AI and the Writing Center

Our Approach

• A Confidential, Judgment-Free Space
  Tutorials offer a supportive, non-evaluative space for learning. We view seeking tutoring as a genuine commitment to growth and respect students’ privacy, independence, and agency. It is our firm policy that information and drafts students share in tutorials are confidential.
• Guidance Around Academic Integrity
  We advise that you always check the syllabus or consult the instructor to see whether GAI use is allowed, how you’re meant to use it, and how to disclose it. We can help you make informed, responsible, and ethical decisions. Our practices are grounded in Metro State and Minnesota State policies, informed by insights from national research, and shaped by guidance across the main styles used at Metro: APA, MLA, and Chicago.

Tasks Tutors Can Help With

• Interpreting instructors’ expectations in syllabus policies and assignment instructions
• Highlighting institutionally approved tools such as Microsoft Copilot accessed via a Metro State account; be cautious about third-party tools because of privacy and data security concerns
• Using AI for brainstorming and planning; in other words, how to partner with the tools to get started, deepen your thinking, and clarify your arguments or analysis
• Developing strategies for identifying inaccurate and nonexistent or “hallucinated” sources—especially important as including nonexistent sources violates academic integrity
• Checking AI output for accuracy, relevance, bias, or alignment with assignment requirements
• Offering tips for crafting or revising prompts to generate better output
• Transparently citing GAI tools and how you employed them in the proper format for your field

Resources

Policies and Procedures

• Minnesota State Generative AI Guidance (2025; downloads as a PDF)
• Metro State AI Taskforce Report (2024; contact the Office of the Provost)

GenAI Basics and Tips

• Student Guide to AI Literacy – MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI (2024)
• Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2023)
• Writing Center at Elon University (2025)

Style Specific Citation Guidance

Most academic styles have moved from citing AI tools as sources to creating disclosure statements by the human author detailing the use of AI in developing the piece. AI tools that support basic functions such as grammar-checking in Word are not included in such disclosures.

APA

• APA Journals Policy on Generative AI: Additional guidance

MLA

• Beyond Citation: Describing AI Use in Your Work
• How do I cite generative AI in MLA style? (Updated and Revised)

Chicago Manual of Style (2024)

• Chicago Q&A: Citation, Documentation of Sources
• Cite text generated by AI in a footnote/endnote/parenthetical citation

CSE (2025)

• “Human authors must be accountable for all aspects of a manuscript, including the accuracy of the content that was created with the assistance of AI.” Disclose and detail usage of AI and machine learning tools. Use of Generative AI in the Work.

IEEE (2025)

• “The AI system used shall be identified, and specific sections of the article that use AI-generated content shall be identified and accompanied by a brief explanation regarding the level at which the AI system was used to generate the content.” ieee-ras.org/publications/guidelines-for-generative-ai-usage/