Frequently-asked Questions

Check the Academic Technology Tools List for commonly used tools that are centrally supported and available to everyone across campus. 

Other campus units support general tools or tools specific to a particular graduate school.

• The Teaching and Learning Hub supports the Graduate School of Business
• GSE IT supports the Graduate School of Education
• SLS EdTEch Hub (SLS users only, login required) supports Stanford Law School
• Stanford Medicine EdTech supports the School of Medicine
• Technology and Digital Solutions support tools beyond educational technology for Stanford Medicine, including Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children’s Health
• University IT Services supports tools beyond educational technology across all Stanford organizations

There are many resources to support instructors in navigating AI in their teaching practice. 

• Generative AI Policy Guidelines from the Teaching Commons
• Artificial Intelligence Teaching Guide from the Teaching Commons
• Critical AI Literacy for Instructors self-paced Canvas resource from AI Meets Education at Stanford (AIMES)
• Library of Example learning objects from AIMES
• AI and Your Learning: A Guide for Students from AIMES
• AI Teaching Strategies from AIMES
• Consultation or workshop request from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)

Submit a technology review request to Learning Technologies and Spaces (LTS) if you or your department has identified a tool you would like to use within a course that you are teaching. LTS staff will vet the tool for safety, effectiveness, and desirability before pursuing a license on behalf of an instructor or department. An LTS representative will contact you within two business days to discuss your request. Depending on the time required to negotiate an agreement with a third-party company, the tool approval process may take at least a quarter, possibly even several quarters. Therefore, please make your request at least one full quarter before you will need to use the tool. Learn more about the review process and see the approval status of previously requested tools.

To access tools that are not typically used for educational or instructional purposes, and which are not currently supported by Stanford, submit a technology review request through University IT (UIT) or use HelpSU to inquire about institutional licensing.

For educational technology support, some graduate schools have dedicated units.

• Stanford Medicine: Educational Technology (EdTech) team provides Canvas support, recording spaces, and a team of expert content producers and designers.
• Graduate School of Business (GSB): Teaching and Learning Hub supports teaching and learning, including instructional technology, and maintains a list of tools available to Stanford GSB instructors.
• Stanford Law School (SLS): EdTech Hub provides educational technology support.

Educational technology support for all other academic units is generally supported by Learning Technologies & Spaces, which also helps maintain these pages on the Teaching Commons.

For general IT support, refer to IT Support by Unit. 

Stanford does not provide a single, university-wide plagiarism detection system to check student work for several reasons. See the Guidance on Technology Tools for Academic Integrity page for more details.

If you are in a specific situation with a compelling reason to use such tools, first contact the Office of Community Standards for the most up-to-date policy guidance. Then contact your department leaders to explore adopting these tools for specific use within your course, department, or program. Some departments, notably the Computer Science department, have already adopted tools to check the originality of student work in programming languages.

University Libraries provides access to iThenticate, which Stanford researchers may use to review research works, such as scholarly manuscripts and funding proposals, in which they are an author or co-author. iThenticate can detect AI-generated text. Do not use iThenticate to check student work and any work where you are not listed as author or co-author. 

First, direct your students to “cluster computers” in the Learning Hub or residence hall computer labs. These computers have a wide variety of software solutions installed. Students could also use the virtual desktop services, which have much of the same software as the cluster computers. Students don’t have to physically go to the cluster computers to access the software on them. For example, they could access Windows-only programs virtually from their personal Mac computers, and vice versa. If the program you require is not already available on the cluster computers or virtual desktops, then you can request that it be added.

Second, students can borrow laptops and other devices from The Hub @ Lathrop. Consult with the Hub staff to determine whether their devices can be deployed with the software you need.

Third, instructors can request to borrow iPads for students in their courses from the Center for Teaching and Learning’s iPads for Teaching and Learning program. Consult with CTL staff to determine if the iPads can be deployed with the software you need.

Students can borrow hardware and equipment at no cost from The Hub at Lathrop Library, such as laptops, iPads, video recorders, cameras, webcams, speakers, portable monitors, and so on. Students can also print posters, access 3D printers, find study spaces, use the computer lab, and get support for personal devices at The Hub.

Students can also borrow equipment at no cost from the Equipment Lending Library managed by Stanford Arts. The lending library generally has audio and media equipment to borrow.

Although they generally do not have equipment available for loan, there are many Stanford Makerspaces across campus where students can access a wide variety of tools and equipment.

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) administers the iPads for Teaching & Learning program, where instructors or their students can borrow iPads every quarter (renewable for up to one academic year) for course-related work. 

CTL also has some educational hardware and equipment available for short-term loan, such as the Catchbox tossable microphone and the Meeting Owl conference camera and microphone system. These are intended for short-term testing and evaluation only to help units decide whether to purchase them for their own use. 

All other equipment and hardware that instructors and staff, including TAs and other student employees, would require as part of their job duties, such as laptops, webcams, monitors, keyboards, and so on, are generally provided by your unit or department. Contact the IT, facilities, or operations teams within your department, school, or office for support.

Many registrar-managed classrooms have “voice-lift” technology built into rooms to amplify the volume of people’s voices. The Classroom Technology Support team can support you or offer other solutions. We recommend that you first contact this team to determine what options are available. 

If you are not in a registrar-managed classroom, contact the person in charge of requesting classrooms in your department or unit to find out where to get support or submit a Service Now support request.

If students require an academic accommodation for a hearing impairment or other disability, direct them to the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) Student Hub. There students can find important information about how to register with the OAE, accommodations, services, resources, and more. The Faculty & Staff section of the OAE website is a helpful resource for you as well.

If you or another Stanford employee requires an accommodation for a hearing impairment or other disability, contact your human resource manager and your supervisor within your department or unit.