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Audience: Faculty, Staff
Responsible Group: IT Training and Outreach
Copilot Overview
Microsoft 365 Copilot is an AI-powered assistant integrated into the Microsoft 365 apps you already use, such as Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and more. It is connected to your work data, accessing it, reviewing it, analyzing it to answer your in-app prompt with your personalized work context, unlike the Copilot Chat that answers with web-based responses. When these applications are opened, Copilot is already there and ready to assist users with generating content, analyzing data, summarizing information, and streamlining workflows. Unlike standalone AI tools, Microsoft 365 Copilot is embedded directly in your everyday productivity environment, making it easier to use university data responsibly and securely. Copilot understands your document, email, or meeting context and offers suggestions, drafts text, summarizes conversations, and suggests edits. It can also create visualizations, identify patterns, and build summaries in Excel. It can help manage schedules, action items, and meeting recaps in Teams and Outlook. It works across the Microsoft 365 suite without switching between apps.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is available to purchase by departments for their staff. Want to test it out? Try the free version: Copilot Chat.
IMPORTANT:
Users must follow all federal and state laws, as well as UA System and University of Arkansas policies, when handling university data on any AI tool.
Access Copilot
Note: Departments must purchase a license for faculty and staff to gain access to the Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Process to gain access
- Request access - Complete and submit the AI Tools Request form in the UARK Help Portal. (See Related Services).
Cost: $240 per year per license
- Wait for approvals - Your request must be reviewed and approved by several designated approvers.
- Check your ticket/email- Once approved, an IT staff member will trigger the license activation. Your AI Tools Request ticket will be updated with, "The user has been assigned license Microsoft 365 Copilot (Education Faculty)." This will also send the user an email notification about the ticket change. After 30 minutes of receiving your email from IT Services, you can begin using Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook (Desktop & Web)
- Open any Microsoft 365 app (Word, Excel, etc.).
- Sign in using your @uark.edu credentials.
- Look for the Copilot icon in the ribbon or sidebar.
- Select it to open the chat panel and type your request.
Tip: Did you know Copilot for Microsoft 365 can draft an entire first draft of a report in Word based on a meeting transcript in Teams? This reduces hours of work into just minutes.
Check out more Microsoft 365 Copilot Features.
Training
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