The Florida Department of Education is proposing a rule that would require all 28 Florida College System institutions to adopt formal policies governing artificial intelligence use on campus. The proposal, expected to go before the State Board of Education on Sept. 16, would affect every state college in Florida, including several in Central Florida.
The rule would require each college's board of trustees to outline how AI may be used, its limitations, and which tools are approved. The stated goal is to protect academic integrity, support quality education, and help students learn to use AI responsibly as they prepare to enter the workforce.
What the proposed rule covers
Under the proposal, college policies would have to address academic integrity, course assignments, and grading. Students would not be allowed to use AI on graded assignments unless an instructor specifically permits it. The policies would apply to students, faculty, staff, administrators, and guests.
The proposal also calls for AI literacy standards to help students understand responsible use of the technology and build workforce skills. The Department of Education says the rule is not intended to ban AI, but to create consistent rules across Florida's college system.
How Central Florida colleges are responding
Some colleges have already started developing AI rules. Seminole State College has had an AI policy in place for more than a year, according to college President Georgia Lorenz.
"We established an AI task force, which continues to this day, and they developed a policy for the college," Lorenz said.
Lorenz said faculty members at Seminole State have taken part in professional development related to AI. "Faculty have been really invested in professional development around AI and have learned a lot," she said. "And I'm not going to say we're 100% foolproof or anything like that. This is a really dynamic situation, but we do have some of those guardrails in place already."
Lake-Sumter State College spokesperson Kevin Yurasek said in a statement that the college is still reviewing the proposed rule. "As an institution, we are in support of the responsible use of AI as an instructional tool for workforce readiness," Yurasek said. "In fact, several of our faculty have already implemented training into their courses that provide students with knowledge and experiences that prepare them to responsibly use AI once they enter the workforce."
For educators and administrators navigating these new requirements, resources like AI for Education and AI for Teachers offer practical guidance on responsible implementation.
K-12 rules in the works
The state has also been directing K-12 school districts to add AI rules to their internet safety guidelines. Under those guidelines, parents would have to be notified if AI tools are used in classrooms and would have the option to opt their child out. AI used in pre-K through fifth grade would face an additional review process.
Why this matters for education professionals
For faculty and administrators at Florida's state colleges, this rule will likely mean formalizing practices that many have already begun informally. The Sept. 16 board meeting will determine whether colleges must codify their AI policies, which will affect how instructors design assignments, how they evaluate student work, and how they prepare students for workplaces where AI tools are increasingly common.
Colleges that have not yet developed AI policies will need to move quickly once the rule is approved. Those that have, like Seminole State, may serve as a model for what consistent, workable guardrails look like in practice.
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