Use of Generative AI in the Australian Engineering Curriculum – the academics’ perspective

CONTEXT The integration of Generative AI (GenAI) in higher education has become a pivotal area of discussion as institutions strive to balance innovation with academic integrity. While GenAI offers transformative potential for learning and assessment, its rapid adoption has highlighted challenges of ensuring consistent and ethical use across diverse disciplines. Existing research indicates that universities have struggled with the implementation of clear policies regarding GenAI.PURPOSE OR GOALThis study investigates academic perspectives of how GenAI is being addressed in engineering course outlines. The goal is to understand how the institutional policies on use of GenAI are being implemented, the consistency of messaging to students across the curriculum, and the students’ feedback academics are getting. Specifically, this paper seeks to assess the degree of coherence across institutions and identify the barriers to effective GenAI integration aligned with academic integrity and education outcomes.APPROACH OR METHODOLOGY/METHODS An autoethnographic qualitative survey was conducted with 12 engineering academic staff from ten Australian higher education institutions, exploring three themes: policy governance, template standardisation, and student feedback. Thematic analysis identified patterns, variations and insights in how GenAI is framed within course outlines and assessment tasks.ACTUAL OR ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES The study reveals significant variation in how GenAI is implemented across institutions, particularly in terms of governance structures and academic autonomy. Findings highlight inconsistencies in how GenAI is communicated to students and how academic staff are supported with training, and how they perceive their roles in enforcing GenAI guidelines. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS/SUMMARY The findings suggest that while GenAI is widely adopted across Australian engineering institutions, the absence of consistent and clear policies has led to confusion among students and variability in academic practices. The study underscores the need for a more standardised and transparent approach to GenAI integration, particularly in the context of course outlines and assessments. Recommendations include implementing consistently clearer frameworks for GenAI use, providing more structured support for staff, and aligning institutional policies with pedagogical practices.