Work with AI

Protect private information: Never put confidential or restricted data, student grades, IDs, or sensitive institutional info into public AI tools. Treat it with the same privacy you would any official student record. Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, when used with your Clark account, is approved for use with Restricted Clark data. Click here to learn more about our data classification policies.

Always proofread the output: AI is great for drafting emails, agendas, or policy ideas, but it shouldn’t get the final word. Always read and edit to ensure it sounds like you and is actually correct.

Be honest about using it: If you use AI to write a big report, create meeting questions, or sort through data, just let your team know. Being open about it helps everyone learn how to use these tools responsibly.

Double-check the facts: AI tools can confidently make things up or guess wrong. Always verify dates, policy rules, and important facts against your university’s official documents before sharing them.

Use it for tedious chores: The best way for staff to use AI right now is for taking care of boring tasks. Let it summarize long meeting notes, compare different versions of documents, review content against a checklist or rubric that you’ve created, or start rough drafts so you can focus on more important work.

Recognize “hidden” AI tools: Remember that AI isn’t just ChatGPT. Everyday software you might already use—like Grammarly for editing or Otter.ai for transcription—uses the exact same kind of artificial intelligence. The same campus rules about privacy and data security apply to them, too.

Keep up with campus rules: University AI policies are changing fast. Keep an eye out for updates from ITS and Clark leadership to make sure the way you are using AI is still approved. If you’re unsure about anything AI, contact the Help Desk.

Useful Links

• Clark’s AI Policy
• Clark’s Data Security Policies

Clark is always adding new tools to our ecosystem, so please review our AI Tools page to see if we already have a tool that meets your needs.

To request an AI tool or project, start by submitting the University IT Request Form, which ensures your request is reviewed and aligned with institutional priorities. ITS and governance committees then evaluate requests for impact, feasibility, and fit with University goals.

AI tools especially require careful review to ensure they meet data protection standards and align with Clark’s AI and technology policies. This process supports responsible, transparent adoption of AI across the University.