Success Story
How University of Michigan-Dearborn Prioritized Pedagogical Autonomy and Administrative Flexibility
The Challenge:
Seeking Administrative Flexibility
After 15 years with a legacy provider, UM-Dearborn found its academic needs evolving faster than its software’s rigid structure. The university’s faculty governance wanted to move at their own pace regarding Generative AI detection, but their existing vendor lacked the flexibility to customize these tools. The institution needed a partner that would provide options rather than mandates, allowing faculty to maintain autonomy over their specific classroom strategies.
The Solution:
Integration with Canvas LMS
By partnering with Copyleaks, UM-Dearborn transitioned to a flexible model that restored institutional control. The new system provided a simple “on/off” switch for AI detection, ensuring the technology aligned with campus policy rather than dictating it. Additionally, bundled pricing and refined reporting tools allowed the administration to manage its budget effectively while providing faculty with the high-quality data needed to support academic integrity.
Background
The University of Michigan-Dearborn is a regional, metropolitan campus located on the border of Detroit. Serving a highly diverse and multicultural student body, the institution focuses on providing accessible excellence to a high population of non-traditional and diverse learners. As part of the world-renowned University of Michigan system, the Dearborn campus maintains its own faculty governance and academic policies, overseen by the Digital Education department, which manages the Canvas LMS and all associated academic integrity and instructional technologies.
The Process
Led by Digital Education Director Chris Casey, the university selected Copyleaks through an RFP process focused on LMS integration, advanced filtering, and vendor transparency. Copyleaks emerged as the top choice due to its flexible philosophy; while other vendors mandated AI detection, Copyleaks provided a simple “on/off” switch that allowed the university to delay deployment until its internal policies were finalized. Additionally, Copyleaks’ bundled, predictable pricing model ensured the university could access a comprehensive feature set while remaining strictly within its fixed budget.
The Impact
By switching to Copyleaks, the University of Michigan-Dearborn reclaimed control over its academic integrity workflow. The institution moved from a policing model to a partnership model, where the technology serves the instructor’s specific classroom goals.
The transition provided immediate benefits in report clarity. Faculty gained the ability to exclude specific elements that previously caused confusion in reports, such as shared bibliographies. This refined the data provided to the university’s academic integrity board, ensuring that any misconduct cases were built on high-quality evidence rather than inflated similarity scores.
Furthermore, the implementation fostered a better relationship between the administration and faculty. The Digital Education team was able to provide the exact tool the faculty requested: a robust plagiarism detector that didn’t overreach into areas (like AI detection) before the campus was ready.
We felt like with our previous vendor, we were not in the driver’s seat of decisions. With Copyleaks, we were given the keys to make our own decisions. That’s what we want from a tech company: provide the options we need, but don’t force things on us.
Looking Forward
As the landscape of Generative AI evolves, UM-Dearborn continues to revisit its strategy. While they currently keep AI detection disabled for pedagogical reasons, the university is encouraged by Copyleaks’ recent innovations, such as AI Source Match. This feature aligns with the university’s requirement for source-based reporting, allowing them to treat AI matches with the same transparency as traditional plagiarism.
The partnership remains focused on balance: preparing students for an AI-integrated workforce while maintaining the highest standards of original thought. With Copyleaks, UM-Dearborn has a partner that evolves alongside their needs without compromising their institutional autonomy.