Turnitin

Anti-plagiarism software, Turnitin, is available to all full-time and part-time faculty members at Bay Path University, when using the Canvas Assignment feature or through the Student Engagement & Academic Resources Division. The software may be used as a teaching and learning tool for properly referencing sources or may be used for aiding in the detection of plagiarism. Faculty may choose to use this software in any manner they deem useful unless it violates this policy or the license agreement with Turnitin.

Under the license agreement, faculty:

1. are authorized to use Turnitin only in connection with classes offered in the Bay Path curriculum and only with Bay Path students. Faculty may not “rent, lease or provide access to or benefits from the Service to any other institution or individual;”

2. are prohibited from making statements that Bay Path is using Turnitin when the class is not registered with Turnitin. Even within a particular class using the service, “for purposes of fairness and equal application,” Turnitin “strongly recommends requiring student submission of all papers rather than…only of papers singled out by the instructor;”

3. are required to maintain the confidentiality of any passwords and will read and comply with the “Usage Policy” and “Privacy Pledge” sections of the Turnitin.com website;

4. agree to add the following statement to the syllabus of the class in which the software is used:
   
   “Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site;” and

5. will require students in any class in which Turnitin is used, whether the submission is by the faculty or the student, to include the following statement with each paper:
   
   “I submit that this paper is entirely my own work and agree that it may be submitted to Turnitin for the purpose of checking for plagiarism and further that it may be maintained on the Turnitin database in order to check for future plagiarism.”

​Students will be informed in the Bay Path University Catalog and the Student Guidebook that Bay Path University has this software and that faculty in individual classes may elect to use this software. Faculty members choosing to utilize Turnitin are encouraged to do so by enabling Turnitin for any individual assignment within the Canvas learning management system. The Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning (CITL) will administer the service and coordinate necessary training.

Turnitin’s AI Writing Detection

As generative AI continues to reshape higher education, many faculty are navigating new questions about how AI fits into teaching and learning. To support you in those conversations, Bay Path is piloting  Turnitin's AI Writing Detection within Canvas for Academic Year 2026-2027. This tool is intended to inform conversations—not determine misconduct. Like all AI detection technologies, Turnitin's AI Writing Detection is not perfect and may produce false positives. For that reason, the AI Writing Indicator should never be used as the sole basis for determining academic misconduct or assigning a penalty.

Instead, use the tool as an opportunity to engage students in conversations about their writing process, how they used AI (if at all), and your expectations for appropriate AI use in your course. These conversations can reinforce academic integrity while helping students develop responsible AI practices that will serve them well beyond the classroom.

Faculty play an important role in setting expectations. Whether you encourage AI for brainstorming and editing, limit its use for certain assignments, or prohibit it altogether, students benefit from clear, consistent guidance.