Northwestern Professors Adapt Curricula Over AI Cheating

Faculty are moving toward in-person testing and tracking essay history to maintain academic integrity.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Homework

Northwestern Professors Adapt Curricula Over AI Cheating

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Should universities permit students to use AI tools to complete their homework and exam assignments?

Northwestern University professors are revising exam policies and course requirements to address the rise of AI-assisted academic dishonesty. These changes follow reports of students using large language models to complete coursework and take-home examinations.

Why it matters

Instructors are implementing these shifts to ensure students are actually learning the course material rather than utilizing artificial intelligence to generate finished products.

At Brown University, 40 of 86 students earned perfect marks on a midterm before average scores fell to 48% on a follow-up in-person exam. This 20% decrease from historical final exam averages highlights the discrepancy between remote and in-person performance.

The players

Northwestern University

A private research university in Evanston where professors are currently adapting coursework to counter AI-based cheating.

Brown University

An Ivy League research university that became the site of a notable academic scandal involving students using AI on take-home exams.

Roberto Serrano

A professor at Brown University who identified issues with midterm performance that sparked discussions on AI usage in grading.

The details

Professors are now requiring students to submit AI usage disclaimers and share Google Doc version histories to verify that assignments are original work. Some departments have also transitioned to mandatory in-person or on-paper testing for upper-level courses to mitigate remote academic dishonesty.

In March 2026, a Brown University professor administered a take-home midterm exam.
During the Spring 2026 semester, an AI cheating scandal occurred at Brown University.

Culture Shift

The shift toward in-person testing marks a retreat from the digital-first habits adopted during the pandemic era. These changes reflect a broader cultural pushback against generative AI tools that threaten traditional academic evaluation standards.

Students at Evanston-based institutions should anticipate more in-person testing requirements and stricter documentation for homework assignments. These changes aim to preserve the value of a degree by ensuring coursework reflects a student's own intellectual effort.

The takeaway

Maintaining personal integrity in coursework remains essential as universities aggressively update their academic policies. Students should prioritize developing original analytical skills to thrive in an environment where AI usage is increasingly monitored.