Information Technology Services (ITS) maintains the campus Google Gemini and NotebookLM platforms to support faculty, students, and staff in exploring artificial intelligence (AI) utilities. These institutional tools are integrated into Colby's existing Google Workspace, utilizing the same core privacy and security structures built into the platform. Prompts, uploads, and organizational materials are not trained on, nor used to train, any models or data outside of the Colby data environment.
Supported Software Tiers
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Standard Gemini for Education: Available to all Colby accounts at no cost. It provides enterprise-grade data protection and includes limited access to premium models and Deep Research. Users can utilize standalone tools including Gems, Gemini Canvas, Gemini Live, and Audio Overviews. Connection with Google Workspace applications is optional.
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Google AI Pro for Education: Available via individual departmental upgrade. It expands access limits for premium models, Deep Research, and Audio Overviews. It enables 1,500-page file uploads and unlocks full native integration inside Workspace apps like Gmail, Meet, Drive, Docs, and Forms. It also upgrades NotebookLM with higher limits and premium features.
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NotebookLM: A document-based assistant designed to summarize materials, organize notes, generate podcasts, and provide context-aware academic and research support.
Data Security and Compliance
In accordance with the Colby College Data Classification Policy, both Gemini and NotebookLM are officially approved for Medium Risk and Low Risk institutional data. Definitions and classifications for specific institutional data are available on Data Cookbook, Colby data dictionary.
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Entering non-public, high-risk data into any generative AI tool is strictly prohibited.
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Users must verify all AI-generated content before publishing or sharing, as output can be inaccurate or fabricated.
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Suspected data breaches or unauthorized disclosures must be reported immediately to informationsecurity@colby.edu.
Accessing Standard Gemini and NotebookLM
Standard Gemini and NotebookLM services are available by default through College credentials. The user can follow the following steps within a web browser to access the tools:
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Navigate to an active campus Google Workspace application such as Colby Gmail.
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Log on to the system using Colby Google credentials if prompted.
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Click the Google Apps icon (represented by a nine-dot waffle grid) located in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
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Select either Gemini or NotebookLM from the application drop-down menu to launch the secure session.
Requesting an Upgraded Gemini Pro License
Premium Gemini Pro license is $20 per month and requires individual requests and departmental or personal funding. To obtain a license, please follow these steps:
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Email support@colby.edu.
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Specify the Colby email address for which the license is requested.
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Provide the billing information. Please note that requests are processed at the end of each month due to standard vendor billing cycles.
Support and Consultation Channels
Support resources are distributed across campus entities depending on the specific nature of the inquiry:
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Technical Support and Information Security: For platform troubleshooting, access issues, or data security concerns, contact the ITS Support Center at support@colby.edu.
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Advanced Academic or Research Support: For high-level academic projects, institutional research frameworks, or scholarly AI inquiries, contact the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at davisai@colby.edu.
Additional information regarding institutional guidelines, institutional tools, curated campus resources, upcoming events, and the latest campus wide updates is available by visiting the AI@Colby Site.
For comprehensive functional breakdowns and technical specifications regarding the tools, please view the official Google website.
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