Barry University AI Prompting Guide

Core Principles

• Use natural language: Write prompts as if speaking to a person.
• Be specific and iterative: Clearly state the task (summarize, draft, analyze, etc.) and refine with follow-ups.
• Be concise: Short, clear sentences; avoid jargon and unnecessary complexity.
• Make it conversational: Treat prompting as back-and-forth refinement.
• Leverage your documents: Reference files in Drive, Docs, Gmail, etc., for context.
• Ask the AI to improve prompts: Use “Make this a power prompt” to refine. 

Pro Tip: Use the AI itself to help you build the best prompt. 
Example: “Make this a power prompt: Summarize this 10-page report into bullet points for executives, focusing only on risks, costs, and deadlines.” 

Structure of an Effective Prompt

Include up to four elements:

1. Persona – define the role (e.g., HR manager, project lead). 
2. Task – the command or action (summarize, draft, brainstorm). 
3. Context – relevant details or background. 
4. Format – specify the desired output style (table, bullet points, paragraphs). 

Advanced Techniques 

• Break complex requests into smaller prompts for better accuracy.
• Give constraints (e.g., word count, number of options, tone).
• Assign roles to Gemini for creativity and perspective. 
• Tailor tone (formal, casual, technical, upbeat, etc.) 
• Iterate and rephrase if results don’t fit your needs.
• Review outputs for clarity, accuracy, and relevance before using.

Practical Guidance

• Best prompts average ~21 words with clear context.
• Prompts under 9 words are often too vague.
• Outputs may be unpredictable. Review, refine and validate results.
• Final responsibility lies with you, not the AI. The better your prompt the better your results. 

Good Prompts

“You are a Barry University HR manager. Draft a 3-paragraph onboarding speech highlighting mentorship and professional development using @[Barry Mission Statement]. Keep the tone professional but warm.” 
(Clear persona, task, context, and format.)   

“Summarize Q2 financials into no more than 8 bullets for the Executive Leadership Council. Focus only on variance drivers, cash position, and decision deadlines.” 
(Specific, concise, constrained output for CFO use.) 

“Write a one-page purchase justification for [system] including a 3-year TCO table, ROI estimate, two viable alternatives, and a clear recommendation.” 
(Procurement-ready structure for Business & Finance.) 

“I am the Provost presenting to Deans. Create a 5-slide outline on program optimization: market demand, retention trends, modality mix, and resource shifts, with one metric per slide.” 
(Tailored role, context, and structure.) 

“I am the President addressing campus. Draft a 150-word message on [topic], followed by a 4-bullet FAQ and a single call to action.”
(Executive voice with tight format.) 

“You are a professor. Turn this 10-page syllabus into a one-page student guide with learning outcomes, weekly cadence, grading breakdown, and academic integrity expectations.” 
(Faculty-focused, student-ready output.)

“Convert these raw meeting notes into formal minutes with sections: Decisions, Action Items with owners and due dates, Open Issues, and Next Meeting.” 
(Admin assistant workflow, standardized format.) 

“Summarize this 10-page proposal into bullet points for executives. Focus only on risks, costs in USD, and deadlines.” 
(Universal executive brief, tightly scoped.) 

Bad Prompts

“Write something about AI.” 
(Too vague, no context or direction.) 

“Summarize this for me.” 
(Incomplete—no subject or focus specified.) 

“Make this email good.” 
(Unclear goal: good in what sense? Tone? Persuasiveness? Shortness?) 

“Tell me about our customers.” 
(Broad, lacks detail—what aspect of customers? Demographics, behaviors, complaints?) 

“Draft a report on education.” 
(Missing persona, context, length, format, or audience.) 

Quickly Draft Email
Prompt: Act as a Barry University administrator. Draft a supportive and constructive email to [Insert audience]. The message must cover these points: [Insert key information].

Compare Two (or More) Documents   
Prompt: Act as a research assistant at Barry University. Analyze the documents below and produce a summary that clearly outlines the main differences between them. Focus on changes in content, key arguments, and tone.  

**Document 1:** [Paste the text from your first document here. You can also upload or drag and drop the file to insert its content.]  
**Document 2:** [Paste the text from your second document here. You can also upload or drag and drop the file to insert its content.]   

Proofread Text
Prompt: Act as a writing coach from Barry University. Correct the grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the text below. After the corrected text, provide a short summary of the main fixes you made to improve clarity and academic tone. [Insert text] 

Summarize Meeting Notes
Prompt: Act as a project manager for a Barry University committee. Distill the following meeting notes into a structured summary. Organize the output into three distinct sections: Key Decisions Made, Action Items (with owners), and Next Steps. [Insert meeting notes here] 

Edit Text 
Prompt: Act as an editor for a Barry University publication. Revise the following text to meet these requirements: [list target tone, style, and audience]. [Paste text here]   

Ask for Feedback 
Prompt: Act as a faculty member at Barry University. Analyze the following academic work. Provide your feedback in two sections: "Strengths" and "Areas for Improvement." Focus your review on [Insert key objectives, e.g., thesis development, source integration]. [Paste work here] 

Brainstorming 
Prompt: Act as a creative strategist for Barry University. Help me brainstorm ideas for a [Insert activity or event] about [Insert theme or topic]. All suggestions must prioritize [Insert key goal, e.g., community engagement, skill development]. 

Help Generate a Custom Prompt 
Prompt: You are a prompt engineer. Help me create a simple, reusable prompt for a task at Barry University. Ask me questions one by one to get the details you need.