Adapting the AI Ecological Education Policy Framework to the Canadian Context

The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence (hereafter referred to as AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini is fundamentally reshaping higher education, necessitating the development of comprehensive, equity-centred institutional policy frameworks. This study focuses on the quantitative and qualitative survey results from a larger mixed-methods study of faculty at a Canadian university, evaluating the applicability of AI Ecological Education Policy Framework, comprising Pedagogical, Governance, and Operational dimensions, to the Canadian context. The study reveals that while faculty recognize the potential of AI to enhance digital literacy and learning, significant concerns persist regarding academic integrity, equity, ethical governance, and the emotional labour associated with AI integration. Faculty responses highlight the need for policies that are not only adaptive and transparent but also attentive to relational and affective dynamics, such as trust, emotional well-being, and the preservation of authentic pedagogical relationships. Based on these findings, the paper proposes an expanded four-dimensional policy development framework that adds a Relational and Affective dimension, emphasizing the importance of emotional support, participatory governance, and affect-sensitive design.