University of South Florida Plagiarism and AI Policy
Last verified October 24, 2026 · AI-assisted research and drafting · Maintained by Plagiarism Checker Online, operated by Markus Nick
The short answer: According to the published guidance checked October 24, 2026: University guidance leaves coursework AI use to the instructor and requires students to follow course-specific rules. It encourages disclosure when possible and appropriate, especially for allowed student submissions, and warns against presenting AI work as one's own. Users remain responsible for checking facts and citations.
Key facts, with sources
| Topic | What the school publishes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School | Public, four-year institution in Tampa, FL | Source |
| Official policy | Academic integrity policy | Source |
| Plagiarism definition | Graduate Studies describes plagiarism as deliberately or carelessly presenting another person's work as one's own. Its examples include unacknowledged wording or ideas and unauthentic collaborative submissions; quotations and paraphrases both need attribution. | Source |
| Generative AI | Instructor decides. University guidance leaves coursework AI use to the instructor and requires students to follow course-specific rules. It encourages disclosure when possible and appropriate, especially for allowed student submissions, and warns against presenting AI work as one's own. Users remain responsible for checking facts and citations. | Source |
| Sanctions | Published options, not a mandatory sequence or an individual outcome; see the linked policy. | Source |
| Appeals | The Graduate Studies appeal page says a student may appeal the instructor's finding once the initial violation has been documented and fairly discussed. It points to the Academic Grievance Procedure and Regulation USF3.027. No filing deadline is supplied by this short page; use the applicable current regulation and decision notice rather than infer a time limit. | Source |
| Earlier coursework | The Graduate Studies violations page covers repeated submission of the same or substantially the same work, including earlier work at another institution. Reuse requires prior permission, with written permission from all instructors for work submitted in multiple courses. | Source |
| Course materials and AI | USF guidance requires the instructor's express, prior written permission to use their course materials in a publicly accessible custom chatbot. This is a separate question from permission to use AI on an assignment. | Source |
| Academic evidence standards | USF's university guidance makes users responsible for the validity and accuracy of AI-generated content and calls for fact checking and source acknowledgment. Misrepresenting generated work as one's own conflicts with its academic principles. | Source |
| Summary scope | Independent AI-assisted summary, not affiliated with USF. University-wide AI guidance is separated from the Graduate Studies plagiarism, sanctions and appeal pages. Graduate sanctions and FF consequences are not presented as the undergraduate schedule. This is not a complete procedural guide or prediction. | Source |
Published outcomes and review levels
These are the published options or review limits below, not a predicted outcome or an automatic sequence. Follow the linked policy for the applicable process.
- Graduate academic and educational options. The Graduate Studies page lists additional work, reduced assignment or course grades, reprimands, educational remediation, restorative acts and probation, depending on seriousness.
- Serious graduate sanctions. It also lists suspension, dismissal, expulsion and possible degree or Graduate Certificate revocation after investigation. Its FF-grade warning applies to Graduate Studies courses. This graduate list is not a guaranteed progression or a verified undergraduate schedule.
What students at University of South Florida should know
USF students should distinguish university-wide AI guidance from the graduate academic-integrity pages summarized here. The AI guidance makes coursework use an instructor decision. It also emphasizes checking generated information, acknowledging sources and being transparent about permitted use when possible and appropriate. That is not a blanket authorization for every class, nor does it establish one mandatory disclosure format for every assignment. Ask your instructor about the actual task, including whether brainstorming, rewriting or citation assistance is allowed. A separate rule concerns course materials: do not put an instructor's notes or presentations into a publicly accessible custom chatbot without the required prior written permission. For graduate students, the violations page describes both intentional and careless plagiarism and requires acknowledgment when paraphrasing as well as quoting. Earlier work is not automatically reusable simply because you wrote it; the page specifies prior permission for repeat submissions. Its sanctions page lists outcomes depending on seriousness and gives a specific warning about FF grades in Graduate Studies courses. Do not apply that graduate list as though it were a verified undergraduate sanction schedule. If a graduate allegation is documented and discussed with the instructor, the appeal page points to the Academic Grievance Procedure and USF3.027. That short page does not itself give a filing deadline. Check the applicable regulation and your notice promptly, preserving the syllabus, drafts, source notes and relevant communications.
Frequently asked questions
No blanket course permission follows from the university guidance. Instructors decide coursework use and students must follow course-specific policies. Check the assignment rules and verify any generated content you use.
The university guidance requires the instructor's express, prior written permission for using their course materials in publicly accessible custom chatbots. Course materials include notes and presentations.
No. The cited sanction list comes from Graduate Studies and contains graduate-specific FF consequences. This summary does not verify an equivalent undergraduate schedule. Follow the regulation and notice applicable to your case.
Every row links to its source. Independent summary, not affiliated with University of South Florida. Found a mistake? Report a correction.
For background, read the overview of university AI policies.
Next step for most readers: our article on AI writing in academic papers.
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