IECA seeks to be transparent and proactive in our approach to generative AI tools like ChatGPT. It’s not a question of whether or not members or students will use AI but how we can promote the ethical and effective use of these tools. Many critical questions remain unanswered: how will AI impact teaching and learning and the admissions landscape? Will generative AI usher in the end of the college essay? While the future landscape is uncertain, IECA will prioritize the ethical and appropriate use of AI that aligns with ethical standards, equity, and authentic learning.

Disclaimer: AI capabilities continually evolve alongside changing school and university policies, and thus our own considerations will also evolve. IECA’s ongoing discussions will benefit from diverse community input, and we invite you to get in touch with questions or comments.

Ethical and Appropriate Use of AI within IEC Practices

Appropriate Use

  • AI should support, but never replace guidance to students.
  • Maintain student data privacy and security. Do not include personally identifiable information in your use of any AI systems.
  • The use of recording tools (such as Zoom AI Companion, Fathom, and Otter) to make notes during client meetings should be fully disclosed in advance to everyone involved, including parents and students, with links to the company’s privacy policies and security assurances.

Ethical Integrity

  • Be transparent about your use of AI and explain wherever it supplements your services.
  • Address training data biases that risk invalidating diverse voices.
  • For each tool you use, review the Privacy Policies & Terms of Use. Things to look for:
    • How they use your data;
    • Whether you may include data from other people; and
    • What the company says is your responsibility (e.g., regarding disclosures to clients).

Education & Training

  • Learn how AI functions, differences in use, biases in training data, and algorithms that could disadvantage groups.
  • Learn which of your tools make use of AI; know what they do with the data they obtain.
  • Be mindful of biases in training data and algorithms that could disadvantage groups.
  • Develop the capacity to help train students on using AI or offer resources to help them.

Advocacy

  • Advocate for AI designed by diverse founders to benefit underserved students.
  • Advocate for ongoing equal access to AI tools for all students.
  • Advocate for AI tools designed and available for use by people with disabilities and those who speak languages other than English.
Counseling Students on the Ethical and Appropriate Use of AI

Appropriate Use

  • Ensure AI supports, not replaces, student creativity and the student’s voice.
  • Regularly review new guidelines from high schools and colleges on responsible AI use.
  • Help students learn how to effectively and appropriately use prompt engineering.

 Ethical Integrity

  • Encourage students to use AI ethically to complement their learning.
  • Advise students to properly cite any AI used to maintain academic integrity.

Education & Training

  • Help students understand AI capabilities and limitations.
  • Counsel students on AI content limitations and risks like bias, inaccuracy, and offensiveness.
  • Advise students on colleges’ use of AI in their application review, regulations, and policies.
Further Resources For Education & Training

Common Sense Education: Free Resources to Explore and Use ChatGPT and AI
UCLA Center for the Advancement of Teaching: Guidance for the Use of Generative AI
Oregon Department of Education: Resources for the Educational Use of Generative AI in K-12 Classrooms
Wharton School Interactive Crash Course: Practical AI for Instructors and Students
Teach AI Toolkit for Schools

Example Terms of Service

Otter Privacy Policy (Particularly see Section 8 Children)
Otter Terms of Service (Particularly see Sections 9.2 Voice Recordings and 18.4 Aggregated Data)
Open AI: How your data is used to improve model performance
Open AI Terms of Use (Particularly see 1 Registration and Access)
Zoom Terms of Use

By Julia Gooding, Ed.M., CEP, IECA (ME), One Sky Education; Bob Carlton, College MatchPoint, IECA (TX); Michele Evard, Evard Educational Consulting, IECA (MA)