ChatGPT at UCCS
Information & TrainingIntroduction
ChatGPT Edu at UCCS Starting 3/31/26
The Phased Rollout of ChatGPT Edu to the UCCS campus begins March 31, 2026.
ChatGPT Edu joins the AI tools already available at UCCS, and we look forward to seeing how the Mountain Lion community utilizes it.
ChatGPT Edu will be available to all Faculty and Staff on 3/31/26. It is tentatively scheduled to be available to Students on 8/14/26.
Check here often, as the content will continually change and be updated.
If you have questions or problems, you can contact the team at ChatGPT@uccs.edu.
ChatGPT Edu is OpenAI’s education‑focused version of ChatGPT, designed for universities, colleges, faculty, staff, and students.
It provides Enterprise‑grade governance, but at a cost and scale model appropriate for higher education.
Key Features:
- Enterprise‑level security & privacy, including data not used to train OpenAI models
- Role‑Based Access Control (RBAC) for faculty vs. staff vs. students
- Credit spend controls (administrators can set soft/hard caps)
- Workspace‑wide policies, including who can use advanced tools
- Support for large user bases (campus‑wide deployments)
- Compliance alignment (FERPA‑friendly workflows on the institution’s side)
The University of Colorado has entered into a three-year agreement with OpenAI, renewable annually, to provide ChatGPT EDU systemwide to students, staff and faculty.
Each campus and the system office will stand up and manage its own secure instance of the tool to provide equitable access while ensuring security and privacy. The University of Colorado is making this investment and offering this tool because it is committed to:
Elevating equity in technology tools for everyone in the CU community by investing now
Ensuring quality education for today and tomorrow for every CU student by providing them access to future-forward tools
Advancing ethical use, privacy, security, sustainability and societal benefit for the technology on our campuses
Enhancing the ability of faculty and staff to bring their best work forward for our students, our state and our world
How Do I Access ChatGPT Edu at UCCS?
To access ChatGPT Edu, users must complete two required steps:
- Complete the Precipio training.
- Request account creation through the Gateway.
For more detailed instructions, refer to the Quick Start Guide.
Additional Details
| Category | Capability | What It Does | Notes | When will this be Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core AI | General Chat & Writing Assistance | Answer questions, explain concepts, write essays, summarize text | Works across academic & general topics | Available at Launch |
| Research | Web Search | Provides up-to-date information from the internet | Useful for current events & fact-checking | Available at Launch |
| File Tools | File Upload & Analysis | Analyze PDFs, Word docs, spreadsheets, images | Can summarize, extract insights | Available at Launch |
| Data Tools | Data Analysis | Create charts, run statistics, interpret datasets | Helpful for coursework & research | Available at Launch |
| Workspace | Canvas | Interactive editor for writing and coding | Real-time revisions with AI | Available at Launch |
| Organization | Projects | Organize chats, files, and instructions in one place | Good for classes & long-term work | Available at Launch |
| Customization | Custom GPTs | Build specialized AI assistants | Can be shared within UCCS | Available at Launch |
| Learning | Study Mode | Step-by-step explanations instead of direct answers | Designed for learning support | Available at Launch |
| Personalization | Memory | Remembers preferences and context | Improves responses over time | Available at Launch |
| Integrations | Microsoft Tools | Connects with Outlook, Calendar, SharePoint | Supports productivity workflows | Available at Launch |
| Workflows | Skills | Build shareable workflows to do a specific task | Supports productivity workflows | Available at Launch |
| Security | Secure Environment | FERPA-aligned, encrypted, not used for training | University-controlled system | Available at Launch |
| Deep Research | Multi-step, in-depth research reports | Credit-based / limited | Phase 2 (At Launch -- 5 Deep Research prompts per 24 hour period) | |
| Image Generation | Create images from prompts | Credit-based / limited | Phase 2 (At Launch -- 3 Image Creations per 24 hour period) | |
| Advanced Reasoning | Higher-level problem solving models | Credit-based | Phase 2 | |
| Coding Assistant | Codex | Write, debug and execute code | Credit-based | Phase 2 |
| Excel & Sheets Integration | Data Analysis | Create charts, run statistics, interpret datasets | In review | Future State |
- Approved Data: At launch, the environment is approved for Public and Confidential information.
- Future Security: Our team is actively collaborating to finalize protocols that will allow for Highly Confidential data.
- Reminder: Please remain diligent regarding data security and university guidelines as you integrate this tool into your workflow.
- Microsoft tools: At launch, users will have full ability to connect ChatGPT Edu with Microsoft Outlook, Calendar, and SharePoint for streamlined productivity.
- Future Expandability: We are reviewing the ability to add additional third-party applications and specialized connections to further enhance the tool’s utility.
- Daily usage limits at launch:
- Up to 3 image generations per day
- Up to 5 Deep Research prompts per day
If you currently maintain a paid account utilizing a UCCS (@uccs.edu) email address, please refrain from merging it into the UCCS Edu account until the Phase 2/Fall 2026 timeframe.
We are working on an improved migration path to ensure a better transition for your data and settings.
Your Data Is Safe in ChatGPT‑Edu
ChatGPT‑Edu is built specifically for higher education and provides enterprise‑level security, privacy protections, and full FERPA compliance. All information shared within ChatGPT‑Edu—whether by faculty, staff, or students—is protected under strict privacy controls.
Conversations and files used within ChatGPT‑Edu are not used to train OpenAI’s models, ensuring your academic, research, and administrative information stays private. OpenAI clearly states that users own their inputs and outputs, and data is not used for model training by default across ChatGPT‑Edu and other enterprise offerings.
All data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and OpenAI maintains industry‑standard compliance certifications.
These safeguards make ChatGPT‑Edu a secure environment for faculty, staff, and students to explore AI responsibly in teaching, learning, and research.
Please review the Artificial Intelligence and AI at UCCS information pages for further guidance on proper AI usage and details regarding additional AI tools available on campus.
Human Oversight
At UCCS, we recognize the transformative potential of AI while emphasizing responsible use: although large language models continue to advance, occasional inaccuracies or “hallucinations” may still occur. Thoughtful human review and professional oversight remain essential to ensure accuracy, integrity, and alignment with our academic and operational standards.
ChatGPT Resources
Explore these self-paced basic learning resources
(each approximately 5-10 minutes long)
Self-paced Resources
Prompt Packs
How ChatGPT fits Into UCCS's technology and policy landscape
ChatGPT is being introduced as an additional AI resource for the UCCS community. It expands the set of supported tools available to students, faculty and staff, and does not replace existing AI or productivity platforms already approved for campus use.
With ChatGPT, users will have access to a secure, institutionally supported environment where CU credentials are required and CU data receives stronger protections than those offered by public AI tools. This ensures that faculty, staff and students can use generative AI while aligning with university standards and data governance expectations.
Other tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, which is approved for use with confidential data, will continue to be available. The availability of ChatGPT does not change UCCS’s existing data classification rules, FERPA obligations, or accessibility requirements, nor does it change any academic integrity expectations for students. All campus policies remain fully in effect.
Faculty will continue to have authority over determining whether and how AI tools may be used within their courses. Decisions about whether and how generative AI tools may be used in coursework or research remain with individual instructors, departments and programs, and we recognize that the usefulness and appropriateness of these tools will vary significantly by discipline and context. Instructors may choose to allow, limit or prohibit AI use and should outline their expectations in their syllabi and course communications. More information can be found on the Faculty Resource Center's AI in Academics page which includes sample syllabus entries, additional resources on AI in higher education, and an AI assessment scale.