channel.
- Submit AI-generated content without review and verification for accuracy.
- Engage in any activity violating college policy, state law, or federal regulation.
FERPA compliance
Section titled “FERPA compliance”Employees must not enter student records or PII into AI tools. Prohibited examples: copying transcripts, grades, or disciplinary actions into Gemini/ChatGPT/other AI platforms; using AI to summarize or analyze student records; uploading student assignments, essays, or assessments for AI grading or evaluation.
Security and data protection
Section titled “Security and data protection”- AI tools should not be used for password management or storing sensitive institutional data.
- Use official, institution-approved AI integrations (e.g. Gemini in Google Workspace) rather than unapproved third-party tools.
- Don’t assume AI tools are private; avoid entering sensitive information.
Tool-specific guidance
Section titled “Tool-specific guidance”- Google Gemini (integrated with Google Workspace): enabled for staff only, within college-approved tasks. No student PII. Output must be reviewed for accuracy before use in college documents.
- ChatGPT and other third-party AI tools: must not be used for student information. AI-generated content used for professional communication must be fact-checked and approved by the appropriate supervisor.
Enforcement
Section titled “Enforcement”TCR reserves the right to monitor and review AI usage for compliance. Violations may result in revoked access to AI tools, additional training, or disciplinary action.
Questions about AI usage go to the TCR Information Systems Department.
Review
Section titled “Review”Reviewed regularly and updated as needed based on legal, ethical, and technological considerations. Updates are communicated to all staff via email.
Digitized from TCR-IT-017 - AI Usage Policy [Rev 1.0].docx; the original is kept under source/policies/ in this repo.