Connecticut College AI and the Liberal Arts Symposium

The rise of generative AI has disrupted the "finished essay" as a proxy for critical thinking, creating a profound paradox: tools that mimic analysis threaten to hollow out the very processes they simulate. This session proposes a shift from "policing output" to "partnering in process." Moving beyond surveillance-based integrity models, we explore how to evolve the Honor Code into a proactive pedagogical contract. By emphasizing "Process-Oriented Pedagogy"—including the use of prompt logs, iterative drafting, and reflective AI-critique—we can restore the human element to the center of the curriculum. This session explores a "tiered transparency" model that allows for varying levels of AI integration, encouraging students to navigate the generative era with agency and intellectual honesty. Participants will leave with a framework to move their classrooms from a state of suspicion toward a "covenant of transparency" that preserves the core values of a liberal arts education.