COMING SOON: Smart Tools for Smarter Work
Faculty, staff and students at Ohio State University will soon have secure versions several Google products, streamlining collaboration with other organizations and ensuring that Google does not save or share the information you enter.
In support of the AI Fluency initiative, we will be adding Google Gemini™ large language model & API and Google NotebookLM™ tools, which are related AI products that complement each other to help you complete various tasks.
- Gemini™ is a generative AI chat app that can be used to brainstorm ideas, draft or summarize writing, assist with research, and generate new text, images, audio, and video.
- NotebookLM™ (LM stands for Language Model) is an AI-powered note-taking and research assistant that uses AI to answer inquiries using information you provide by uploading documents and PDFs. It is designed to help you organize data by creating summaries, questions, and audio overviews from your documents.
While Google AI tools are available now, Ohio State has not approved the use of Gemini/NotebookLM service integrations available within Gmail, Calendar, etc. However, to streamline collaboration with universities and other organizations that primarily use Google Suite, we will soon have secure versions of a few of these products available, including:
- Google Drive™ online storage service (15 GB storage limit applies)
- Google Docs™ web-based word-processing program
- Google Sheets™ web-based spreadsheet program
- Google Slides™ web-based presentation program
In addition, Buckeyes will also have access to Google CoLaboratory™ (CoLab) to explore artificial intelligence and data science topics. CoLab is a free online platform that lets you write and run computer code right in your web browser—no setup required. Whether you're testing ideas, learning to code, or working on a project, Colab makes it easy to get started without installing anything on your own computer.
Microsoft Outlook remains the official email and calendaring platform for Ohio State. Maintaining one platform that everyone uses makes it easier to collaborate across the university.
Keep Data Secure
To ensure you're in a secure environment, Ohio State must provision your Google account—an existing Google account tied to an Ohio State email address won’t automatically give you access to secure versions of these tools. We expect to complete this work in early fall 2025.
To use Ohio State's service and receive its security and benefits, after your account is provisioned you must log in using your lastname.#@osu.edu and university password. Check Sign Up and Provisioning for more information about accessing your account.
While select Google tools will be made available for use, Microsoft Outlook remains the official email and calendaring platform for Ohio State. Maintaining one platform that everyone uses makes it easier to collaborate across the university.
Using Google Tools
Benefit from Data Protection
If you are using Google’s free version of Gemini or NotebookLM, all your queries, prompts and conversations are saved for up to three years and used to train AI tools to make them better. That might be fine if you are looking for a good restaurant in the Short North, but if you are working on a thesis or using any other information that you would rather not share, a paid version of the product is necessary to protect your data.
Ohio State Gemini/NotebookLM will not only protect your data but also will enable you to access more powerful AI models with faster response time and to upload larger files for context. Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides will be available to streamline collaboration with other organizations and institutions that use Google Suite products. By logging in with your Ohio State user name and password, your content will have an extra layer of protection provided by the university.
Sign Up and Account Provisioning
In general, any active university faculty, staff, or student who is eligible for a Microsoft account will soon also be eligible to use Google AI tools. These tools are not approved for medical center employees due to different security requirements. Because some people already have a Google account tied to their lastname.#@osu.edu email, not everyone will automatically receive an account, but can still request one.
Access for those with an existing Google account tied to your lastname.#@osu.edu email
If you are already using Google services with your lastname.#@osu.edu email, you will not immediately have access to Ohio State Google Tools when Ohio State makes them available.
- Provisioning an Ohio State Google account for an email already tied to a personal Google account may restrict access to data saved in applications that will be disabled in the Ohio State tenant —including Gmail, Pictures, and more.
- You will need move files that you want to retain to alternative storage before requesting an account to avoid losing access to valuable data.
- Ohio State cannot access the data in your Google account, and if you lose access to your data when we provision your Ohio State Google account, we cannot recover it. You must back up that data first.
If you have an account tied to your lastname.#@osu.edu email that does not contain data that needs to be saved, you will be able to request an account immediately.
In either of these cases, you will be able to contact the IT Service Desk to submit a request for an Ohio State Google account.
Access for those with a personal Google account
If you have a personal account but do NOT already have a Google account tied to your lastname.#@osu.edu email, we will automatically provision an account for you. To use this account and receive the security and benefits of an Ohio State Google account, you will need to first log in using your lastname.#@osu.edu and university password when services become available. You will be able to do this by logging out of your personal account or creating multiple profiles within Google Chrome to manage your Ohio State and personal accounts independently. Your personal and Ohio State Google accounts will remain separate, but you will not have access to the benefits and protections of Ohio State’s Google services when you are logged in to your personal Google account.
Using Approved AI Tools
New AI tools are released daily, and university technology teams evaluate these tools to ensure they are accessible, secure and effective. Faculty and staff should ensure they are logged in with their university credentials if they plan to enter institutional data that is above S1-classified data into an approved AI tool. Learn more about institutional data classifications as they relate to AI in the “Security and Privacy Statement on Artificial Intelligence”.
Students should use GenAI tools for coursework only with the explicit permission of each instructor, in the ways allowed by that instructor. For an overview of all available AI tools, visit Ohio State’s AI Tools webpage.
FAQs
What Google tools can I use?
Faculty, staff and students at Ohio State University (excluding medical center employees) will soon be able to use secure versions several Google products, ensuring the information you enter is not saved or shared. Google Suite products include:
- Google Drive™ online storage service (storage limits apply)
- Google Docs™ web-based word-processing program
- Google Sheets™ web-based spreadsheet program
- Google Slides™ web-based presentation program
- Google's Gemini™ large language model & API
- Google NotebookLM™
How do I know when to use Google applications instead of Microsoft products?
Using Microsoft products for business purposes is still considered best practice because all areas of the university have access to Microsoft 365, making it easier to collaborate across units. We will be enabling Google to help you work with collaborators outside of Ohio State who may have Google suite as their primary toolset.
Can I use Gmail and Google Calendar instead of Outlook?
No, Microsoft Outlook remains the official email and calendaring platform for Ohio State. Maintaining one platform that everyone uses makes it easier to collaborate across the university.
What if I already have a Google account tied to your lastname.#@osu.edu email?
If you're already using Gemini or other Google services with your lastname.#@osu.edu email, you may not immediately have access to Ohio State’s Google Gemini/NotebookLM.
- Provisioning an official account may prevent you from accessing existing data in Gmail, Google Photos,, and more.
- Back up any data you want to keep before requesting access—Ohio State cannot recover deleted content.
If your existing account contains no data you need, you can request access right away.
In either of these cases, contact the IT Service Desk to submit a request for a Google Gemini/NotebookLM account.
How will this affect my personal Google account?
If you don’t already have a Google account tied to your lastname.#@osu.edu email, we will automatically create one for you.
To activate it, you will log in with your lastname.#@osu.edu and university password. Use Chrome profiles or log out of your personal account to keep them separate.
Remember, you’ll only get Ohio State’s Google features and security when using your Ohio State login.
Can students use Gemini for coursework?
Students should use GenAI tools like Google Gemini for coursework only with the explicit permission of each instructor, in the ways allowed by that instructor. For an overview of all available AI tools, visit Ohio State’s AI Tools webpage.
Can I use institutional data in Google Gemini?
When Google Productivity Services are available, faculty and staff should ensure they are logged in with their university credentials if they plan to enter institutional data that is above S1-classified data into an approved AI tool. Learn more about institutional data classifications as they relate to AI in the “Security and Privacy Statement on Artificial Intelligence”.
Where can I get support?
The IT Service Desk can help you troubleshoot issues or route your question to the right support team.