Overview
UAH provides faculty, staff, professors emeriti, and researchers with secure, enterprise-grade access to Google’s generative AI suite. Unlike personal AI tools (such as personal ChatGPT, Claude, or basic Gemini accounts), your UAH-provided account operates within a protected "walled garden." This means that your data (what you input and the conversations you have) are not used to train Google’s global models and remains private to the university.
Access and Availability
Official support and enterprise protections for these tools follow the schedule below:
- NotebookLM
- Currently available to all faculty, staff, professors emeriti, and students.
- NotebookLM is accessible from the Google Apps Waffle menu or directly at notebooklm.google.com.
- Google Gemini
- Currently available to all faculty, staff, and professors emeriti.
- There is not currently a determined date at which students will have access to Gemini via UAH accounts.
- Gemini is accessible from the Google Apps Waffle menu or directlyat: gemini.google.com.
- When logging in: Click "Sign In" and use your @uah.edu email address. If prompted, enter your Charger ID on the Single Sign-On page.
- Verify Security: When beginning a new chat, the prompt should show a small shield where it says, "Enter a prompt for Gemini." Once you're chatting, there should be a message at the bottom that says, "Your The University of Alabama in Huntsville chats aren't used to improve our models. Gemini is AI and can make mistakes."
- Standard Version Only: What's being provided at this time is for the core services that are available at no cost. Upgrades to "Pro" or "Advanced" paid subscriptions are not being provided at this time. Users operate under standard Google Enterprise functional limits.
- Note on Session Privacy: For your protection, each new Gemini chat starts with a 'clean slate' and does not carry over information from previous conversations. To maintain context for a specific project, please continue using the same chat thread.
Critical Safety & Responsible Use
These guidelines are mandatory for all university business conducted using AI tools.
- Human in the Loop: AI can generate confident but incorrect information (hallucinations). Because of this, human oversight is required to ensure accuracy before any output is shared or published.
- Verification Required: You must review and cross-reference all facts, data, and citations provided by the AI with reliable primary sources.
- Institutional Data: Continue to follow Protection of Data Policy (policy 06.01.01) regarding the handling of sensitive information or Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
- Feedback: Use the "thumbs down" icon in the tool to report inaccuracies directly to Google.
Google Drive Privacy & Sharing Controls
Ensure that your own Google Drive content is as private as you want it.
Gemini and NotebookLM only interact with your Google Drive under your explicit direction. They can only "see" files that you already have permission to access.
- Audit Your Sharing Settings: To ensure your files are only visible to the intended audience, OIT recommends a periodic audit:
- In Google Drive, click the Search bar and select the People filter icon.
- Search for "Anyone with the link" to see a list of your files currently accessible to the public.
- Change the access to "Restricted" for any sensitive files.
- Repeat steps above and search for the people filter of "The University of Alabama in Huntsville."
- Connecting Your Workspace: By default, Gemini is siloed for your privacy and does not scan your UAH Drive or Gmail. To allow Gemini to assist with your documents or emails, you must manually enable the Google Workspace integration under Connected Apps in your Gemini settings. You maintain full control and can toggle this access off at any time.
- Workspace App Integration: While connecting Gemini to Google Workspace Apps (Gmail, Google Drive, and Docs) is permitted, users must not intentionally use Gemini to process, summarize, or analyze documents or emails that contain Restricted Data as defined by Protection of Data Policy (policy 06.01.01).
- NotebookLM Grounding: Does not scan your Drive; it only "reads" the specific files you manually select as sources.
Which tool should I use?
Gemini vs. NotebookLM
- Google Gemini: Best for general assistance—drafting emails, brainstorming project ideas, or summarizing short documents. Think of it as your "Creative Partner."
- NotebookLM: Best for deep, source-grounded research. It gives you a space to collect your trusted resources (PDFs, Docs, websites) related to a topic. Think of it as your "Personal Research Assistant."
- New to AI? Start with NotebookLM to explore how AI can interact with your existing documents in a controlled, secure environment.
- Context Persistence: To maintain the highest level of data privacy within the "Walled Garden," each new chat in Gemini starts with a "clean slate." Gemini does not "remember" information or preferences from one conversation to the next. If you need the AI to reference specific data across multiple sessions, we recommend using NotebookLM, which is designed to retain and synthesize information from your uploaded sources indefinitely.
- Notes:
- NotebookLM is text-based and does not support image generation.
- If you have used NotebookLM previously with your UAH account, your existing notebooks are now covered by these enhanced privacy protections.
Available Training Resources
Access the Google Skills platform to learn more about these AI tools and more.
OIT has identified several courses within the Google Skills platform to help you get started. These courses are available now and offer role-based examples for using AI effectively within the UAH environment.
To enroll and view the suggested tracks for your role, please follow the enrollment and search instructions in the Skills Training for Gemini & NotebookLM article.
Tips for Better Results (Prompting)
Be specific, provide context, iterate, and verify accuracy.
- Be Specific: Instead of "Write an email," try "Write a professional email to students explaining the new lab safety protocols."
- Give Context: Tell the AI who you are. "As a faculty member in Engineering, help me simplify this concept for a freshman class."
- Iterate: If the first answer isn't perfect, ask the AI to "Make it shorter," "Use a more formal tone," or "Add more examples."
- Verify Accuracy: Always review AI-generated content for facts and citations. Remember: AI can "hallucinate" (make up facts), so you maintain full responsibility for the accuracy of the final work.
Need Help?
If you have additional questions about this topic or need further assistance, please contact the OIT Help Desk.