ChatGPT at CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó

On Feb. 10, 2026, the 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó System announced a system-wide partnership with OpenAI to provide ChatGPT Edu access to all CU faculty, staff and students across all four campuses and the CU System Office. At the request of the Faculty Council, student access to ChatGPT Edu was later delayed until August 15, 2026 while faculty and staff access remained per the initial schedule.  This is a unified CU system initiative; access and core functionality will be consistent across each campus, including CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó.

This transition brings several important benefits. First, it ensures equitable access to advanced AI tools so that every member of the CU community, regardless of department resources or funding, can engage with cutting-edge technology. It also supports CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó’s priority to foster the success of all students, faculty and staff.

ChatGPT Edu offers a more secure and privacy-aware environment than the public version of the generative AI tool. While we know that the public version of ChatGPT is already widely used by CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó students, faculty and staff, ChatGPT Edu ensures that CU data is not used to train public 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó and is handled according to the university’s data privacy expectations.

OIT will continue to share updates, offer training and provide support to help the entire CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó community navigate this change with confidence. This page, as well as the ChatGPT at CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó FAQ and will be updated regularly during the transition to answer common questions.

Timeline & rollout plan

Although ChatGPT is well-established and ready for technical deployment, the rollout of ChatGPT Edu on campus will occur in phases to ensure careful vetting and a thoughtful implementation that supports a wide range of users and needs. While details on timing are being finalized at the system level, the timeline below provides a general sense of what the CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó community can expect:

  • Environment launch and testing: In early 2026, campus staff configured the ChatGPT Edu environment for our campus and a limited test group to help test functionality, gather feedback and guide campus readiness efforts.
  • Campus Access: Base-level access is available to CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó faculty and staff as of March 31, 2026. . Students will be provided base-level ChatGPT Edu access starting August 14 as announced in .Ìý
  • Advanced Feature Release: More complex capabilities, such as advanced reasoning 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó, Codex, API access and similar tools, will be introduced through summer and fall 2026, once the CU System determines availability and support requirements.
  • Training & Readiness Resources: Before gaining access, users will be required to complete a brief online training. Additionally, CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó has created the optional self-paced course hosted in Canvas where users can learn more on the topic of AI.  Additional workshops, tutorials and guidance will be offered throughout the rollout.

This information will be updated as more details become available and dates are finalized.

How ChatGPT Edu fits Into CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó's technology and policy landscape

ChatGPT Edu is being introduced as an additional AI resource for the CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó community. It expands the set of supported tools available to students, faculty and staff, and does not replace existing AI or productivity platforms already approved for campus use.

With ChatGPT Edu, users will have access to a secure, institutionally supported environment where CU credentials are required and CU data receives stronger protections than those offered by public AI tools. This ensures that faculty, staff and students can use generative AI while aligning with university standards and data governance expectations.

Other tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, which is approved for use with confidential data, will continue to be available. The availability of ChatGPT Edu does not change CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó’s existing data classification rules, FERPA obligations, or accessibility requirements, nor does it change any academic integrity expectations for students. All campus policies remain fully in effect.

Faculty will continue to determine whether and how AI tools may be used within their courses. Instructors may choose to allow, limit or prohibit AI use and should outline their expectations in their syllabi and course communications.

Resources