Artificial Intelligence (AI) and critical thinking

"Dr. Katrina Boone is leading a Generative AI Task Force.  We hope to share resources that provide guidelines for faculty in fall term, while we work towards official institution-level and instructional and student policies." (June 11, 2025, David Plotkin)

While policies and guidelines are being developed, CCC Library is compiling information shared by the College regarding AI. (Feel free to let us know what we've missed.) 

• What is the College doing to address Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
• "I am pleased to announce the formation of a new Task Force on Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), led by Associate Dean Dr. Katrina Boone, at Clackamas Community College. As generative AI tools—such as ChatGPT, DALL·E, and others—continue to evolve rapidly, they are reshaping the landscape of education, the workplace, and the broader society. This task force will help guide our understanding, preparation, and response to this technological transformation. The primary goals of the task force are to: This is a pivotal moment for education and the workforce. AI has the potential to support personalized learning, enhance productivity, and open new pathways for innovation—but it also raises important questions about academic integrity, skill development, equity, and the nature of human work.
  Katrina is contacting a number of stakeholders, with an initial focus on understanding existing work about generative AI and exploring connection and collaboration across campus.
  Thank you for your continued commitment to excellence and innovation at Clackamas." (June 11, 2025, David Plotkin)
  1. Examine the impact of generative AI on teaching, learning, and assessment in higher education
  2. Explore the implications for workforce readiness and training, including how we equip students for jobs increasingly affected by AI
  3. Support the development of guidelines and recommendations for the ethical, effective, and equitable integration of generative AI technologies at CCC
  4. Facilitate campus-wide dialogue and training among faculty, staff, students, and external partners about the opportunities and challenges posed by these tools
• Has the College endorsed a particular Generative AI detector to check student work?
• "CCC has not endorsed an AI detector, and currently we discourage the use of AI detectors. We recognize the commitment faculty bring to upholding rigorous and ethical academic standards. Your concerns are valid and reflect the deep care you have for students and the integrity of your discipline. However, the results of AI detectors are not reliable. They are inconsistent, leading to false positive results that can unfairly penalize students and damage student-instructor trust. For those who are intent on committing academic dishonesty, they can also be fooled into producing false negatives. Until we can collectively establish an approach that supports both our commitment to academic honesty and our responsibility to minimize unintended harm, we’re asking that these tools not be used to make academic integrity decisions." (June 11, 2025, David Plotkin)
• Guidance on Microsoft Copilot
• Many of you have begun exploring Microsoft’s Copilot tools, and I’d like to share some important guidance. There are two versions of Copilot, and it’s essential to understand the differences:
  1. Free Copilot (Chat) Works like a general chatbot (similar to ChatGPT).
     • Can be used for light, non-sensitive tasks such as brainstorming ideas, drafting rough outlines, or summarizing information you type or paste in.
     • Not connected to College files, email, or systems.
     • Important: This version should never be used with College data or any confidential/sensitive information. Its role is limited to general, low-risk use only.
  2. Paid Microsoft 365 Copilot
     • Built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
     • Securely works with your College files, emails, and Teams conversations (based on your permissions).
     • Designed to save time with work tasks such as drafting documents, summarizing meetings, or creating presentations.
     • Includes enterprise-level security built into Microsoft 365.
     • Currently in pilot at Clackamas and not yet available for general use.
  Why This Matters The free version can be helpful for quick, low-risk brainstorming, but it does not have the protections, controls, or features of the Microsoft 365 Copilot. To keep College information safe, its use should remain limited to non-sensitive, general tasks only. The enterprise version of Copilot is where we see real potential. Because it integrates securely with College files, email, and Teams (based on permissions), it can save significant time on tasks such as drafting documents, summarizing meetings, or creating presentations. However, broad use will only come after we’ve implemented key safeguards like Data Loss Prevention policies and sensitivity labeling. This ensures the tool is both secure and aligned with our governance standards before it becomes part of daily work.
  Learn More For updates and details on our Microsoft 365 Copilot deployment, please visit: Learn more about Microsoft 365 Copilot Deployment