Public & transparency
Every other path on this site is for someone running AI. This one is for the people on the other side of it, students, families, faculty and staff as users, and the public. Trust isn't won with a policy binder; it's earned by being legible: telling people where AI touches their lives, what it can and can't decide, and how to question it.
We'll tell you where AI is involved
Where AI meaningfully shapes a decision that affects you — admissions, advising, aid, conduct, hiring — you have a right to know it's in the loop.
A person stays accountable
AI informs; people decide. Consequential decisions keep a named human who is responsible and answerable — not a system you can't question.
Some decisions are off-limits to automation
We name the bright lines — the high-stakes judgments AI may assist but never make on its own — and we hold them.
Your data is treated with dignity
We say what AI systems may touch, why, and the limits on use — governed by the same privacy and data policies that protect you elsewhere.
You can question and appeal
There's a clear way to ask how a decision was made, raise a concern, request human review, and — where possible — opt out.
We watch for disparate impact
AI that affects people is monitored for bias and unequal effects across groups, and we act on what we find.
A public AI transparency statement
The outward-facing companion to your internal governance, a short, honest document you publish. Adapt each section to your institution; the sample language is a starting point, not boilerplate to ship as-is.
Where we use AI
We use AI to help with: triaging support requests, flagging students who may benefit from outreach, drafting routine communications, and detecting security threats. In each case, AI assists staff — it does not decide on its own.
Where we don't — and won't
We do not let AI make final decisions on admissions, financial aid eligibility, academic standing, disciplinary outcomes, or hiring. A qualified person makes these calls and is accountable for them.
How decisions get made
Where AI flags or recommends, a staff member reviews the recommendation in context before any action affecting you is taken. AI output is one input among several, never the sole basis for a consequential decision.
Your data and AI
AI tools we adopt are governed by our existing privacy and data-classification policies. We do not allow sensitive student records to be used to train external commercial models, and we vet vendors before any institutional data is shared.
Your rights and recourse
You can ask how a decision involving AI was made, request that a person review it, and raise concerns with [office / contact]. Where a service is optional, you may opt out without penalty.
How we hold ourselves accountable
This statement is owned by [the AI governance body] and reviewed at least annually. We publish an update on how AI is used across the institution and what we changed in response to what we learned.
A transparency statement is a promise. Publish only what you can actually keep, then build the internal governance that makes it true. This template is a starting point; involve your own leadership, governance, privacy, and legal experts before publishing.