Artificial intelligence (AI) tools can help staff work more efficiently, reduce repetitive tasks and support day-to-day responsibilities. These resources are designed to help NIU staff explore practical, responsible ways to use AI in their roles.
Featured AI Events
All NIU students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend this conference hosted by the College of Business to hear industry leaders share their insights and perspectives on how AI is changing the workforce. Join us to learn how we can prepare our students to succeed.
How do we understand the writing-focused classroom with the rise of generative artificial intelligence? Are today’s Gen AI tools creating new challenges or are they simply amplifying long-standing concerns? In this talk, Professor John Gallagher takes you inside a large-scale study involving nearly 900 students and writing instructors, showing how they perceive collaboration with both human and AI partners. He also draws from over 100 interviews with AI and machine learning researchers to “pull back the curtain” on how these technologies really work. There will be time for questions and discussion after the talk. Professor John Gallagher, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is the author of "Update Culture and the Afterlife of Digital Writing" (Utah State University Press, 2020) and "Case Study Research in the Digital Age" (Routledge, 2024).
Join the NIU AI Network
The NIU AI Network is a community of practice that brings together faculty, staff and students to explore and advance ethical, equitable and mission-aligned uses of artificial intelligence. Through collaboration and shared learning, the network supports the discovery and exchange of AI use cases, needs and approaches across campus. It also promotes understanding of AI’s opportunities, risks and trade-offs in support of teaching and learning.
The guidelines below were developed to support students, faculty and staff navigating the use of AI technologies at NIU.
Concise set of values and practices to guide responsible, equitable, and transparent use of AI in teaching and learning at NIU.
Framework for building foundational awareness, effective teaching applications, and reflective practices for integrating AI responsibly into instruction at NIU.
Rubric to guide the selection of academic student support services AI tools at NIU.
The university continues to evaluate the impact of artificial intelligence on teaching, learning and student engagement as part of our broader academic and operational planning. Faculty and staff are encouraged to stay informed about their responsibilities related to protecting the security and privacy of personal data and intellectual property when using AI tools.
NIU provides a number of approved AI tools and technologies to support teaching and learning. These tools are covered by agreements with vendors to ensure compliance with university policies and applicable data privacy laws. Because they offer important protections not guaranteed by publicly available large-language AI tools, NIU recommends that students, faculty and staff use only AI tools that have been vetted and approved through the appropriate university processes.
These tools have been licensed by NIU and are available to all NIU faculty and align with the NIU AI Ethical Guidelines.
Authoring, Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Storytelling
Use AI-powered features like image generation in Adobe Firefly and Express, generative fill in Photoshop, automated design assistance in InDesign and Illustrator and automated transcription in Adobe Podcast and Premiere Pro.
For NIU faculty, staff and students
Authoring, Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Storytelling
With AI Assistant in Adobe Acrobat, you can ask your document questions and get quick answers linked to sources in the doc. One-click generative summaries automatically pull out key points to help you navigate and get important info fast.
For NIU faculty and staff
Chat, Productivity
Chat with Copilot in Windows, mobile apps, at m365.niu.edu or in Microsoft Teams. NIU’s M365 license includes commercial data protection to safeguard sensitive university data when stored and processed within the platform.
For NIU faculty, staff and students
See the resources below to take advantage of the AI training and support currently available at NIU.
Available on-demand training for on how to get started with Microsoft Copilot. You can filter or search to find the training that's right for you.
Quickly learn the basics of Microsoft Copilot by viewing these introductory tutorials that introduce the Copilot Chat features avialable to all NIU users.
Find recommended help articles for step-by-step guides on how to get started using the version of Microsoft Copilot available to all NIU students, faculty and staff users.
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding Microsoft Copilot at NIU.
Often yes, as long as you:
See NIU’s AI ethics guidance that stresses privacy, security, transparency and accountability.
As a baseline, avoid entering sensitive or personally identifiable information (PII) unless you are using an approved tool and you understand how data is stored/used. NIU's AI Ethical Guidelines call for careful handling of sensitive data and "extreme caution" with PII and vulnerable populations.
This includes information such as:
When working with these types of information, do not enter them into AI tools unless their use is explicitly approved and appropriate safeguards are in place.
Start by checking NIU's list of licensed AI tools. If your need isn't met, consult appropriate unit leadership and campus experts to evaluate privacy/security, bias risk and fit for purpose—consistent with NIU's emphasis on protection/security review and ethical deployment.
In limited cases, yes. AI-generated images may be used for clearly conceptual or illustrative purposes in teaching and research contexts, but they are generally not appropriate for marketing, recruitment, or for representing real people, students, faculty or campus locations. When AI-generated images are used, clear disclosure is strongly recommended (for example: “AI-generated image for illustrative purposes”). Public-facing uses should be reviewed by the unit and the Web Team to ensure appropriate use, transparency and alignment with NIU web and brand standards.
If you have a resource you’d like to suggest, please share it with us at ai@niu.edu.