Generative AI at Syracuse University

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Claude by Anthropic have redefined what it means to work, study, teach and create. These tools generate new content based on existing data from the internet or other databases, including user or University data in certain applications.

Generative AI requires human input, editing and evaluation. It is our responsibility to review and revise AI-generated content to ensure its accuracy and make it our own.

Information Technology Services has compiled a quick guide to generative AI and will continue to add resources to this hub as the field evolves.

Tools for Faculty, Staff and Students

ITS is excited to help you incorporate generative AI into your day-to-day.

Microsoft Copilot is now powered by OpenAI’s latest GPT-5 model (the same model that powers ChatGPT). Visit m365.cloud.microsoft/chat and log in with your University email address and password to start exploring.
Google Gemini (gemini.google.com) also is available, including access to Google’s 2.5 Pro Model featuring guided learning, a canvas editor and image generation. Use your netid@g.syr.edu credentials when logging in.

Guidelines

Syracuse University has developed the following guidelines to ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI technologies by students, faculty, staff and vendors.

Approved Tools for Use with University Data

Per University guidelines, users should only enter University data after logging in with their University credentials (NetID and password except where noted) to the following tools and platforms, which meet Syracuse University’s security and compliance standards:

Microsoft Copilot Work or Web
Google Gemini (log in with g.syr.edu account)
Open AI ChatGPT Teams
Anthropic Claude Team
Adobe Firefly
Gradescope
Blackboard’s AI
IBL mentorAI

University community members should not use University data when working in any other AI tools.

Ways to Get Started

Generative AI has the power to shorten the gap between idea and draft. It also can streamline processes to create more time for big-picture thinking. You can get started using generative AI by:

Generating first drafts of written content such as emails, reports, etc.
Creating images for presentations, web content, storyboards and social media
Summarizing an online meeting (e.g., using the licensed version of Copilot within Microsoft Teams), including key takeaways and next steps
Synthesizing information from webpages, PDFs, and other documents
Searching the internet or enterprise data to answer specific, well-defined questions

Prompting Tips: Getting Better Results

Part of getting better answers is asking better questions. When prompting or querying an AI tool, the more parameters you provide—format, tone, style, intended audience, etc.—the better your results will be. If the first result does not meet your needs, you can refine your prompt.

For example, users of the University’s Copilot Work tenant can take advantage of the app’s integration with other Microsoft apps and University data. Instead of asking, “Please write an email reminding Otto about next week’s alumni event,” you could say, “Please write a short, informal email to Otto that provides the time, location, and expected attendees for next week’s alumni event.”

You also can specify the length and format of the finished product. You can ask for a written response to a complex question in less than 75 words or you can ask the tool to summarize a paragraph in table format.

If you need a visual for a presentation, you can use a tool like ChatGPT to quickly generate, iterate and revise new images based on your imagination—not necessarily your artistic ability.

Example Prompts

Weak: “Tell me about information security.”

Stronger: “Describe why information security is important for an audience of college students.”

Even Stronger: “You’re giving a presentation to college students. Please provide five bullet points under the heading ‘Information Security Tips.’ Keep each bullet point to 15 words or less.”