The development and spread of the computational tools gathered by the term “Artificial Intelligence” call us to rely more than ever on the liberal arts--on the multidisciplinary human communities that can help us consider together our relationship to informational technologies.
The relationship of the liberal arts to AI needs to move beyond a dynamic of response (as in, how does the Philosophy Department respond to the development of AI tools?) to a continuing assertion of the centrality of liberal arts knowledge. As AI tools proliferate and humans seek to understand them, what insights can philosophy offer us? And anthropology, chemistry, French, history, theater, and all of our disciplines--not only on their own but together as the liberal arts?
The Center for Teaching and Learning works to support instructors at Grinnell in the many ways they may decide to approach AI tools in their courses: changing assignments or grading methods in response to AI, formulating class policies about AI, assigning readings or activities in the mode of Critical AI studies, working with students to understand the new complementarities between human and computational work, and more. Grinnell’s instructors have a good deal of autonomy in making these decisions, either individually or collectively, as in the example of the Department of Art History’s AI Policy.
One important restriction on our use of AI tools is that restricted data, including information identifiable as connected to an individual student, should not be shared with any AI tool outside of the Copilot that is part of the College’s Microsoft 365 environment, as explained in the College’s page on AI in the Grinnell Context.
Other resources available to Grinnell instructors include the Libraries’ LibGuide on Generative AI, which contains the reading list on AI that President Harris shared as part of the 2026 Grinnell Colloquium session on Generative AI, as well as the CTL library’s selected volumes about AI and specifically about Critical AI and AI ethics.
Many instructors’ concerns about AI revolve around academic honesty, in that we seek ways to express the importance of the learning process--the training of the mind that comes from experiencing the challenges, repetitions, and pacing that durable learning requires. The College’s policy statement on Honesty in Academic Work addresses AI (especially in the FAQ section) but mainly refers students to course policies. In constructing such policies, instructors may benefit from Lance Eaton’s repository of AI syllabus policies, along with Eaton’s explanation of the project.
Eaton’s project exemplifies the benefits of cross-institutional sharing of insights and resources. We also recommend Carleton College’s site on Teaching with (or without) AI, the University of Virginia Teaching Hub’s gallery of resources on Generative AI in Teaching and Learning, and statements on AI from academic disciplines such as those from The American Historical Association or The Modern Language Association.
At Grinnell, the staff of the CTL is eager to consult with faculty and staff as they approach AI in teaching and learning.