SP 2-60a – Artificial Intelligence

SP 2-60a

APPROVED: May 14, 2025
EFFECTIVE: May 14, 2025

REFERENCE(S): Board Policy (BP) 2-60, Artificial Intelligence

APPROVED:

/ Joe Garcia /
Joseph A. Garcia, Chancellor

Application

This procedure applies to all employees and students within the Colorado Community College System, including its Colleges (CCCS or System).

Basis

Board Policy (BP) 2-60 authorizes the Chancellor to establish procedures regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the System.

Ensuring the appropriate use of AI is a shared responsibility among the Board, Chancellor, College Presidents, employees, and students. Board policy supports the implementation of AI principles that promote responsible, equitable, ethical, and innovative integration, while safeguarding security, privacy, academic integrity, intellectual property, and human-centered education. This is achieved within the framework of shared governance.

Procedure

The Chancellor delegates responsibility to the System Office Executive Staff and College Presidents to implement these principles within the System, including its institutions.

Principles

The following academic and operational principles will be considered:

Ethical Use and Integrity:
Employees and students are encouraged to explore and leverage innovative tools, including AI, to enhance their learning and academic or professional success. The use of AI should align with ethical standards prioritizing human values such as, but limited to, non-discrimination, equitable outcomes, accountability, avoiding harm, and respect for privacy.

For the purposes of this procedure, ethical behavior refers to adhering to the highest standards of personal accountability, integrity, truthfulness, and honesty.

Inclusive, Equitable, and Accessible:
Encourage equitable access to AI tools for all employees and students System-wide.

Address potential biases in AI systems to ensure fair representation and outcomes.

Transparency and Explainability:
Encourage transparency in AI and decision-making processes. Educate employees and students about how AI systems work, including their limitations and potential biases.

Faculty and Instructors should actively incorporate discussions with students about their own use of AI in their work, transforming that into teaching opportunities to students.

Continuous Evaluation and Improvement:
Provide ongoing training and resources for employees and students as appropriate to effectively integrate AI into their teaching, learning, and administrative practices. Support ongoing learning about AI advancements.

Regularly assess the impact of AI on learning outcomes and institutional practices. Adapt existing policies and practices based on feedback and emerging best practices.

Foster collaboration across System functional groups to explore innovative applications of AI. Encourage partnerships between technologists, educators, and researchers to advance knowledge and practices.

Data Protection and Compliance:
Prioritize the protection of personally identifiable information, proprietary information, sensitive data, and intellectual property in compliance with legal and ethical standards.

Implement robust security measures to safeguard information, aligning with applicable laws, Board Policies and System Procedures.

Training and Awareness:
Prioritize ongoing awareness and training initiatives for both employees and students regarding the appropriate use of AI. Leadership will ensure that communication and educational campaigns are effectively implemented to promote understanding of AI, its ethical use, and its potential applications within the academic and administrative environments.

Leverage resources to ensure the System provides equal access to awareness and training initiatives.

Student and Instruction Empowerment and Pedagogy:
Empower students to use AI as a tool for learning and self-expression. Encourage critical engagement with AI outputs and foster digital literacy skills.

Integrate AI in ways that enhance teaching and learning outcomes. Ensure that its use aligns with the curriculum and fosters critical thinking, creativity, and engagement.

Allow faculty and instructors authority to determine how AI use will be embedded in their curriculum.

Faculty and instructors should add a provision to their course syllabi expressing their expectations with use of AI.

Respect for Intellectual Property and Copyright:
Employees and students should understand the importance of copyright and intellectual property laws when utilizing artificial intelligence tools. Intellectual property represents the innovation and hard work of individuals and organizations. Employees and students must take care to avoid the misuse or infringement of copyrighted materials, including text, images, music, software, and other protected content.

Revising this Procedure

CCCS reserves the right to change any provision or requirement of this procedure at any time and the change shall become effective immediately. All revisions will be done in collaboration with the State Faculty Advisory Committee (SFAC).