← All universities

United States

Stanford University

AI writing accusation — appeal guide

This guide uses Stanford's officially published policies. All policy URLs are from the official university domain. Nothing fabricated.

Appeal deadline: 20 business days from formal written notice

Official policy

Individual instructors set their own AI policies per course at Stanford. The Office of Community Standards recommends that instructors provide clear advance notice if they may use detection software. A revised Honor Code applies to cases filed after September 1, 2023.

Office of Community Standards (OCS) official page ↗

Who handles your case

Stanford's Office of Community Standards (OCS) manages Honor Code cases. Appeals are heard by a dedicated Appeal Panel.

Contact: Office of Community Standards — communitystandards@stanford.edu

How to appeal at Stanford

  1. 01

    Receive formal written notice of the decision from the OCS.

  2. 02

    File your appeal within 20 business days of that formal notice.

  3. 03

    The Appeal Panel has 5 members (3 students, 2 faculty/staff). No panelist from the original Hearing Panel may serve on appeal.

  4. 04

    You may submit a counter-response within 5 business days of the OCS official response.

  5. 05

    Your appeal must address one of: new evidence not available at the hearing, procedural error that substantially affected the outcome, or findings not supported by the evidence.

What Stanford says about AI detection tools

Stanford's OCS recommends that instructors give students advance notice if detection software will be used. The Teaching Commons has published guidance on technology tools and academic integrity.

If the university acknowledges limitations of AI detectors, cite this in your appeal.

Evidence to gather (works at every university)

  • 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.

Prevent this from happening again

Scripli records your writing session and issues a signed certificate before you submit. No detector can dispute a verified writing record.

Other universities