A view of the Grinnell College campus through three arches of a loggia across Mac field.

Artificial Intelligence at Grinnell

Grinnell College's inquiry into emerging AI technologies takes a broad, multidisciplinary approach to understanding the implications of generative AI for all of the College's constituents in a manner that is consistent with our mission, vision, and values.

Working Groups

AI Working Group

The AI Working Group’s membership includes representative faculty from all three academic divisions and Executive Council, as well as staff from Senior Leadership, Information Technology Services, Academic Affairs, Communications and Marketing, Accessibility and Disability Services, and Staff Council.

The Charge

Identify and document areas of interest and concern regarding the uses of AI at Grinnell College, whether by students, faculty, or staff.
Identify and articulate the practical and ethical issues pertaining to AI use at Grinnell.
Formulate a set of institutional principles to guide the use of AI in accordance with Grinnell College’s mission and values.
Suggest a governance structure to oversee the development and evolution of AI use at the College.

AI, Pedagogy, and Curriculum

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Institute on AI, Pedagogy and the Curriculum helps colleges and universities respond effectively to the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence in teaching, learning, and for higher education in general.

A team from Grinnell College was chosen by AAC&U to be part of the Institute's 2025-26 cohort. As part of this effort, the team is:

Creating inventories of faculty AI use in their pedagogy and teaching work
Exploring AI tools and making recommendations for adoption
Developing institutionally supported mechanisms for faculty development and discussion around AI in the classroom, including AI literacy, basic student AI competencies, the use of AI in teaching writing, critical thinking, and accessibility.
Formulating recommendations for policy/guidelines, including those related to academic integrity (including AI detection) and faculty and teaching staff use of AI in their own work (grading/feedback, assignment creation, etc.

Grinnell College in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Academic Use of AI at Grinnell College

Grinnell's LibGuide for AI in Library Tools provides resources to assist Grinnellians in making decisions about academic AI use.

The LibGuide also includes the 2026 Colloquium Reading List: Grinnell in the Age of Generative AI.

Administrative Use of AI at Grinnell College

For data security and privacy, Microsoft 365 Copilot is the only institutionally secure and approved AI tool for work involving college data.

Here’s why:

Public or consumer AI tools are not secure and therefore not approved for administrative work involving College data.
Copilot is vetted for enterprise security, privacy, and compliance.
Copilot operates within Grinnell’s Microsoft 365 environment and permission model.
Copilot aligns with institutional data governance expectations.

Learn more about accessing Copilot (SharePoint, login required).

Five Things You Need to Know About Microsoft 365 Copilot at Grinnell College

As AI becomes part of everyday work, it’s important to understand why Grinnell College has chosen Microsoft 365 Copilot as its approved AI tool for administrative use.

Copilot is the institutionally approved AI tool for work involving College data.

Many publicly available Generative AI tools incorporate any data submitted as part of the tool’s future knowledge base. This means that any Grinnell data that you share with these AI tools may be incorporated in responses or analysis requested by any member of the public who uses the tool. By contrast, Microsoft 365 Copilot is a “closed system” that maintains the confidentiality and security of College data.

Copilot helps protect College information because it:

Is vetted for enterprise security, privacy, and compliance
Operates within Grinnell’s Microsoft 365 environment
Aligns with institutional data governance expectations
Keeps work within secure systems that the College already manages

Copilot only accesses information you are authorized to see.

Copilot respects existing Microsoft 365 permissions and cannot access files, emails, or records you do not have permission to view.

Copilot can help you work more efficiently.

Copilot can help draft emails, summarize meetings and documents, analyze data, and create first drafts, allowing you to spend less time on routine tasks and more time on meaningful work.

Copilot assists you but does not replace you.

Copilot can support your work, but employees remain responsible for reviewing content, verifying accuracy, following approval processes, and exercising professional judgement.

The Bottom Line

Microsoft 365 Copilot is the approved AI tool because it protects College data while helping employees work more efficiently, securely, and responsibly.