Professor Faced Criticism Over AI Policy Use
A former Connecticut chancellor drew scrutiny after catching students using AI despite his own reliance on the technology.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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On September 2, 2026, former Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) chancellor Terrence Cheng posted a video claiming he caught 6 students using artificial intelligence. This action sparked backlash regarding the professor's own use of AI in a massive report produced while serving as a board advisor.
Why it matters
The controversy highlights the tension between academic standards for students and the professional adoption of AI tools by faculty. It underscores the lack of standardized guidance as institutions struggle to reconcile widespread AI utility with traditional integrity policies.
The best practices report released in June 2026 spanned 2,007 pages. Analysis estimates that over 95% of the text was generated using artificial intelligence tools.
The players
Terrence Cheng
He is a professor at Western and the former chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system.
Natalie Braswell
She serves as the interim chancellor for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.
The details
Terrence Cheng, who resigned as CSCU chancellor in April 2025, faced scrutiny after revealing he caught students using AI in his classes at Western. While he utilized AI to synthesize large volumes of data for a recent report, he maintained a stance that led him to block an investigative team on TikTok after they questioned his classroom policies.
Timeline
Terrence Cheng resigned as CSCU chancellor in April 2025.
A 2007-page report on best practices was released in June 2026.
Cheng posted a TikTok video regarding student AI use on September 2, 2026.
The Tech Race
The controversy highlights the challenges institutions face as they pivot from legacy academic standards to an era dominated by generative AI. It mirrors a broader industry-wide transition where professional workflows are evolving faster than formal institutional guidelines can adapt.
Students at Western currently navigate a fragmented environment where each professor sets individual rules for AI use. This lack of uniformity may lead to unpredictable academic consequences depending on which specific classroom guidelines a student is expected to follow.
The takeaway
Faculty and students alike must navigate a landscape where AI tools are integrated into professional work but remain restricted in the classroom. Establishing clear, consistent transparency expectations is essential for maintaining trust in academic environments.
Further reading
For more context on how schools are managing new technologies, explore the Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WFSB.
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Should university professors face the same AI usage restrictions that they impose on their own students?
