Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing our world, and Pepperdine IT is committed to being at the forefront of this technological shift for the University.
AI has the potential to have a transformative effect on teaching and learning, while
improving student outcomes, and making Pepperdine's administrative processes more
efficient and effective.
Google Gemini for Education offers Pepperdine students, faculty, and staff a powerful
AI assistant. Research information, summarize data, draft content, or create media.
Learn about Google Gemini
About Google Gemini for Education
Google Gemini is a helpful and creative tool powered by AI. It is an assistant that has learned
from a vast digital library of information, allowing it to understand your questions
and collaborate with you on various tasks.
It's designed to communicate in a natural, conversational way. You can use it to:
Get clear answers to complex questions.
Draft content like emails, event announcements, or social media posts.
Summarize complex information, like long articles, reports, or videos, to save you time.
Brainstorm ideas for a new project, an event, or a creative endeavor.
Create unique media based on a simple description of what you imagine.
Gemini is a tool to help make information more accessible, boost productivity, and
unlock new possibilities for creativity.
Using Google Gemini
To use Pepperdine's Google Gemini:
Verify you are logged into your Pepperdine Gmail account (not a Personal Google account)
Interact with Gemini through the Gemini App or NotebookLM (NotebookLM available after 09/15/2025)
Zoom AI Companion works with Pepperdine Zoom for Meetings to take meeting notes and
allow meeting attendees to ask questions about the meeting transcript.
Learn about Zoom AI Companion
Note: The following information applies to Pepperdine Zoom (zoom.pepperdine.edu) but does not apply to the Pepperdine Healthcare Zoom service.
About Pepperdine Zoom AI Companion
Zoom AI Companion is a smart assistant that works directly within Pepperdine Zoom. It uses AI to help
save meeting host time and improve collaboration by automating everyday tasks related
to your meetings or webinars.
You can use Zoom AI Companion to:
Catch up with meetings with AI-generated summaries of meetings you couldn't attend.
Stay on track by having the AI automatically identify action items and key takeaways from a discussion.
Find important information quickly with smart chapters and highlights in your meeting recordings.
Zoom AI Companion frees you up to focus on the conversation itself and is designed
to make your meetings more productive and your collaboration more effective, all within
the familiar Zoom environment.
What does "University-approved" mean in relation to AI tools?
While the landscape of generative AI tools is still developing, Pepperdine University's
leadership, including Executive Administration, General Counsel, and Information Technology,
has partnered to rigorously evaluate tools that can be used by all faculty, staff,
and students for all University academic and business purposes. University leadership
has allowed only Pepperdine Google Gemini and Pepperdine Zoom AI Companion as official tools for authorized University data. Please refer to the Google Workspace Storage Policy to learn about the classification of data appropriate for use in Pepperdine Google
Gemini or Pepperdine Zoom.
Note: University data is not authorized for any personal accounts. Be mindful of the
account you are logged into!
What data am I allowed to use in Pepperdine Gemini?
Because Google Gemini has joined Google Workspace for Education as a core service,
it follows the same privacy protections as our existing Google environment and tools.
Google also will not use University data to train any large language models (LLMs).
If using Pepperdine's Google Workspace, you may use Public data (no restrictions)
and Confidential data (password-protected and only shared with authorized parties), but never use
RESTRICTED data in any Google Workspace tool, including Gemini. Please refer to the
University's Information Classification and Protection Policy, Google Storage Policy, and Google Security Standards for more information about data classification and permissible Google Workspace data.
Am I required to do anything to gain access to these tools?
Pepperdine Google Gemini
Google Gemini is available to Pepperdine community members. Training and support were launched
on September 15, 2025. Simply log in to your Pepperdine Google account and go to gemini.google.com.
The NotebookLM feature was released to the community on September 15, 2025.
Pepperdine Zoom AI Companion
Starting September 15, 2025, Zoom AI Companion features were enabled for Pepperdine University students, faculty, and staff using
the central University Zoom service. If you have not already done so, please sign
in to zoom.pepperdine.edu to create your Pepperdine Zoom account. After September 15, users logged in with
their official Pepperdine Zoom account will find the optional features. All features
are opt-in, so visit Pepperdine Zoom, sign in, go to Settings, and enable the desired
features.
Users of Digital Campus Zoom will contact 2U Support for any questions or support
with the Digital Campus (2U) Zoom service.
Am I required to use these tools? (What if I am not ready?)
No. While these tools will be made available to all faculty, staff, and students,
their use is purely optional and at the discretion of each individual. The tools will
remain available when you're ready to use them.
What is the benefit of using my Pepperdine Google Gemini license instead of a personal
license?
Use of Google Gemini (i.e., the Gemini App) and NotebookLM is included with our University
Google Workspace service. University data are protected by Pepperdine's Google Enterprise
Data Protection Agreement and are not used to train any large language models.
What is Gemini AI Pro for Education (formerly Gemini Premium)?
Eligibility and Purchasing Gemini AI Pro for Education
Most University faculty and staff will not need a Gemini AI Pro for Education (formerly
Gemini Premium) license. The core Google Gemini for Education offers access to the
Gemini app, creating Gems, generating content, summarizing information, and much more.
The optional, paid add-on Gemini Premium license (currently $24/month*) provides access
to additional AI models in the Gemini app, expanded limits on the number of reports
or outputs Gemini and NotebookLM will produce, and deep integrations within individual
Google Workspace apps (Pepperdine Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet, etc.). As good stewards
of University resources, employees should consider carefully whether the added expense
provides adequate academic and business value to their school or department. If interested
in Gemini AI Pro for Education, faculty and staff should consult with their area supervisor
and/or budget manager. If approved, faculty/staff may submit a Gemini Premium request.
Students are not eligible for Gemini AI Pro for Education.
How is my Pepperdine Google Gemini different from a personal Google AI Pro or Google
AI Ultra license?
Personal Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra are paid tiers of Gemini for consumer accounts,
like a personal Google account. With your Pepperdine Google account, you get free
access to the Gemini App and NotebookLM. As stated above, faculty/staff with approval
from their school or department may purchase the optional Gemini AI Pro for Education
license for additional account features.
A tool used with Operational Data with Minimum or Limited Personally Identifiable
Information, and the AI tool/company must not use the data for training its models.
A tool used with RESTRICTED Data or Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information,
and the AI tool/company must not use the data for training its models.
AI is a powerful tool in its developmental infancy. Because its success relies on
access to information, every product of AI should be measured against the following
guidelines:
Ensure Data Privacy and Security
To safeguard student and University data, we must be careful how we use and share
information.
Never Use RESTRICTED Data: Users are prohibited from using RESTRICTED data or Proprietary Intellectual Property
(IP) in any AI tool.
Use University-Approved Tools: Limit use of AI to University-approved tools and services, based on tool type and
goals.
Don't Reuse Passwords: If use of a third-party AI tool is appropriate, be sure to use a unique password
for any outside service. Never reuse your University password on a third-party website.
Rule of Thumb: When in doubt, if you would not post the information on a public-facing website,
then don't share the information with an AI tool.
Recommendations
Anonymize Data: Best practice is to remove personally-identifiable information (PII) from data before
sharing with an AI tool.
Carefully Review Terms and Privacy: When evaluating any third-party service — AI or not — always check the terms of service
and privacy policies to review where the data is stored, who has access, with whom
it is shared, how long it is retained, and your rights to remove data, etc.
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Creating prompts is an iterative process to fine-tune your requests and questions
to meet your goals. Expect to revise your prompts frequently.
Choose a Framework: There are many frameworks that can help you approach AI prompt writing (e.g., CORE,
CREATE, PARTS, etc.). One option to consider is the C.R.A.F.T. 2.0 Framework:
C = Context. What is the need, goal, situation, or problem you are trying to solve?
R = Role. What perspective or expertise should the AI apply?
A = Action. What outcomes or outputs are you seeking?
F = Format. What presentation or format will the output take (report, summary, article, etc.)?
T = Target or Tone. Who is the intended audience? What tone should the output have (e.g., casual, professional,
etc.)?
Other Factors: Consider the appropriate boundaries, provide examples, and be as specific as feasible
with output requirements.
Carefully review all AI output with the understanding that generative AI results may include significant "hallucinations,"
changes to your meaning, unattributed intellectual property, factual errors, and biased
or inappropriate statements.
Check before you share or publish: Always exercise caution and validate all AI output before including it in your work.
Recommendations
Ask the AI tool to evaluate its own output and identify any issues.
Enable any option to review the sources that the AI tool used to produce the information.
Verify that the content is audience-appropriate and meets any institutional or academic
standards or guidelines before sharing or publishing it.
Disclose Use of AI: Best practice is to disclose when generative artificial intelligence has been used
to create content, design images, produce audio/video, generate code, or create any
other artifact, data, or output.
Cite or Attribute the Source: Whether in academic work or for business purposes, cite your sources, whether human,
company, artificial intelligence, or other.
Understanding artificial intelligence requires a working knowledge of the jargon that
is commonly used in working with AI. You can refer to some of the common terms below
or the full NIST AI glossary.
Table of Common AI Terminology
AI Term
Definition
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines or computer systems. AI
can mimic human capabilities such as communication, learning, and decision-making.
AI Ethics
The study of the ethical implications of AI, such as fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Big Data
Large, complex data sets that are difficult to process with traditional data management
tools.
Chatbot
A software application that is designed to imitate human conversation through text
or voice commands.
Deep Learning
When AI imitates the human brain by learning from how it structures and processes
information to make decisions.
Generative AI
A type of technology that uses AI to create content, including text, video, code,
and images.
Hallucination
An incorrect response from an AI system or false information in an output that is
presented as factual information.
Prompt
An input that a user feeds to an AI system in order to get a desired result or output.
