Artificial Intelligence
Pedagogy & Guidance

AI Guidance for Staff

Safe and Responsible Use of AI for Staff in Higher Education

Drexel University's policies on Artificial Intelligence (AI) apply to all members of the university community — including professional staff. These guidelines are designed to encourage and ensure the ethical, secure, and effective use of AI tools in academic and operational contexts.

Understand Capabilities and Limitations

Additional Resources

AI can assist with: 

Example Prompts:

  • "Draft a professional email to faculty announcing the upcoming AI workshop."
  • "Edit this policy document for clarity and conciseness."
  • "Rewrite the following paragraph to be more accessible for students."

Example Prompts:

  • "Summarize recent research articles on AI ethics in higher education."
  • "Find key trends in student engagement from published studies."
  • "Generate a list of reputable sources on FERPA compliance and AI."

Example Prompts:

  • "Analyze this spreadsheet and highlight patterns in student attendance."
  • "Create a chart showing year-over-year growth in online course enrollment."
  • "Identify outliers in this dataset of faculty survey responses.";

Example Prompts:

  • "Review this student's assignment and provide constructive feedback."
  • "Suggest ways for staff to improve their use of AI tools based on recent training results."
  • "Give tailored recommendations for professional development based on my role as a project manager."

Example Prompts:

  • "Summarize the main points of Drexel's AI policy for staff."
  • "Condense this 10-page report on digital transformation into a one-page executive summary."
  • "Explain the implications of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for university operations in simple terms."

Example Prompts:

  • "Generate meeting agendas for all upcoming department meetings."
  • "Automatically categorize incoming support tickets by topic."
  • "Prepare weekly status update emails using data from our project management system."

It's important to remember:

  • AI does not replace human judgment
  • Outputs may contain biases or inaccuracies
  • Always verify critical information

Here's why:

As a member of the Drexel community, you are responsible for the content you submit or share, even if generated by AI. You are also expected to model and encourage best practices for students and peers and report any inappropriate or offensive AI-generated content to the relevant university office.

Remember to follow your department's guidelines and university policies when it comes to student-facing or external communications. 

Pro-Tip: Context Matters

  • The more specific you are, the better the results. Providing detailed context—sometimes even a paragraph or two—helps the model understand exactly what you're looking for.
  • If you're submitting attachments for analysis and want the model to focus solely on those, be sure to clearly instruct it to ignore any external sources or documentation beyond what you've provided.

Ethical Use of GenAI in the Workplace

Protect Privacy and Data

Be aware that information you enter into GenAI-based tools is typically not confidential and may be viewed by third-party providers. Avoid submitting any private or sensitive data — such as credit card numbers, identification details, or addresses — to these platforms.

To comply with privacy laws (e.g., FERPA, GDPR):

Stay Informed and Collaborate

  • Participate in the discussion on AI tools and ethics in the AI Digital Commons alongside peer Faculty and Staff
  • Attend campus AI briefings and workshops
  • Look for Drexel-offered AI trainings and professional development

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

  • Am I using GenAI as a tool to deepen my understanding, spark new ideas, and enhance my problem-solving skills?
  • Does it encourage curiosity and exploration, or am I relying on it passively?
  • Does it streamline my workflow, improve productivity, or support better decision-making?
  • Am I still applying my professional judgment and expertise, or deferring too much to the tool?
  • Have I fact-checked the output and ensured it aligns with trusted sources?
  • Is the content free from harmful biases, stereotypes, or misinformation?
  • Am I transparent about the use of GenAI in my work?
  • Do I critically evaluate GenAI-generated content before sharing or integrating it?
  • Am I using GenAI in ways that promote fairness, inclusivity, and positive social impact?
  • Does my use of GenAI respect privacy, intellectual property, and ethical boundaries?