Dear Dartmouth community,
In September, I asked an independent, faculty-led committee to review Provost Santiago Schnell’s use of AI in his academic publications and public writing. The committee has completed its work, and the report is available.
The committee concluded that “the Provost used AI to meaningfully alter his writing in violation of at least one publication’s AI use and/or disclosure requirement, failed to disclose his use of AI in clear violation of a national newspaper’s stated policy, was not forthcoming about his AI use, and fell short of the standards set forth by Dartmouth’s Code of Ethical Conduct, the Academic Honor Principle, and Geisel’s Policy on Expectations for Professionalism for Faculty, Non-Faculty Academics, and Staff.”
As I wrote previously to the Dartmouth community, I expect our senior leaders to hold themselves to the highest standards. Out of respect for his colleagues and the institution, Santiago has resigned as provost and is leaving the university. This was his decision. We remain grateful for his leadership and wish him well.
Each of us brings a different perspective on how and when to incorporate AI into our work and our lives. Moreover, keeping Dartmouth at the forefront of AI inevitably means leading through an environment that is fluid and fast-changing. That is why, as leaders, it is so critical that we model the transparency and human judgment that we expect from our students and scholars.
Matthew Delmont, the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History and Frank J. Guarini Associate Dean of Faculty for International and Interdisciplinary Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences, will serve as interim provost through June 2028. An expert in African American history and the civil rights movement, he is the author of six books, including Until the Last Gun is Silent and Half American, which received the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. Matt earned his PhD and MA from Brown University and his BA from Harvard University. I deeply appreciate his service to Dartmouth and am confident in the leadership he brings to this critical post.
Earlier this month, nearly 400 of you filled the Grand Ballroom at the Hanover Inn to discuss AI in higher education and grapple with difficult questions on the topic. Later this week, Dartmouth will host the AI at 70: What Must Remain Human? conference, marking 70 years since researchers at a summer workshop on our campus launched the field of artificial intelligence.
The conference will bring together thinkers who are excited about AI’s potential as well as those calling into question how the technology is used. This type of thoughtful conversation, dialogue, and debate is what Dartmouth’s community must foster as we establish shared AI norms and keep asking the hard questions together. This is what it means to lead in addressing the most important challenges of our time.
Sincerely,
Sian Leah Beilock
President