Copilot at NDSU for faculty and staff

An overview of Copilot licensing for NDSU employees

What is Copilot?

Copilot is an AI assistant available through Microsoft. At NDSU, Copilot is the only FERPA‑compliant AI tool approved for faculty and staff use when working with university or student information. It is provided through our Microsoft contract and comes in two levels: Copilot (included) and Microsoft 365 Copilot (paid add‑on).

Do I already have Copilot?

Yes. Copilot Chat is included with eligible Microsoft 365 accounts for faculty and staff. No additional license is required to access this version.

What can the included Copilot do?

The Copilot that’s included with Microsoft 365 can help you:

  • Draft, rewrite, and summarize text
  • Brainstorm ideas or outlines
  • Answer general questions
  • Work with content you paste in or upload manually

Copilot Chat works across Microsoft 365 on the web, in Teams, and in your browser, and it uses enterprise data protection to keep NDSU data secure.

What can’t the included Copilot do?

Included Copilot does not automatically access your work files or communications. This means it:

  • Can’t see your Outlook emails or calendar
  • Can’t reference your Teams chats or meetings
  • Doesn’t automatically pull from OneDrive or SharePoint

To get help with work documents, you need to paste or upload content yourself.

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot (the paid version)?

Microsoft 365 Copilot is an optional, paid add‑on license that provides deeper integration with Microsoft apps and your work data.

What does the paid version add?

With Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot can:

  • Work directly inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
  • Securely use content you already have access to, such as:
    • Emails and calendar events
    • OneDrive and SharePoint files
    • Teams chats and meetings
  • Generate first drafts of documents and presentations
  • Summarize meetings and email threads automatically

This version is designed for productivity workflows that depend on real work context.

Which version should I use?

  • Use included Copilot if you want help with writing, brainstorming, or general questions.
  • Consider Microsoft 365 Copilot if your work involves frequent document creation, data analysis, or managing large volumes of email and meetings.

Is Copilot safe to use with NDSU data?

Yes. Both versions of Copilot available to faculty and staff use enterprise data protection and are approved for work use at NDSU. Personal/consumer AI tools should not be used with university or student data.

Bottom line

  • Included Copilot helps you think, write, and draft.
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot helps you do the work inside Microsoft apps using your real work files and communications.

Keywords:
copilot, ai, work, ferpa 
Doc ID:
161022
Owned by:
Kristi S. in NDSU IT Knowledge Base
Created:
2026-04-30
Updated:
2026-04-30
Sites:
NDSU IT Knowledge Base