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Which Model Do I Pick? 

By Shannon Glennon, AI Technology Transformation Specialist, Syracuse University ITS 

Between late September and early October, Claude got three upgrades: Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Claude Haiku 5.5. All three are smarter and faster than the versions they replace. That leaves one question every time you open a new chat: which one should you use? 

Here’s the short answer. Opus 5.5 handles complex work and everyday tasks. Sonnet 5.5 is the efficient pick for simpler tasks. Haiku 5.5 is the fastest for quick answers. 

 

Opus 5.5: Your all-around pick 

Released Sept. 22 

Opus 5.5 is the most capable model in the new 5.5 lineup, and it’s built to handle almost anything. It shines on work that takes careful thinking over many steps: pulling together a report from several sources, analyzing a big stack of files, planning a complex project or running a longer task in Cowork. It’s also a solid choice for everyday writing, summarizing and brainstorming. 

Sonnet 5.5: Efficient and quick 

Released Sept. 28 

Sonnet 5.5 is the efficient choice for simpler tasks. Use it to draft an email, clean up meeting notes, rework a paragraph or answer a straightforward question. It’s more than 30 percent faster than the last Sonnet and goes easier on your usage limit, so it’s a smart pick when you don’t need Opus-level depth. 

Haiku 5.5: Fastest for quick answers 

Released Oct. 7 

Haiku 5.5 is Anthropic’s fastest model yet. It’s made for short, simple requests where speed matters most: a quick fact check, a subject line for an email, a one-sentence summary or a fast rewrite. It’s also a big step up from the previous Haiku, so “small” no longer means “basic.” 

How to switch 

 

Click the model name in the bottom-right corner of the chat box to open the model menu, then pick Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5 or Haiku 5.5. It works best to choose your model when you start a new chat, so take a second to match the model to the task before you type your first prompt. 

8 Cybersecurity Tips for Using Claude 

By Shannon Glennon, AI Technology Transformation Specialist, Syracuse University ITS 

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a yearly reminder to build the small habits that keep your accounts and information safe. It’s a good time to talk about Claude, because it does more than answer questions now. It can connect to your email and files, browse websites and work in folders on your computer. That’s why these habits are worth a refresh. 

  1. Sign in with your NetID

Use your Syracuse University NetID and password every time you open Claude. That keeps your chats under the University’s agreement with Anthropic, which prohibits training the model with your data. A personal or free account doesn’t get that protection, so keep University work out of those. 

  1. Share only what the task needs

In Cowork, point Claude at a single folder instead of everything, since it can edit and delete whatever it can see. Anthropic’s Cowork safety guide has more tips. 

  1. Know how your data is handled

The University’s AI data and privacy page explains how Claude treats your information. The Claude FAQ covers topics like who owns what you put in and what Claude creates. 

  1. Stick to approved tools

The ITS AI guidelines list the tools approved for University data. If you add plugins or extensions to Claude, choose verified ones and review the permissions they ask for first. 

  1. Watch out for AI-driven phishing and deepfakes

Scammers use AI to copy writing styles, voices and faces, so a polished message isn’t automatically a safe one. Pasting a screenshot of a suspicious email into Claude is a quick way to spot warning signs if you are unsure. 

  1. Double check Claude’s work

Claude can sound confident even when it’s wrong. Verify before you share anything. 

  1. Protect your NetID

Your NetID unlocks Claude and your other University accounts, so keep the password strong and unique and keep multifactor authentication set up. You can manage your methods on the ITS MFA page. 

  1. Keep your software updated

Update your operating system, web browser and the Claude desktop app regularly. Updates patch the security flaws attackers look for. 

AI Insights for October 13, 2026

This message was originally shared to subscribers October 13, 2026.

Upcoming Events

When AI can do it, should it? Join us for AI at Work on Nov. 18 from 2 to 3 p.m., where Pun To “Doug” Yung, a Meredith Professor Faculty Fellow in biomedical and chemical engineering, applies virtue ethics to everyday AI choices. Register today.

Want to get more out of Claude? The Claude 101 series continues with three live sessions on Microsoft Teams, 1 to 2 p.m. on Oct. 22, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17. Register for one or all

This Issue’s Tip:3 Ways to Level Up Claude Cowork

You’ve set up Claude Cowork and handed off your first task. Now put it to work. In part two of our series, Shannon Glennon walks through three quick upgrades: global instructions Cowork follows on every task, plugin shortcuts in the slash menu and a scheduled task that has your Monday meeting prep ready before you sit down. Read 3 Ways to Level Up Your Claude Cowork and try one today.

News and Views

In Summary

Higher ed is already using AI, so the question is how safely. Half of security leaders rank protecting AI as their biggest gap, and OpenAI says its agents may have accessed systems at more than 100 organizations. Meanwhile, Dartmouth now authorizes an AI detector, UChicago is building AI-free spaces and EDUCAUSE urges stronger data governance and cybersecurity.

Academia and Higher Education

Industry Leaders

  • I Quit OpenAI Because Its Culture Is Broken (The Atlantic)
  • Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Decision to Pull the Trigger on Meta’s A.I. Agent (The New York Times)
  • Sam Altman to Decoded: ‘The World Should Accept Some Bad Things Happening’ for the Benefits of AI (Politico)

Policy, Law and Government

  • Florida Attorney General Seeks Temporary Injunction Against OpenAI Over AI Safety Risks (The Washington Times)
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom Bans AI ‘Robo Bosses’ in Landmark State Law, Reversing His Earlier Veto (CNBC)
  • Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence (The White House)
  • Trump Launches America.gov, AI-Powered Government Services Hub (The Hill)
  • Trump Admin Freezes Green Cards at Major Tech Firms, Probes Student Exchange Visas (Time)

Safety, Security and Governance

  • What the C-Suite Needs to Know About AI Governance (CIO Dive)
  • Visa Joins Growing Alarm Over AI-Powered Risks (Reuters)
  • OpenAI Alerts 100+ Orgs That Its ‘Misaligned Models’ Attempted to Break in or Worse (The Register)
  • Scoop: AI Companies Plot “The Day After” (Axios)

Strategy and Leadership

Workforce and Jobs

  • AI Agents Are About to Flood the Workforce. No One’s Ready for It (Wired)
  • The Next Hurdle for AI Agents: Getting Websites to Let Them in (TechCrunch)
  • AI Adoption May Be Hampering Future Organizational Growth (HR Dive)
  • Agentic AI Is Exposing The Process Behind The Process (Forbes)

Access to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and other paywalled content is available to all students, faculty and staff with a valid Syracuse University NetID. Learn more.

Questions?

Email the AI Team at aihelp@syr.edu or book a session. In addition to emailing the team with your questions and ideas, you can check out a wide variety of resources and tutorials at ai.syracuse.edu.

If you received this email as a forward from a helpful colleague, you can subscribe online.

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

Use Claude Inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint 

By Shannon Glennon, AI Technology Transformation Specialist, Syracuse University ITS 

If you’ve ever copied text out of a Word document, pasted it into Claude and carried the answer back, there’s an easier way. Claude now works right inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint, so you can skip the copy and paste. It pairs well with the Microsoft 365 connector, which brings your email and files into the chat. This brings Claude into the file itself. 

  1. Find it on the Home tab

 

Claude is already in your Microsoft 365 apps, so there’s nothing to install. 

  • Open Word, Excel or PowerPoint 
  • Look at the far right end of the Home tab on the ribbon 
  • Select the Claude button to open the panel 
  • Sign in to Claude with your Netid and password 

It’s the same in all three apps. 

  1. Work on the file in front of you

Claude can see what’s open, so you don’t have to explain it. Select a paragraph in Word and ask Claude to tighten it. Highlight a range in Excel and ask what’s driving a trend. Ask Claude to restyle a slide in PowerPoint. 

When Claude makes changes, the panel on the right side tells you what it changed. You then choose whether to accept the edits, so nothing sticks unless you say so. 

 

  1. Let Claude work across apps

Claude can use one file to help with another, but the files need to be open at the same time. Open the Word document, Excel workbook and PowerPoint deck you want to use, then start from the app you want to change. Try one of these: 

  • In Word: “Using the budget numbers in my open Excel workbook, draft a one-page summary for my team.” 
  • In Excel: “Pull the figures mentioned in my open Word report into a table in this workbook.” 
  • In PowerPoint: “Use my open Word report to build a five-slide summary.” 

 

Try It Your Own Way 

Open a document you’re already working on and ask Claude to make one edit. You might be surprised how much time it saves. 

 

Orange Online: October 2026 Student Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all students via email on October 8, 2026.

Orange Online at a Glance

Pressed for time? We have you covered. Here are this edition’s topics:

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, remember that a familiar face, voice or email isn’t proof anymore. A recent Gartner survey found 41% of cybersecurity leaders had faced a deepfake incident on an employee audio call in the past year. Learn how to verify unusual requests in Don’t Fall for It: Staying Cyber-Safe in the Age of AI.

Music Mondays

Meet your next bandmate at Music Monday. Student musicians from across campus are invited to the ITS MakerSpace to connect, tour the music room and tracking room and find new collaborators. No instrument needed. Space is limited to 30 per session. Sign Up.

ITS Shorts

Campus tech, made quick. ITS Shorts are short videos that spotlight the tools and spaces available to you at Syracuse University, including the MakerSpace. Each one gives you a fast look at what a resource offers and how to get started. Watch Shorts.

External Email Tags Now Appear In Outlook

Emails from outside Syracuse University now display an External tag next to the sender’s name in Outlook. The tag doesn’t necessarily mean a message is malicious. Similarly, an email without a tag isn’t guaranteed to be safe. Be cautious with links and attachments, and report suspicious messages using Outlook’s Report Message button. Learn More.

Your Google Account Comes with Gemini

Your Syracuse University Google account comes with Gemini, and it does more than write. Point your phone camera at a dying plant and talk it through live. Share your screen and ask for help with a spreadsheet formula that won’t work while you’re looking right at it. Ask for a flyer and get one with the date spelled correctly. Start with whichever one makes you curious. Read Article.

AI Insights

Explore the latest in artificial intelligence with AI Insights, the newsletter for all things AI. Whether you’re looking to enhance your work with smart tools or simply stay informed, each issue brings you news from higher ed and the tech world and weekly AI tips. Newsletter. 

Tech Tips Weekly

Stay connected and ahead with Tech Tips Weekly—for quick, practical advice to make the most of campus technology. Each week, our newsletter delivers easy-to-follow how-tos, timely service updates and insider looks at the newest features, tools and resources. Subscribe. 

Helpful Resources

ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!