Dartmouth College’s provost stepped down after an investigation revealed hidden use of artificial intelligence in his published work. The case offers a clear example of why transparent AI policies matter in universities.

An independent committee organized by President Sian Leah Beilock concluded that Provost Santiago Schnell used AI to meaningfully alter his writing. This action broke at least one publication’s AI‑use disclosure rule and violated Dartmouth’s Code of Ethical Conduct, the Academic Honor Principle and the Geisel School’s professionalism policy.

The AI‑detection tool Pangram flagged at least 80 % of Schnell’s Washington Post editorial as AI‑generated. When the same tool examined nine of his professional publications, it classified 96 % of the text—including two mathematics papers—as produced by AI.

Schnell admitted that he used AI for writing assistance but said the tools never replaced his research or intellectual judgment. Students and faculty argued this still breached the campus honor code, and the committee noted that Schnell did not fully cooperate: he refused to share logs of his personal large‑language‑model accounts and did not make himself available for further discussion.

Citing respect for his colleagues and the institution, Schnell resigned as provost. History professor Matthew Delmont was named interim provost. The episode shows that undisclosed AI use can quickly damage a scholarly career and underscores the need for clear, enforced ethical guidelines in academia.