Brought to you by the Barry AI Enablement Office to help faculty and staff personalize AI tools for faster, safer work. Results improve with clear role context, examples, and iteration.
Getting Started with your AI AssistantBarry University quick-start for Copilot, Gemini, and Teams
What’s Allowed
Tools
Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT Team, Fireflies.ai, Grammarly.
Sensitive data only in Copilot
If sensitive data appears elsewhere, stop and say “Use Copilot.”
Gemini
Approved for University data excluding PHI. See the approved tools list on the AI Use Cases page.
Follow accessibility and privacy policies
Avoid PHI and FERPA‑protected content unless authorized.
How to Get Great Results
Core Principles
- Use natural language.
- Be specific and iterative.
- Be concise.
- Make it conversational.
- Leverage your documents.
- Ask the AI to improve prompts.
Structure of an Effective Prompt
- Persona – define the role (e.g., HR manager, project lead).
- Task – the command or action (summarize, draft, brainstorm, research).
- Context – relevant details, background, and attached files.
- References – an example to imitate (a past email, a sample slide, a format you like).
- Format – the desired output style (table, bullet points, slides, one page).
Tip: Detail beats length — include what matters, cut what doesn’t. Iterate, review, and validate before use.
Personalize in Two Steps
Teach AI to Learn My Role and What I DoI’d like to personalize you for my role so you can support my day‑to‑day work. Review the items below and learn my responsibilities, stakeholders, systems, and success measures. Then summarize what you learned and ask me 5 clarifying questions to fill gaps.
Role profile:
- Title and team: [Your title, org]
- Core responsibilities: [Bullets]
- Key stakeholders: [Names, roles]
- Systems and data sources I use: [M365 apps, LMS, SIS, CRM, ticketing]
- Success measures and deadlines: [KPIs, cadences]
- Common deliverables you will draft for me: [Examples]
Examples of my work:
[Example 1]
[Example 2]
[Example 3]
After review:
- Produce a 6‑bullet “What I do” summary,
- List 10 recurring tasks you can automate for me in Copilot/Teams, and
- Propose 5 saved prompts tailored to my role.
Note: after I tweak anything, I will paste the edits back and say “Update my role profile and remember.”
Teach AI my Overall ExpectationsAdopt these expectations for all responses to me.
- Tone: direct, plain language, no extra words, no em dashes, action‑first.
- Format: short sections, bullets, numbered steps, executive summary when useful.
- Compliance: flag risks; never include sensitive data unless I state we are in Copilot; if sensitive is detected here, stop and say “Use Copilot.”
- Ask if missing info would change the answer; otherwise proceed with best effort.
- Include “next steps” with owners and dates when appropriate.
Confirm you understand, then restate these expectations in 5 bullets I can save.
More plug‑and‑play prompt cards
Teach AI My Email Communications StyleI’d like to personalize you to better help with my email writing style. Please review the following examples of my past emails, paying attention to tone, structure, and language usage.
After reading these, help me improve my writing, suggest improvements, and give me tips on how to refine my style. Here are the emails:
[Example email 1] [Example email 2]
[Example email 3]
Once you’ve gone through them, tell me what you noticed about my style, provide a 6‑point checklist I can use before sending, and draft a short “signature style guide” I can paste into future prompts.
Note: after I tweak a draft, I will paste the revised version and say: This is more the way I would write the email, please update my communications style accordingly and remember this for future.
Teach AI my Meeting Notes and Summaries StyleLearn how I capture meetings. Review these notes and action logs. Then produce a 1‑page template that fits my style and draft a summary using the template.
Inputs:
[Agenda]
[Notes or transcript excerpts]
[Decisions, owners, dates]
Output expectations:
- Top block: decisions, risks, next steps with owners and due dates
- One paragraph summary
- Action list formatted for easy copy to TeamDynamix or Planner
Ask me 5 questions to fill gaps.
Teach AI My Project Update StyleReview these status updates. Learn my cadence, metrics, and risk language. Then draft this week’s update using my voice.
Inputs:
[Last 2 updates]
[Roadmap excerpt]
[Risks, blockers, mitigations]
[Metrics]
Output:
- 5‑line executive summary
- Status by workstream with RAG and 1 sentence evidence
- Risks with owner and date
- Requests I need to make
After I edit, remember my changes for future.
Accessibility and Policy Checks on My DraftsWhen I paste content, perform an accessibility and policy check.
Checks to run:
- Accessibility: alt text, headings, color contrast, link text (WCAG principles).
- Policy risks: FERPA, HIPAA, GLBA, GDPR mentions; storage and sharing red flags; suggest safer phrasing.
- Produce a clean list of fixes with “before” and “after” examples.
Then return a corrected version I can paste back into my document.
Save My “Daily Prompts” SetPropose and then save 10 role‑specific prompts I can reuse. For each: a title, when to use it, and the exact text. After I approve, remind me how to save them to Copilot Prompt Gallery and pin in Teams.
Quick Wins
Try Today
- Draft a student or stakeholder reply from bullet points.
- Summarize a long email thread with decisions and next steps up top.
- Create a meeting summary template that fits your team.
- Generate a 5‑slide brief from your last status update.
- Extract an action list with owners and dates.
Tips
- Specify audience, length, and format.
- Paste 2‑3 examples to set tone.
- Ask for bullets or steps, not prose walls.
- Edit the draft to your voice; paste back and say “Update my style and remember.”
- Use Copilot for any sensitive content.
Barry University. For assistance or approvals, contact SDS.
Need access to a tool? Sign in or request a license on the Getting Access page.
Last reviewed: August 2026