FredGPT is FDU’s AI solution, currently featuring a General Assistant for daily tasks, and the FDU Assistant, a specialized assistant focused on Fairleigh Dickinson University information.
Note
FredGPT is now live and available for community use, though fine-tuning is still underway. If you encounter any issues while using either assistant, please use the feedback tool referenced in Section 4 instead of submitting a SAMI ticket at this time.
Index
All faculty and staff have access to FredGPT by visiting fredgpt.fdu.edu
Review FDU’s GenAI Policy before using FredGPT:
Review the course below which provides an overview of essential AI information.
AI Essentials for All Audiences
Watch the video series below, which provides an overview of using AI within the education setting.
The General Assistant is designed to assist with a wide range of daily tasks including writing, research, and problem-solving. Its broad knowledge base can help navigate complex issues, create teaching materials, and refine or organize your content. You can choose between two Large Language Models (LLMs) when using any of the assistants. The General Assistant does not have internet search capabilities, so its knowledge is limited to information from before June 2024.
The FDU Assistant is designed to provide comprehensive, trustworthy, and Fairleigh Dickinson University specific information to support faculty, staff, and leadership. It draws on resources from fdu.edu and it.fdu.edu, ensuring accurate and up-to-date responses to a wide range of topics, including admissions, academic programs, financial aid, campus life, and technical resources.
With a broad range of expertise, the FDU Assistant offers direct and well-reasoned answers, aligning with enterprise-level strategies and policies at FDU.
Discover how to initiate your first chat and unlock the full potential of FredGPT’s support.
Now that you’ve experienced the dynamic assistance of FredGPT firsthand, please remember that your feedback is essential. As you prompt, take a moment to provide feedback on the responses. Your comments will help the FredGPT team learn more detail about the effectiveness of the interactions and potentially improve future conversations.
Support Requests
Do not open a SAMI ticket based on your interactions with either assistant. Use the feedback tool featured in FredGPT.
Review the video below to learn how to share feedback.
A Large Language Model (LLM) is an artificial intelligence system trained on vast amounts of text data to generate human-like responses. FredGPT offers access to two LLMs: Llama 4 Scout and GPT-OSS.
Each LLM has its own strengths and characteristics, shaped by factors such as training data, model architecture, and fine-tuning objectives. As a result, their responses may differ, providing users with unique perspectives and performance profiles.
- Llama 4 Scout – trained on diverse sources with a knowledge cutoff of December 2023.
- GPT-OSS – trained on a separate corpus with a knowledge cutoff of June 2024.
| Feature / Use Case | Llama 4 Scout | GPT-OSS |
|---|---|---|
| General Writing & Conversation | Strong conversational model, excellent for speed, brief responses, and assisting with daily tasks | Excellent for smooth, natural conversation and detailed written responses. |
| Reasoning & Problem Solving | Good reasoning, but sometimes less consistent on multi-step logical chains. | Very strong logical reasoning and explanation skills — ideal for analysis, summaries, and academic-style tasks. |
| Creativity | Also capable but tends to produce shorter or simpler creative outputs. | Excels at brainstorming, storytelling, and drafting long creative text with structure. |
| Image Analysis | Can analyze, describe, and interpret images. (e.g., screenshots, photos, diagrams) | Cannot interpret or analyze images. |
| Data-Driven Tasks | Good, but sometimes less precise formatting. | Strong at working with tables, structured text, and mock data analysis. |
| Best For | Visual explanations based on screenshots, assisting with daily tasks, and brief writing. | More complex writing, analysis, teaching, administrative chat, documentation, and technical summaries. |
Review the video below which will show you how to toggle between offered LLMs.
Remember to use the Assistant best suited for your task.
General Assistant – Ideal for everyday tasks: scheduling, drafting emails, brainstorming ideas, or general research.
FDU Assistant – Use when you need university‑specific information: campus policies, faculty listings, event details, or library resources.
| Prompt Elements | How to Include It | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Desired tone | State the voice you want (e.g., formal, friendly, concise). | “Write a formal invitation to the graduate research symposium.” |
| Boundaries/scope | Specify limits (word count, focus area, “only” emphasis). | “Summarize only the key eligibility criteria for the FDU scholarship in 150 words.” |
| Follow‑up cues | Ask the assistant to anticipate next steps or clarifying questions. | “After the summary, list two follow‑up questions a student might ask.” |
| Condensing / expanding | Indicate if you need a brief version or a detailed version. | “Expand the paragraph on campus sustainability initiatives to 300 words.” |
| Capitalization for emphasis | Capitalize key nouns or actions to draw attention. | “Highlight the DEADLINE for the internship applications.” |
Remember to proofread and edit your response before using it.
After each interaction, provide feedback (thumbs‑up, thumbs‑down, or comments) so FredGPT can improve its future responses for you and the community.
What is FredGPT?
FredGPT is an on‑campus AI‑powered assistant that helps faculty, staff, and students with everyday tasks and with locating FDU–specific information.
Which assistants are available?
- General Assistant – Handles generic tasks such as drafting emails, brainstorming ideas, summarizing documents, and general research
- FDU Assistant – Specializes in university‑related queries (course catalogs, policies, events, library resources, faculty contacts, etc).
How do I choose the right assistant?
Use the General Assistant for anything not tied to campus‑specific data. Switch to the FDU Assistant whenever you need information that is unique to FDU.
What kind of prompts work best?
- State the desired tone (formal, friendly, concise)
- Set clear boundaries (word count, “only” focus)
- Use capitalization to emphasize key terms
- Indicate whether you need a condensed or expanded response
Can FredGPT solve complex math problems?
FredGPT is primarily language‑focused. It can handle simple arithmetic and explain concepts, but it is less reliable for advanced calculations or symbolic math. As with all GenAI prodcuts, remember to check the output from your prompt for accuracy.
How accurate is the information from the FDU Assistant?
The FDU Assistant references fdu.edu and it.fdu.edu to generate responses, and is accurate based on the information available on those two sites.
What should I do if the response is incomplete or off‑topic?
- Proofread the answer and note what’s missing
- Resubmit a clarified prompt, adding constraints or examples
- Use the feedback buttons (thumbs‑up/thumbs‑down) and, if desired, leave a comment so the system can improve
Is there a limit to how many prompts I can send?
There is no hard daily limit for individual users but excessive querying may be throttled to ensure fair access across the community.
How is my data handled?
Queries are processed anonymously to generate responses. No personally identifiable information is retained beyond what is required for session continuity, and all data handling complies with FDU’s privacy policies.
How can I give feedback on FredGPT’s performance?
After each response, click the thumbs‑up or thumbs‑down icon. If you choose thumbs‑down, you can add a short comment describing the issue (e.g., “Incorrect deadline,” “Tone too informal”). It is also extremely helpful when providing feedback to provide a link to the correct information. This feedback helps the development team refine both assistants.
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