T.R. ISTANBUL MEDENIYET UNIVERSITY
STUDENT'S COMMITMENT ON AI ETHICS AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
1. VISION AND PURPOSE
"Technology is progress only when governed by human values."
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are powerful tools that can assist me in my educational journey; however, they cannot replace my learning process, critical thinking skills, and intellectual effort. As a student of Istanbul Medeniyet University, I believe that my diploma is not just a piece of paper, but a genuine indication of my knowledge, effort, and character.
With this document, I commit that I will not compromise on digital honesty in my education and research processes, in line with the "Ethical Guide on the Use of Generative AI in Higher Education" (May 2024) published by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE/YÖK) and the ethical principles of our university.
2. FUNDAMENTAL STUDENT PRINCIPLES
I will adhere to the following 4 fundamental principles in the assignments, projects, theses, and exams I prepare throughout my education life:
- Learning Responsibility (Human-Centricity): I may use AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc.) as a "private tutor" or "assistant"; however, I cannot use them as a "subcontractor" to do my homework. The responsibility to acquire the course outcomes belongs to me; I do not delegate this mental process to an algorithm.
- Transparency and Declaration: If I received AI support in the works I prepared, I do not hide it. I explain which tool I used and for what purpose (finding ideas, language correction, etc.) at the end of my work or in the citation format specified by my professors.
- Accuracy and Verification: I am aware that AI systems may "hallucinate" (fabricate unreal information or non-existent sources). I do not include any information generated by AI in my work without verifying it from the original source. I accept that the responsibility for incorrect information belongs entirely to me.
- Data Privacy: I do not upload personal data of myself, my friends, or my professors; confidential course materials belonging to our university, or unpublished research data to open-source AI platforms with uncertain security.
3. LIMITS OF USE: DO'S AND DON'TS
In accordance with the IMU AI Office and CoHE guide, I determine my "red lines" in my academic work according to the following table:
| ✅ PERMITTED (Structural Support) |
❌ PROHIBITED (Ethical Violation / Plagiarism) |
| Ideation: Brainstorming, searching for topics, or developing a perspective. |
Ghost-writing: Having AI write all or part of the assignment, project, or thesis and submitting it as my own sentences. |
| Language Support: Correcting spelling and grammar errors in the text I wrote, making it more fluent. |
Copy-Paste: Using AI output directly without reading, editing, or questioning its accuracy. |
| Summarization: Summarizing complex articles or concepts to understand them better (Reading assistant). |
Fake Data (Synthetic Data): Generating results for a survey, experiment, or field study I did not conduct using AI and presenting it as "real data." |
| Code Checking: Getting support to detect errors (bugs) in the code I wrote. |
Exam Violation: Solving questions using AI in online or face-to-face exams. |
4. SPECIAL COMMITMENT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
(Covers Master's and Doctoral Students)
As a future academic candidate or expert researcher, I declare that:
- I will use AI only as an auxiliary tool in my thesis and publications,
- Intellectual processes such as forming the hypothesis of my thesis, interpreting data, discussion, and drawing conclusions will belong personally to me,
- As clearly prohibited in the CoHE guide, I will not present artificial intelligence as the "Author" of a study and I will not generate fake data (synthetic data) using AI instead of real participants; knowing that this constitutes the crime of "Data Fabrication."
5. CONCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE
In a manner worthy of Istanbul Medeniyet University's vision of a "Competent and Virtuous Individual";
I pledge on my honor that I will earn my diploma not as a product of artificial intelligence, but of my own effort and intelligence; and that I know that my behaviors contrary to the rules in this commitment will be subject to sanctions (grade cancellation, suspension, etc.) within the scope of the Student Disciplinary Regulation of Higher Education Institutions.
Date: ... / ... / 20...
Student No: ...........................................................
Name Surname: ...........................................................
Faculty / Institute: ...........................................................
Department / Program: ...........................................................
Signature:
© Istanbul Medeniyet University | Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation Office