College students find substantial price reductions on AI technology products, such as Gemini and Grammarly, as they return to academic settings.
Ohio State University (OSU) is taking strides to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its learning and teaching environment. Here's a breakdown of the approved AI tools and policies at OSU.
Approved AI Tools and Policies
The university officially offers the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot agents, including Researcher and Analyst, for faculty and staff. For students, the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT is allowed with explicit permission from instructors, subject to course-specific guidelines.
To ensure data security and compliance, students must log in with their university credentials when dealing with institutional data and follow the data classification rules.
Canvas AI Integrations
OSU has partnered with platforms like Canvas, which integrates AI features such as grading and rubric generation. However, the specifics about OSU's direct offering of these tools are not detailed publicly.
AI Fluency Initiative
The university is committed to developing students' AI fluency and responsible use of AI tools, rather than imposing outright bans. OSU is currently evaluating the impact of AI on learning and student skill development as part of a university-wide AI fluency initiative.
For the most current, detailed list of approved AI tools and usage policies, OSU directs faculty, staff, and students to their official AI Tools webpage and institutional communications.
Other AI Offerings for Students
While OSU's focus is on controlled, ethical use of AI tools with institutional oversight, other universities and tech companies offer AI tools specifically designed for educational purposes.
For instance, Google offers the Google AI Pro Plan free of charge to college students for an entire year. Some colleges may offer Adobe apps like Photoshop for free as part of the curriculum.
Microsoft 365 also offers a 50% discount on its Office 365 subscription, including access to Copilot. Otter.ai offers a 20% discount on its Pro monthly and annual plans for nonprofit educational institutions, accredited colleges, and most school districts.
Grammarly offers a 40% discount to students, educators, and several other groups. OpenAI had a two-month free subscription for students, but the offer is no longer valid. Notion AI provides a 50% discount for students with the proper add-on, but the application process can be complex.
Conclusion
As AI continues to reshape education, universities like OSU are carefully navigating the integration of these tools to ensure their ethical, secure, and effective use. For students at OSU, the focus is on developing AI fluency and responsible use rather than unrestricted access to multiple AI platforms.
For the latest information on approved AI tools and usage policies at OSU, students, faculty, and staff are advised to refer to the university's official AI Tools webpage and institutional communications.
- Ohio State University (OSU) has approved the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot agents for faculty and staff, as well as the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT for students with instructor permission.
- To enhance students' AI fluency and responsible use of AI tools, OSU is partnering with platforms like Canvas, which integrates AI features for grading and rubric generation.
- Besides these approved AI tools, Google offers a free Google AI Pro Plan for college students for an entire year, while Microsoft 365 provides a 50% discount on its Office 365 subscription for students and several other groups.
