AI Guidelines for Staff

Generative artificial intelligence (genAI) is becoming part of many of the technologies we use in our everyday lives and work. As these tools continue to evolve, staff members may be exploring AI, its possibilities and limitations, and considering how it may, or may not, fit into their work.

Using AI is not an expectation or requirement. Our goal is to provide opportunities for staff who are interested to explore these technologies, ask questions, and make informed decisions about their use.

Explore Swarthmore Supported AI Tools 

If you're curious about AI, we encourage you to start by exploring the AI tools available through the College. These tools provide a safer environment for experimentation and offer greater privacy and data protections than many freely available AI services.

You might experiment with AI to:

  • Brainstorm ideas or approaches to a project
  • Draft or revise non-sensitive communications
  • Summarize information
  • Organize ideas or create an outline
  • Explore different ways of presenting information
  • Learn about an unfamiliar topic
  • Generate images or other creative content
  • Explore how AI might support processes within your area

AI-generated information can be inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. Think of these tools as collaborators for exploration rather than authoritative sources, and always review and verify their output.

Talk About AI With Your Department

Individual experimentation is only one part of understanding AI. We also encourage departments and teams to talk together about whether, when, and how AI makes sense for their work.

Different offices have different responsibilities, workflows, professional standards, and relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni, applicants, and the broader Swarthmore campus community. What constitutes an appropriate use of AI in one area may not be appropriate in another.

Consider discussing questions such as:

  • Where, if anywhere, could AI be useful in our work?
  • Are there tasks where we would prefer not to use AI?
  • What work requires human judgment, expertise, or personal interaction?
  • What information should never be entered into an AI tool?
  • How will we review AI-generated content for accuracy, bias, accessibility, and appropriateness?
  • Are there professional or ethical standards specific to our area that should guide our use?
  • Would it be helpful for our department to establish shared expectations or guidelines?

Departments may decide that AI is useful for some activities and inappropriate for others. They may also decide that they are not ready to use AI at this time. The goal is not adoption for its own sake, but thoughtful consideration of where these technologies align with the work and values of your department.

Departmental Example of AI Guidance

For an example of how one Swarthmore office has approached these questions, see the Admissions Office's guidance on the use of artificial intelligence.

Use AI Responsibly

If you choose to use AI as part of your work, keep the College's guidelines for AI use in mind.

Protect College information. Do not enter confidential, sensitive, personally identifiable, or other protected College information into an AI service unless the College has approved the service and its use for that type of information.

  • Start with College-supported tools. They offer better privacy and data protections than many public AI tools.
  • Check the results. AI can make mistakes, miss context, or present incorrect information as fact.
  • Watch for bias. AI responses may reflect gaps or biases in the information the tool was trained on.
  • Be careful what you upload. Make sure you have permission to share documents, images, data, or other materials.
  • Use your judgment. AI can support your work, but it shouldn’t replace human expertise, creativity, relationships, or decision-making.

Read ITS’ Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence.

Start With Curiosity

You don't need to become an AI expert to begin understanding these technologies. Start small. Try a College-supported tool, attend a workshop, ask questions, or have a conversation with your colleagues about what you're seeing in your field.

You may discover useful applications. You may identify places where AI doesn't belong. Both are valuable outcomes.

As these technologies continue to evolve, the College will continue to provide opportunities for staff to learn, experiment, discuss, and make informed choices about AI.

Examples of administrative work that uses AI

AI for Professional Development 

Have Questions or Want to Explore AI With Your Team?

ITS and the Libraries can help staff and departments learn more about the AI tools available at Swarthmore, explore potential use cases, and think through privacy, security, accessibility, and other considerations.

Contact information

Swarthmore Libraries

Amanda Licastro (Digital Scholarship Librarian)

You can reach out to digitalscholarship@swarthmore.edu or find a area specialist on our website

Academic Technology

  • Jen Moore (Humanities)
  • Doug Willen (Social Sciences)
  • Andrew Ruether (Natural Sciences and Engineering)

Teaching & Learning Commons

If you’re interested in connecting with other faculty and staff interested in discussion of the impact of generative AI on teaching and learning, the TLC sponsors regular discussions on the subject as part of their Inquiry Group series. Invitations to join upcoming inquiry groups are sent out in the TLC newsletter, but feel free to contact us any time.