Doctor Nathan's Monthly Faculty Letter

December 2, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the end of the fall semester and the close of another year, I extend my sincere thanks for your exceptional work throughout 2025. I have enjoyed sharing our progress toward the university’s strategic goals in my monthly letters, and many of these accomplishments were reflected in a First Year, high-level update presented to the Board of Trustees last month. This report is available here.

In keeping with our strategic goals to modernize academic spaces, the Board approved several key projects, including a comprehensive evaluation of the Haley Center. This step represents an important milestone following 18 months of study by my office and Facilities Management, which examined structural conditions and mechanical systems in instructional spaces, accessibility, and campus-wide space utilization. Haley Center will remain in use throughout this evaluation period, and I will share further details as the project progresses.

As we look ahead to the spring semester, two updates may help guide your course syllabi. First, the Student Government Association approached my office earlier this fall with a request for faculty to include an optional Artificial Intelligence (AI) statement in their course syllabi. The intent of such a statement is to define faculty expectations regarding student use of AI tools. To support clear communication around the use of AI, the Provost’s Office worked closely with SGA to develop guidance with multiple options for course use. These statements help faculty convey expectations regarding AI and will contribute to a more transparent and better-informed learning experience. The SGA formally adopted the statement at its meeting yesterday, and I encourage you to consider incorporating this guidance into your spring syllabi.

Just as the optional AI statement helps clarify course expectations, the university’s updated Academic Integrity Policy strengthens the shared practices that support our academic environment. Taking effect on January 1, 2026, the revised policy expands the definition of misconduct to outline the values and expectations that guide learning at Auburn. While it continues to prohibit cheating and plagiarism, it now places greater emphasis on prevention, education, and ethical decision-making, including more explicit guidance on the use of emerging technologies such as generative AI. The policy also introduces more consistent processes for addressing potential violations. Faculty should anticipate updating their syllabus language to reflect the revised policy when it goes into effect.

Thank you for participating in the recent review of your course syllabi and materials for continued compliance with Alabama Code Sections 41-1-90 et seq. (formerly SB 129). As the next step in this ongoing process of institutional effectiveness, my office is finalizing a short training module, Instructional Awareness: SB-129 Essentials (working title), to help current and future faculty develop syllabi, discussions, and assessments. We are gathering input from faculty and academic leaders as we finalize this module to ensure it is clear, correct, practical, and responsive to faculty needs. We expect to launch it as a Canvas course module (which should take 5 minutes or less to complete) through the Biggio Center in the coming days, with a request that all faculty complete it by January 30, 2026.

As I mentioned in last month’s Senate meeting, I have also established a Faculty Academic Advisory Group that will serve as an important sounding board for institution-level academic matters, helping ensure broad faculty insight as we navigate evolving academic and instructional topics. With faculty representatives from every college, I look forward to bringing this group together in the coming weeks. Members of the group are listed here.

As we conclude the final week of classes and prepare for final exams, we also look forward to hosting our December commencement ceremonies next week. On December 13, we will award approximately 2,000 degrees, bringing our total graduates for the year to more than 8,500—a record for our campus.

Looking ahead to the new year, I remain optimistic about the opportunities before us and the work we will continue together to advance Auburn’s mission across our state and beyond. I wish each of you a restful and enjoyable holiday break with family and friends. Thank you for all you do for Auburn University.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday break,