Universities: AI Governance and the Deployment of Gemini

Only 34% of universities have a clear AI strategy, according to IREX. In response to this lack, Case Western Reserve, the University of Hawaii, and John Carroll are leveraging their Google environment, structured Gemini licenses, and training programs to secure and support usage, while also accepting other tools as long as internal policies are respected.

Few universities have a formal AI strategy

According to IREX, only 34% of higher education institutions have an artificial intelligence strategy aligned with their academic and operational priorities. Fewer than one in five universities have established governance structures to oversee AI. Aleksander Dardeli, CEO of IREX, notes that while most universities want to adopt AI, they lack a clear strategy. He observes that students, faculty, and staff are rapidly adopting various AI tools, while institutions, moving more slowly, are allowing fragmented and unregulated solutions to proliferate.

Hawaii: a guide and a top-down approach for compliant tools

The IT department at the University of Hawaii has implemented a decision-making guide on AI tools to help the community choose solutions that comply with the university's policies and data protection standards. The team has prioritized the integration of Gemini within the institution's Google ecosystem. According to Mitchell Ochi, the system president, Wendy Hensel has been driving AI preparedness since 2025, leading to a collaboration with Google to clarify licensing options and raising awareness among executive leadership. Training sessions are offered to faculty and staff, with updates based on features and license levels. ITS emphasizes support and documentation, including Zoom and Otter.ai among the supported and vetted solutions for privacy and security, to limit the use of potentially risky free products.

Case Western Reserve: directing usage towards Gemini within a Google campus

Case Western Reserve, a long-time Google campus, announced in September 2024 the availability of Gemini for its entire community via institutional Google accounts. The tool can serve as a writing assistant, learning aid, and generate custom images. UTech, which had already launched an internal AI portal, waited for the integration of Gemini into the Google Workspace for Education contract and the clarification of data governance before a rapid deployment. The goal was to steer the community away from unsecured consumer AI tools, adapting the rollout to different profiles: trials of Gemini Pro for faculty and staff, Pro licenses and advanced in-person training for leadership, a half-day event in December 2025 with Google, followed by monthly office hours open to the entire campus. A dedicated page lists generative AI services, and a regular newsletter keeps the community informed of updates. Departments can acquire Pro licenses to experiment with advanced workflows, while everyone has access to the non-Pro version included with Google accounts.

Educational uses and perceived limitations at CWRU

At Case Western Reserve, many faculty members use Gemini to create educational materials such as study aids or presentations. Tron Compton-Engle primarily uses it to manage his emails. He notes that some community members remain skeptical about AI and its role on campus. According to him, for those who use it with safeguards, the tool transforms practices.

John Carroll: steering committee, controls, and coexistence of tools

At John Carroll University, the deployment of AI is overseen by a steering committee comprising faculty, students, and staff, which addresses policies, governance, ethics, and sustainability. A Google campus since 2012, the institution only deployed Gemini after a risk analysis with a consultant to understand potential access and necessary controls. The ITS team monitors systems for vulnerable files. JCU encourages the use of Gemini, deemed the most cost-effective, but also accepts ChatGPT and Claude if policies are respected. Training is provided through online and in-person workshops, in collaboration with the student government to promote ethical adoption. Uses are differentiated: consolidating research for business students, while AI would be discouraged for drafting a first draft in English. Jim Burke links these choices to the university's Jesuit mission and the demand from employers for graduates comfortable with these tools.

CWRU: service offerings and supported AI providers

Case Western Reserve seeks to balance access to AI technologies with the protection of privacy and security. UTech offers general training, customized workshops, and an AI Playground to test applications before purchase. The approach aims to inform without proselytizing, allowing users to choose what suits them. Among the free services are Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and CWRU AI. Supported services include GitHub Enterprise Copilot, OpenAI Codex, Claude Code, Google AI Pro, Gemini, Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT, and Claude. The mentioned cloud platforms include Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.