Skip to main content

AI Guide for Classified & Counselors

Work Smarter, Protect Students, Keep the Human Touch

You keep this college running: front counters, calendars, budgets, forms, outreach, appointments, and the hard conversations in a counseling office. This guide shows Fullerton College classified professionals and counselors how to use the AI you already have (Microsoft Copilot, signed in with your college account) to draft, organize, analyze, and design faster, while keeping student information protected under FERPA.

Work smarter. Learn smarter. Change the world for good.

Is it safe? Start here Jump to the skills Training slides

Last updated: October 2026. Prepared for AI Literacy Month. This is a living document. Microsoft updates Copilot often, so button names and menus may move.

About this guide

This guide is shared by Professor Gary Graves to help Fullerton College classified professionals and counselors explore AI with confidence. Nothing here replaces or overrides district, college, division, or department policies, or direction from your manager. Use your best judgment, and if you're still unsure whether a specific use is okay, check with your manager before you go ahead.

In This Guide

  1. Is it safe? Copilot & FERPA
  2. What can I put in? (interactive)
  3. Start with your role
  4. The skills: 16 things you can do today
  5. Build better prompts (interactive)
  6. For counselors
  7. Training presentation (view & download)
  8. The ground rules checklist
  9. Quick self-check
  10. Keep going

The goal is not to replace anyone's judgment or anyone's job. It is to give back the hours spent reformatting, rewording, and retyping so that more of your day goes to the people in front of you.

1. Is it safe? Copilot & FERPA

This is the first question almost everyone asks, and it is the right one. The short answer: Microsoft Copilot Chat, used while signed in with your Fullerton College / NOCCCD Microsoft account, is the college's protected AI option. It comes with your Microsoft 365 account at no extra cost, and it is built for work data.

What "enterprise data protection" means for you

  • Your prompts and files are not used to train the AI.
  • Your use is covered by Microsoft's Data Protection Addendum with the district, the same contract that covers your Outlook email and OneDrive.
  • Microsoft states that Copilot Chat supports FERPA compliance for prompts and responses when it is properly configured.
"Microsoft Copilot Chat supports FERPA compliance for prompts and responses for properly configured implementations. FERPA compliance does not apply to web search queries as they are not covered by the DPA." Microsoft Learn, Copilot FAQ

Read the second sentence of that quote again, because it matters for your daily work.

The one big caveat: web search

When Copilot searches the web to answer you, it sends a short search query out to Bing, and that query is not covered by the FERPA protections. So never write a prompt like "Look up scholarships for Maria Lopez, ID 12345678, a first-gen student with a 2.1 GPA." Ask the general question instead ("What scholarship types fit first-generation community college students?") and add the student's details yourself, outside of AI. If your Copilot has a Web / Work toggle, switch web off when you are working with internal documents.

Make sure you are in the protected version (30-second check)

  1. Go to m365copilot.com (or open the Copilot app / the Copilot button in Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Teams).
  2. Sign in with your college Microsoft account, the same one you use for Outlook. Not a personal Microsoft, Gmail, or Outlook.com account.
  3. Look for the shield icon or a "Protected" / "Enterprise data protection" label near the chat box or your profile picture. If you see it, you are in the work-protected version.
  4. If you see no shield, or it asks you to sign in with a personal account, stop and contact IT before entering anything about students or employees.

Not approved for student or employee information

Personal or free accounts of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Meta AI, Grammarly, browser extensions, "AI note-takers" that join meetings, and any app you signed up for with a personal email. They may be great tools, but the district has no data agreement with them, so student records, employee information, and confidential college business stay out. Generic, public tasks ("give me 10 Halloween potluck themes") are fine anywhere.

FERPA protects student education records. Other rules also apply to your work: personnel/HR records, health information, Social Security numbers, financial aid data (which also falls under federal GLBA safeguards), and Title IX or conduct matters. Treat all of these as confidential. Protected tools reduce risk; they do not make it okay to over-share. Use the minimum information needed.

2. What can I put in? A traffic-light guide

Green: go ahead

  • Public info: catalog, schedule, website text, flyers
  • Your own drafts, templates, procedures
  • Meeting agendas, general minutes
  • De-identified or made-up examples
  • Aggregate numbers (e.g., "312 students attended")

Yellow: Copilot (protected) only, minimum needed

  • A student's email you're replying to
  • Internal spreadsheets with names
  • Internal drafts, budgets, reports
  • Committee documents not yet public
  • No web search with these

Red: don't put in any AI

  • Social Security numbers, bank or card numbers
  • Medical, disability, or mental-health details
  • Discipline, Title IX, investigations, grievances
  • Full transcripts or financial aid files
  • Passwords, logins, anything "confidential personnel"

Try it: "Can I put this in Copilot?"

Pick a situation to see the call.

3. Start with your role

Choose the role closest to yours to see where AI saves the most time, with links to the skills below.

4. The skills: 16 things you can do today

Click any card to open step-by-step directions and a ready-to-copy prompt. Text in [brackets] is yours to fill in. Use the filters to narrow the list.

Improve email replies & write new messages

Get the tone right, get to the point, get the outcome you want.

IncludedOutlook
How
  1. In Outlook, open the message and select the Copilot icon (or "Draft with Copilot" / "Coaching by Copilot", depending on your version). Or paste the email into Copilot Chat.
  2. Tell Copilot the goal of your reply, not just "respond." Goals get better emails.
  3. Ask for "two versions" so you can choose. Then edit: you are the sender, so it should sound like you.
Prompt: reply with a goal
I work in the [office name] at Fullerton College. Draft a reply to the email below. My goal: [e.g., calmly explain the deadline has passed, offer the two options that are still available, and keep the student feeling supported]. Tone: warm, clear, professional. Keep it under 150 words, use short paragraphs, and end with one clear next step. Don't promise anything I didn't list. [paste email]
Prompt: coach my draft
Review my draft email below before I send it to [audience, e.g., my dean / a frustrated parent / all division faculty]. Tell me: (1) whether the main request is clear in the first two sentences, (2) anything that could come across as curt or defensive, (3) a tighter version that keeps my voice. [paste draft]

Remember

Only in Copilot signed in with your college account. Keep it to what the reply needs; leave out IDs, grades, and anything from the Red list.

Create documents from scratch

Memos, procedures, letters, FAQs, handouts, and reports in minutes.

IncludedWord
How
  1. In Copilot Chat, describe the document: who it's for, what it must include, how long, and the format (headings, bullets, a table).
  2. Ask Copilot to put it into a Word document you can download, or copy the text into Word. In Word itself, the Copilot button can draft or rewrite sections.
  3. Iterate: "shorten section 2," "make this readable at an 8th-grade level," "add a table of deadlines."
Prompt
Create a one-page [document type, e.g., student handout / internal memo / FAQ] for [audience] about [topic]. Include: [key point 1], [key point 2], [key point 3]. Use clear headings, short bullet points, and a "What to do next" box at the end. Reading level: plain language. Format it as a Word document I can download.

Ideas: office procedures, welcome letters, "how to" sheets for front-desk coverage, event run-of-show, reference letters (your words, polished), year-end reports.

Upload your templates & reuse them

Keep the college's format, let AI fill in the content.

IncludedWord · PowerPoint
How
  1. Select the paperclip / + / Upload button in Copilot Chat and attach your template (agenda, minutes, memo, letterhead, report).
  2. Tell Copilot to match the structure exactly and fill it with your new content.
  3. Save the prompt you used. Next time, reuse it (or build an agent so you never re-explain).
Prompt
I've attached our [office]'s [template name]. Use it as the exact format: same headings, same order, same tone. Fill it in using these notes: [paste notes or bullet points]. Mark anything you're unsure about with [CHECK] instead of guessing.

Tip

The [CHECK] instruction is one of the most useful habits in this guide. It turns AI guesses into a short list you can verify.

Create agents (custom chatbots for your office)

A helper that already knows your procedures, shareable only inside the college.

Included*Copilot Chat

An agent is a saved Copilot with its own instructions and knowledge. Instead of explaining your office's style every time, you build it once: "You are the Business Division front-desk assistant. You know our room numbers, deadlines, and how we answer common questions."

How
  1. In Copilot Chat, select Create agent (under Agents in the left panel; may appear as "New agent").
  2. Describe what it should do in plain words. Copilot drafts the name, description, and instructions; review the Configure tab.
  3. Add knowledge: public college web pages, or documents you're allowed to share (procedures, FAQs, templates).
  4. Add 3–4 starter prompts so coworkers know how to use it.
  5. Test it, then Share: keep it private, share with specific coworkers, or with people in the organization. Sharing stays inside the college's Microsoft tenant; people outside can't use it.
Agent ideas for classified & counseling teams
  • Front Desk FAQ agent: answers "where is…, when is…, who do I…" from your office's FAQ.
  • Minutes Maker: turns rough notes into minutes in your committee's exact format.
  • Email Tone Coach: rewrites replies in your office's voice.
  • Procedure Buddy: walks a new hire or student worker through your SOPs.
  • Event Planner: builds timelines, checklists, and room-request text.
Prompt to describe your agent
Create an agent called "[Name]" for the [office] at Fullerton College. Its job is to [purpose]. Audience: [staff / student workers]. It should always: answer in plain language, keep answers under 120 words, cite which document it used, and say "Please check with [office contact]" when it isn't sure. It should never: ask for or store student IDs, give legal, medical, or financial aid eligibility decisions, or make up policies.

Before you share

Only add knowledge files everyone you share with is allowed to see. Never add files with student records. *Agents built on instructions and public websites are included; agents that search SharePoint or other internal data may need a license your district may not have turned on.

Create & work with spreadsheets

Build trackers, write formulas, clean up messy lists, and make charts.

IncludedExcel
How
  1. Create: ask Copilot Chat for a tracker with the columns you need and ask for an Excel file.
  2. Formulas: describe what you want in words ("count how many rows say Approved in column D") and ask for the formula and how to use it.
  3. Analyze: upload the file and ask questions, totals, trends, or a chart.
Prompt: build a tracker
Create an Excel tracker for [purpose, e.g., purchase requisitions / room reservations / event RSVPs]. Columns: [list columns]. Add a dropdown for Status ([options]), conditional formatting that turns overdue items red, and a summary tab that counts items by status. Give me the file and a 3-line explanation of how to use it.
Prompt: explain a formula
In Excel, I have [describe columns]. Write a formula that [goal]. Explain it step by step like I'm new to formulas, and tell me what cell to put it in.

Check the math

AI can misread a column or round wrong. Spot-check two or three totals by hand before you send a report. Use de-identified data when you can (remove names and IDs before uploading).

Analyze PDFs & long documents

Summaries, key dates, comparisons, and "what does this mean for us?"

IncludedCopilot Chat
How
  1. Upload the PDF, Word file, or PowerPoint into Copilot Chat.
  2. Ask for what you need: summary, deadlines, action items, or a comparison between two versions.
  3. Ask it to quote the page or section for every claim so you can verify quickly.
Prompt
I've attached [document, e.g., the new board policy / a contract / a state memo]. Give me: (1) a 5-bullet plain-language summary, (2) every deadline or date in a table, (3) what changes for the [office] staff, (4) questions I should ask my supervisor. Include the page number for each point.

Great for: board policies and APs, state memos, vendor quotes, union contract sections, conference agendas, accreditation documents, long email threads.

Build better prompts

Goal, Context, Source, Expectations: the four-part recipe.

Core skill

Vague prompts get generic answers. Specific prompts get usable work. Use the interactive prompt builder below, and these habits:

  • Give it a role: "You are an experienced community college admissions specialist…"
  • Show an example of what good looks like (a past email, a model flyer).
  • Ask it to ask you questions first: "Before you write, ask me up to 5 questions."
  • Iterate: the first answer is a draft. "Shorter." "Friendlier." "Add a table."
  • Save winners: keep a "My Prompts" Word doc or OneNote page.
Before you answer, ask me up to 5 questions that would help you do this well. Then wait for my answers. Task: [describe task].

Build flyers (with your own photos)

Event flyers, social posts, digital signage, and bulletin boards.

IncludedDesigner · PowerPoint
Three ways
  1. Microsoft Designer (designer.microsoft.com, or "Create" in the Copilot app): describe the flyer and choose a design. Upload your own photos (your office, your team, a past event) and Designer builds around them. Your uploads stay in your account so you can reuse them next time.
  2. PowerPoint + Copilot / Designer: set the slide size to Letter (8.5×11), drop in your photo, and use Designer suggestions for layouts. Export as PDF or PNG.
  3. Copilot Chat: ask for an image or a flyer concept, then finish it in PowerPoint or Designer.
Prompt
Design a letter-size flyer for [event] at Fullerton College. Date/time: [ ]. Location: [ ]. Audience: [students / staff / community]. Headline: "[short headline]". Include 3 short bullets on why to attend, and a QR code placeholder for [link]. Style: bold, friendly, high contrast, lots of white space. Use the attached photo as the main image. Leave room at the bottom for the Fullerton College logo.

Flyer checklist

  • Proofread every word: AI images often misspell text. Type the real text in yourself.
  • Use the official college logo and colors from Campus Communications; don't let AI redraw the logo.
  • Only upload photos of people who agreed to be photographed for college use.
  • Make it accessible: high contrast, large fonts, and alt text for digital versions.

Agendas, minutes & meeting follow-up

From rough notes to clean minutes and action items.

IncludedTeams · Word
How
  1. Paste your rough notes (or a meeting transcript you are allowed to use) into Copilot.
  2. Attach the committee's minutes template so the format matches.
  3. Ask for decisions, action items (who / what / by when), and a follow-up email.
Turn these notes into formal minutes for the [committee] meeting on [date], using the attached template. Include: attendance, motions and votes exactly as recorded, discussion summaries (neutral tone, no quotes attributed to individuals unless in my notes), and an action-item table (Owner / Task / Due). Then draft a short follow-up email to members. Mark anything unclear with [CHECK]. [paste notes]

Brown Act & recording

For governed committees, minutes must reflect actual motions and votes. Always verify against your notes. Never record or transcribe a meeting without telling participants, and follow your district's rules on recordings.

Plain language & translation

Make policies student-friendly; draft Spanish, Korean, or Vietnamese versions.

Included
Rewrite the text below for first-year community college students, many of whom are first-generation and multilingual. Use plain language (about 8th-grade reading level), short sentences, and bullets. Keep every deadline, number, and requirement exactly the same. Then provide a Spanish version. [paste text]

Have a fluent speaker review

AI translation is a strong first draft, not a final one. For anything official (forms, legal notices, financial aid), have a fluent colleague or approved translator review it.

Write procedures (SOPs) & training guides

Capture "how we do it here" before it walks out the door.

Included

Talk through a task the way you'd explain it to a new coworker, paste it in, and let Copilot turn it into a numbered procedure. This is one of the highest-value uses for classified teams: coverage during vacations, onboarding student workers, and continuity when someone retires.

Turn my explanation below into a standard operating procedure for [task]. Format: Purpose, Who does this, When, What you need (systems/forms), numbered steps (one action per step), common mistakes, and who to contact. Add [SCREENSHOT] where a picture would help. Keep it to one or two pages. [paste or dictate your explanation]

Event planning & scheduling

Timelines, checklists, room-request text, and reminders.

Included
I'm planning [event] for about [number] people on [date] at Fullerton College. Build a backward-planning timeline (8 weeks out to day-after), a task checklist by owner, a supply list, and draft text for: the room/facilities request, a save-the-date email, a reminder email, and a thank-you email. Put the timeline in a table.

Reports, summaries & program review data

Turn numbers into a clear story for your dean or committee.

IncludedExcel · Word
Attached is [de-identified data, e.g., semester visit counts by month and service type]. Write a one-page summary for [audience] with: 3 key findings, 1 chart suggestion (and build it), trends compared to last year, and 2 recommendations. Show your calculations so I can verify them.

Tip

Use counts and totals, not individual records. "Show your calculations" makes checking quick.

Accessibility: alt text, readable docs

Make what you publish usable by everyone.

Included
  • Ask Copilot to write alt text for an image or chart you upload.
  • Ask it to restructure a document with real headings and simple tables.
  • Then run Word's or PowerPoint's built-in Check Accessibility tool (Review tab).
Write concise alt text (under 125 characters) for the attached image as it will appear on [our website / a flyer / an email]. Then write a longer description if the image contains important data, like a chart.

Social posts, web updates & announcements

One message, many formats: email, Canvas, Instagram, website.

Included
Take this announcement and create: (1) a 2-sentence version for a campus newsletter, (2) an Instagram caption with 3 relevant hashtags and an emoji or two, (3) a short website blurb, (4) a reminder text under 160 characters. Keep dates and links exactly as written. [paste announcement]

Prepare for difficult conversations

Practice de-escalation, plan talking points, and stay calm at the counter.

IncludedUse judgment

Copilot can role-play a frustrated student or community member so you can practice responses, or help you plan what to say to a supervisor or coworker. Keep scenarios generic; no real names.

Role-play a frustrated student at the [office] counter who [situation, e.g., missed a deadline and is upset]. Respond as the student, one message at a time, and let me practice. After 5 exchanges, step out of character and give me feedback on empathy, clarity, and de-escalation, with two phrases I could use next time.

Where to find Copilot

WhereBest forHow to open
Copilot Chat (web/app)Anything: drafting, uploads, analysis, agents, imagesm365copilot.com, or the Microsoft 365 Copilot app
OutlookReplies, new messages, tone coaching, thread summariesCopilot icon in the message ribbon
WordDrafting, rewriting, summarizing a documentCopilot button on the Home ribbon
ExcelFormulas, charts, explaining dataCopilot button on the Home ribbon
PowerPointSlides, flyers (Letter size), Designer layoutsCopilot button / Designer
TeamsChat with Copilot, catch up on threadsCopilot in the Teams left rail
Microsoft DesignerFlyers, social graphics, reusing your photosdesigner.microsoft.com (sign in with college account)

Some in-app features (for example, Copilot that reads your whole mailbox or SharePoint) require a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Copilot Chat, file uploads, and basic agents are included with your college account. What you see may vary with district settings.

Free, included, and licensed: why it's worth asking

Your college account already includes Copilot Chat with data protection, which covers almost everything on this page. A full Microsoft 365 Copilot license adds Copilot that works across your mailbox, Teams meetings, and SharePoint files, plus priority access to the newest models and higher limits. Free consumer AI apps are fun for exploring at home, but they don't come with the college's data protections, so keep them out of college work.

If you find a task where a licensed tool would save your team real time, tell your manager, with an example. Specific, documented needs are how these requests get approved.

5. Build better prompts

Microsoft teaches a simple four-part recipe. You don't need all four every time, but the more you include, the less you'll have to fix.

Goal

What do you want? "Draft a reply…", "Create a tracker…"

Context

Why, and who's it for? Your office, the audience, the situation.

Source

What should it use? An attached file, your notes, a template.

Expectations

Format, length, tone, what to avoid.

Prompt builder

Nothing you type here is sent anywhere. It stays in your browser.

Your prompt

6. For counselors

Counseling is relationship work, and AI should never stand between a counselor and a student. Used carefully, though, it can clear the paperwork so there's more time for the conversation.

Good uses

  • Drafting workshop slides and handouts (transfer, probation, career exploration)
  • Plain-language explanations of policies and requirements
  • Generic ed-plan pathways from the public catalog ("typical 2-year path for a Business AS-T")
  • Follow-up email templates you personalize yourself
  • Practicing hard conversations with fictional scenarios
  • Researching career options and labor-market info (no student details in the prompt)

Keep AI out of

  • Session or case notes containing personal, health, or mental-health details
  • Crisis or safety situations: follow your crisis protocol and people, always
  • Decisions on petitions, eligibility, or academic standing
  • Diagnosing or labeling a student
  • Anything a student told you in confidence

Always verify against official sources

AI is often wrong about transfer requirements, articulation, and deadlines. Confirm every course recommendation in ASSIST.org, the current catalog, and your degree audit system before it goes to a student.

Prompt: workshop in a box
Create a 30-minute workshop for community college students on [topic, e.g., "Getting off academic probation" / "Choosing a major"]. Include: learning goals, a 10-slide outline with speaker notes, one 5-minute interactive activity, a one-page take-home handout in plain language, and 3 reflection questions. Tone: encouraging, non-judgmental, culturally responsive.
Prompt: help students use AI well
Write a short, friendly handout for students on using AI to explore careers and majors responsibly: 5 good prompts they can try, 3 warnings (AI can be wrong about requirements, don't share personal info, check with a counselor), and where to verify (ASSIST.org, the catalog, their counselor).

For students, point them to the AI Student Guide.

7. Training presentation

The slides from the classified & counselor AI training. Page through them here, or download a copy to keep, print, or share with your team.

Download the slides (PDF) Open full screen

Your browser can't display the slides here.

Download the PDF

8. The ground rules

Check them off as you go. Your progress is saved in this browser only.

0 of 8 complete

9. Quick self-check

Five questions, about two minutes.

10. Keep going

AI Faculty Guide

How faculty are teaching with and about AI.

AI Literacy Module

My free, interactive course on how AI works, prompting, ethics, and privacy. Great for anyone.

AI Student Guide

Share with students you serve.

AI at Fullerton College

Programs, courses, and projects.

EduAI Atlas

Directory of AI tools and news for education.

Microsoft Copilot FAQ

Official privacy and data protection details.

FERPA basics

U.S. Dept. of Education Student Privacy site.

Questions, ideas, or a workflow you want help with?

Email ggraves@fullcoll.edu. If you build an agent or prompt that saves your office real time, send it my way. I'd love to share good ideas (with credit) during AI Literacy Month. For account access or anything that looks like a security issue, contact district IT first.

Work smarter. Learn smarter. Change the world for good.

Copied to clipboard