Copilot – Work Smarter with AI
Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant built into Microsoft 365 that helps Capilano University staff work more efficiently, write better content, analyze information, and complete tasks faster.
Rather than starting from a blank page or manually searching for information, Copilot works alongside you in familiar Microsoft tools to provide suggestions, summaries, and insights based on your work context.
Copilot is designed to enhance productivity while respecting organizational security, data privacy, and governance requirements at CapU.
With Copilot, you can:
- Draft, rewrite, and summarize content in Word and Outlook
- Analyze data and generate insights in Excel
- Create presentations and speaker notes in PowerPoint
- Get quick answers and summaries from your work content
- Reduce repetitive tasks and improve day-to-day efficiency
- Overview of Copilot
Getting Started for End Users
If you are new to Copilot or primarily use it for everyday productivity tasks, start here.
Copilot Basics:
How to Use Copilot Effectively
Copilot works best when given clear instructions and meaningful context.
You can:
- Ask Copilot to summarize emails, documents, or meetings
- Generate first drafts and then refine them
- Turn notes into structured content
- Explore data trends and explanations
- Save time on routine writing and analysis tasks
How does it work?
Copilot uses large language models combined with your Microsoft 365 context (such as emails, documents, and calendars you already have access to) to generate responses and suggestions.
Copilot only shows information you are already permitted to access and operates within Microsoft’s enterprise security and compliance framework.
Accessing Copilot
Capilano University's current Microsoft licensing model is A5 which includes basic Copilot chat feature is available. Advanced features and application level integration are only available as an additional add-on. Capilano University provides Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses selectively to staff and faculty whose roles demonstrate a measurable benefit from AI-assisted productivity, research, or student engagement outcomes. Given the subscription cost and compliance requirements, DTS must ensure that each license request aligns with the University’s Digital Transformation Strategy (2030) and deficit-reduction goals, yielding demonstrable return on investment (ROI).
Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on costs 22.62 CAD per user per month, representing an annual cost of approximately 271.44 CAD per license. This cost will not be covered by DTS; it will be charged directly to the requested faculty or divisional cost center.
Capilano University staff and faculty are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Microsoft’s Copilot capabilities prior to requesting a license, rather than completing any specific course. The following official resources provide practical guidance:
Familiarity with these resources demonstrates readiness to not only request Copilot but also to use Copilot responsibly and supports ROI evaluation.
Eligibility Criteria
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Category
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Eligibility Description
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Examples
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Administrative Efficiency
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Automating repetitive communications, scheduling, summarization, or report generation tasks that reduce staff workload
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Department coordinators produce recurring reports, managers consolidating meeting notes, staff creating routine documentation
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Academic Support & Research
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Using Copilot to summarize large documents, generate literature reviews, or structure course materials efficiently
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Faculty preparing syllabi, summarizing journal articles, or drafting grant proposals
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Data-Driven Decision Making
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Using Copilot to interpret Excel data, create summaries, or visualize operational metrics that inform decisions
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Budget analysts, operations leads, program chairs tracking enrolment or spending trends
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Communications & Collaboration
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Improving accessibility and quality of communications through AI-generated summaries, rewrites, or document templates
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Administrative assistants, faculty leads, or HR using Word/Outlook Copilot to simplify workflows
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Student Engagement or Advising Impact
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Supporting better student outcomes through Copilot-assisted messaging, summaries, or scheduling
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Faculty advisors drafting student feedback or progress summaries
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Important Note About AI Use & Governance
Copilot is intended to support your work, not replace judgment or decision-making. Content generated by AI should always be reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness before use. Use of Copilot at CapU must align with institutional policies, privacy requirements, and data governance standards.
- Before requesting a paid license, staff and faculty should first verify whether the free Copilot Chat experience meets their basic needs (e.g., chat summarization or idea generation). The free chat can be accessed through your O365 web account.
- Cybersecurity Advisory: Users are prohibited from entering personally identifiable, confidential, or proprietary University data into non-tenant or public AI systems, without express authorization and oversight, by way of Cybersecurity Policy or direct leadership permission. Simply put If it’s not a paid license, it’s not within the tenant, and it can be used for public training.
- Paid licenses are reserved for demonstrable enterprise value, not personal convenience or experimentation.
DTS reserves the right to reallocate or revoke licenses based on measured ROI, institutional priorities, or any identified cybersecurity related violations.