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AI writing accusation — appeal guide
This guide uses Harvard's officially published policies. All policy URLs are from the official university domain. Nothing fabricated.
Unless an instructor specifies otherwise, submitting AI-generated content as one's own is a violation at Harvard. Permitted uses require disclosure: students must document what tool was used, what prompts were provided, and how the output was integrated. All faculty are required to inform students of their course-specific AI policy.
Administrative Board (Ad Board) official page ↗Harvard College cases are handled by the Administrative Board (Ad Board), supported by the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct (OAISC).
Contact: Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct (OAISC) — oaisc@fas.harvard.edu
The Ad Board issues its decision in writing.
Students facing required withdrawal may appeal the outcome. Students receiving only probation have more limited appeal options — a 2025 FAS committee recommended restricting full appeals to withdrawal cases specifically. Check current Ad Board procedures for your situation.
Submit your written appeal to the Ad Board within the deadline specified in your decision letter.
Grounds: new evidence not available at the time of the hearing, procedural errors that affected the outcome, or disproportionate sanction.
Contact the OAISC for guidance on the process before submitting.
Harvard's Bok Center guidance to faculty acknowledges the limitations of AI detection tools and advises against treating them as definitive proof.
If the university acknowledges limitations of AI detectors, cite this in your appeal.
Google Docs version history
File → Version history → See version history. Screenshot the full timeline. Strongest evidence available.
Draft files and autosaves
Every saved version with timestamps is evidence. Check your Downloads, Desktop, and cloud storage.
Browser and device timestamps
File creation and modification timestamps from your OS.
Research notes and search history
Shows you engaged with the topic before writing.
Email or messages about the work
Discussions with classmates, tutors, or librarians about the subject matter.
Scripli records your writing session and issues a signed certificate before you submit. No detector can dispute a verified writing record.
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