PUBLICATION OFFICE

• Word count: no specified minimum or maximum words
• Paper size: The text and all the material of the thesis, including illustrations, should be produced on A4-size (297mm x 210mm) paper;
• Font size: The size of the character used in the main text should be no less than 12pt and 14 pt for chapter/page names; Spacing is 1.5;
• Typographic design: Text, in general, should be black and should not be embellished, ie no general use of colored text or fancy fonts; no section separators, etc.
• Margins for preliminary pages: page margins for preliminary pages (title page, approval page, abstract, table of content, list of tables, list of figures, list of abbreviations etc.) are 25 mm for right and bottom sides, 60 mm for top and 40 mm for left side;
• Margins for thesis body: page margins for body pages (from introduction until end.) are 25 mm for the right, bottom and top side but 40 mm for left side
• Roman page numbers are used starting from the approval page (as the first page) until the Introduction;
• Arabic page numbers are used from the Introduction (as the first page) until end;
• Set page number font no bigger than 10 pt and Times New Roman;

• Thesis/Project needs to be submitted with 3 documents (1) thesis cover, (2) preliminary pages and (3) mandatory pages or in one merged document (2) + (3).
• Tutorial on how to merge documents in on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FYzP_kWq24

ChatGPT (GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a tool developed by OpenAI that is capable of producing human-like responses to prompts. This AI system is a large language model that has been trained on a dataset to interact with users conversationally. ChatGPT is part of the broader category of generative AI, a form of artificial intelligence that generates new content based on the data it has been trained on. The new content that is generated can be text, images, code, videos, etc.

The current version of ChatGPT bases its output on its training data of internet content up to and including 2021.

Lecturers are welcome and encouraged to test ChatGPT, which is presently available free of charge with registration. You can also test other comparable AI tools to evaluate their capabilities, such as determining whether they can respond to the assignments used in your courses or how they improve the readability and grammar of a paragraph. Experimentation is also valuable for determining the tool's limitations.

Please note that access to ChatGPT is on occasion unavailable due to high demand.

Large Language Models, such as ChatGPT, are trained to predict the next word in a sentence based on previously written text. Early attempts at addressing this task (such as the next-word prediction on a smartphone keyboard) were only coherent for a few words, but as the sentence progressed, these earlier systems rapidly deviated from the intended meaning. A significant innovation of models such as GPT is their ability to focus on words and phrases that were written much earlier in the text, allowing them to maintain context for much longer and, in a sense, recall the topic of conversation. This capability is accompanied by a training phase involving the examination of billions of pages of text. As a result, models such as ChatGPT and its underlying technology GPT-3 (and now GPT-4) are effective at predicting which words are most likely to follow one another in a sentence, resulting in text that is generally coherent.

Repetition of facts or quotations is one area where generative AI tools can experience difficulty. This means that models such as GPT-4 may generate claims that sound plausible but are, to an expert, manifestly false.

In a similar vein, ChatGPT appears to struggle when discussing events or concepts that have received relatively little attention in online discourse. To evaluate these restrictions, you could request that the system generate your biography. Unless there are numerous accurate biographies of you online, it is unlikely that ChatGPT will generate a completely accurate biography.

This is a preliminary inquiry that instructors may wish to contemplate. This issue has been extensively covered by mainstream media, and alternative perspectives are broadly available.

Given that online materials are used to train generative AI systems, it is conceivable that they will replicate online biases. OpenAI has devoted significant resources to addressing this issue, but it remains a risk for systems of this type. You may also wish to familiarize yourself with queries regarding how the technology was developed and trained (e.g., who trained it?), how we use the responses it provides, and the long-term effects of these technologies on the global community.

International Burch University is consulting with faculty and staff experts on these broader issues involving ChatGPT and other generative AI systems and invites debate and discussion on these topics.

Yes. Some instructors may desire to demonstrate how the technology can be utilized productively or its limitations.

Keep in mind that requesting or mandating that your students use these tools is complicated by the fact that the University has not evaluated their privacy or security. In general, the University discourages the use of such systems for instruction until we are confident that the system protects any personal information (such as the email address used to register on the system). If a version of GPT is incorporated into the Office365 suite, it may be incorporated into the software suite made available to students and faculty. However, until the University formally authorizes the use of specific generative AI software, these tools should be evaluated with the same prudence as other third-party applications that access personal information.

Before requiring or encouraging students to use this or other AI systems in your courses, there are several factors to consider:
Some students may be opposed to the use of AI tools. If AI is not a central component of the course, instructors should consider offering alternative forms of assessment for students who object to using the tools;

• Instructors should consider indicating on their course syllabi that artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used in the course and, if applicable, identifying restrictions on this usage about learning outcomes and assessments;
• Be aware that not everything generated by generative AI technology is accurate. You may want to experiment with ChatGPT to determine the types of errors it generates; citations are frequently fabricated, and incorrect prompts are sometimes accepted as fact;
• There is a possibility that ChatGPT may perpetuate biases implicit in the training material;
• ChatGPT has recently been overrun by users and unavailable for hours at a time. OpenAI may also modify its terms of service at any time. If you intend to use it 'live' in the classroom, you should have a backup plan.

Unless otherwise specified, the University expects students to complete their assignments independently, without assistance from outside sources.

Instructors are strongly encouraged to inform their students of any permitted tools for completing assessments. Written assignment instructions should specify the types of permitted resources; vague references to 'the internet' are typically insufficient in modern times. If adding a prohibition on AI tools to assignment instructions, it is preferable to prohibit the 'use of generative AI tools' rather than a specific tool, such as ChatGPT. There are numerous generative AI tools currently available.

We also encourage instructors to explicitly indicate whether the use of generative AI is acceptable or not in assignment instructions.

If an instructor indicates that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is not permitted on an assessment, and a student is subsequently found to have used such a tool on the assessment, the instructor should consider meeting with the student as the first step in a process under provisions of the Statute, Rule book on the disciplinary and material liability of students at International Burch University and Students' code of ethics of International Burch University.

Not allowed, allowed up to 10% and allowed for specific assignments

The general policy of our University is that every professor is free to decide if the use of AI-generated text is not appropriate for their course, and may choose not to allow its use at all. This decision may be based on concerns about the quality or accuracy of AI-generated content, or concerns about the potential impact on student learning outcomes. In that case, the professor is obliged to communicate his decision to course students.

On the other hand, professors may choose to allow the use of AI-generated text, but only up to 10 percent of the whole assignment. For example, they may allow students to use AI-generated summaries for up to 10% of their research papers or assignments. This decision may be based on a belief that AI-generated content can enhance the learning experience, but that it should be used in moderation. In this case, the professor will use available AI detectors and plagiarism tools for every assignment to check for possible misconduct.

In a limited number of cases, some professors may decide to allow the use of AI-generated text for specific tasks (e.i. in IT courses, EEE courses, etc) In these cases, students may be allowed to use AI-generated content beyond the 10% threshold, as long as it is relevant to the task at hand, it is referenced as such and does not compromise the integrity of the assessment.

If an instructor specifically stated that no outside assistance was permitted on an assignment, the University would normally consider the usage of ChatGPT and other comparable tools to be "unauthorized aid" under the Study rules for the first, second, and third cycle of Studies as well as Satute of University.

There are several AI detectors presently available, including GPTZero and OpenAI's AI Text Classifier. Despite the prevalence of such tools, it is essential to keep in mind that they may not have been thoroughly tested and that the technology to circumvent them continues to evolve. False negatives and false positives can be produced by the detectors, which are not infallible. The user may also be able to modify content to avoid detection. For these reasons, it is recommended that AI detection tools not be used as the sole determinant in academic misconduct allegations. There may also be privacy concerns regarding the uploading of student work to a third-party website without their consent. To avoid privacy concerns, instructors should not use these tools to evaluate student work that contains the student's name or any other personally identifiable information about the student or third parties. In certain circumstances, these types of detectors may be tested, but they should not form the basis of a decision.

If an instructor suspects that a student has completed an assignment or assessment through the unauthorized use of AI tools, they should proceed as they would with any prospective allegation of academic misconduct.

The university will provide lecturers with AI detectors and guidelines to regularly check, when in doubt if the provided assignment is done with the use of AI tools.

Students are prohibited from using any form of generative AI systems while writing their proposals and thesis. Any use will be treated as any prospective allegation of academic misconduct. Other than that, students will sign a declaration that confirms that the thesis is entirely their work and that a declaration contrary to the facts will have legal consequences.

Communicating with students about ChatGPT and its limitations will demonstrate that you have a thorough understanding of the technology, generate engaging discussion, and aid in establishing rules for students. Make it obvious to students, both verbally and in the assignment instructions, which tools may or may not be utilized to complete the assignment. Inform the students of the limitations of the technology and its propensity to produce inaccurate content.

If you choose not to allow the use of AI tools on your assignments, here are some suggestions for creating assignments that are difficult for generative AI systems to respond to:

• Ask students to respond to a specific reading, preferably one from the past year that is not available online or has not generated much discussion online. Generative systems struggle to generate accurate responses to queries for which there is little or no online information;
• Utilize a flipped classroom strategy or assign group work to be completed in class, with each member contributing;
• Request that students bring in a first draft of an assignment or the entire assignment. (Take into account the accessibility needs of students who may need accommodations.);
• Ask students in the class to explain or defend certain aspects of their work;
• Ask students to generate content using ChatGPT, and then evaluate GPT's response;
• Discuss ideas regarding your discipline with your peers. Various academic fields, including computer science, history, language studies, and visual studies, may be devising new pedagogical standards.

The University requests that student work not be submitted to any third-party software system for grading or other purposes unless the software has been approved by the University. An assignment that has been completed is the intellectual property (IP) of the student and should be handled with care.

There has been much conversation about how generative AI should be cited if its use is permitted in assignments and academic publications. The  American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA) and the Chicago Manual of Style have all provided recommendations in this area.