Worcester State AI Account Guidance

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Worcester State AI Account Guidance: Gemini and Copilot

This chart outlines how Worcester State employees are encouraged to use institutionally managed (.edu) versions of Gemini and Copilot. It reflects ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵ’s commitment to privacy, compliance, and secure use of generative AI tools in administrative and professional settings.

 #SectionDescription
1.PurposeEnsures all employees use .edu versions of Gemini and Copilot to protect institutional data and comply with university, state, and federal privacy standards.
2.ScopeApplies to all Worcester State employees, including faculty, staff, contractors, and student workers who use AI tools for university-related administrative or professional work. It does not apply to faculty use of AI in teaching or research.
3.Acceptable and Prohibited UseUse .edu accounts only for official ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵ activities such as communication, documentation, and data analysis. These limits apply only to administrative work. Faculty academic or scholarly use of AI tools for course or research purposes remains under faculty discretion. Personal or free accounts must not be used for any work involving confidential, student, or institutional information.
4.Required DisclosuresWhen AI tools are used to generate or assist in creating university materials, employees should identify the tool and confirm that it was accessed through a ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵ .edu account.
5.Limitations and RestrictionsAI tools may not be used through personal accounts for any task that includes institutional data, FERPA-protected records, or confidential communications.
6.Privacy and Data Handling .edu accounts operate under enterprise-level protections that prevent data from being used for model training or human review. Employees must review all AI-generated content for accuracy and avoid entering sensitive data into personal accounts.
7.Human Oversight and Final AuthorityAll AI-generated content should be reviewed by an employee before distribution or official use. AI outputs do not replace human judgment or approval.
8.Implementation and SupportTraining, FAQs, and setup instructions are available through the ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵ AI Portal and IT Help Desk. Employees may request assistance verifying that they are using their .edu accounts.
9.EnforcementMisuse of personal accounts for institutional work may result in retraining, access restrictions, or disciplinary action under existing university policy. Enforcement applies only to misuse involving institutional or administrative data and not to academic freedom in teaching or research.
10.Definitions
  • .edu account: A ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵ managed account under Google Workspace for Education or Microsoft 365 Education.
  • Personal account: Any non-·¬ÇÑÊÓƵ account not governed by institutional privacy or data-protection agreements.
11.Appendices and Related ResourcesSee  for activation guides, FAQs, and training materials on Gemini for Education and Copilot with Commercial Data Protection.
12.Review Cycle and Revision HistoryReviewed annually by the AI Steering Committee and IT Services to reflect changes in platform features, policies, and compliance requirements.

Key Takeaway: Always use your Worcester State .edu account when accessing Gemini or Copilot for any university-related task. Personal accounts must never be used for institutional data, student information, or official communications.

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