Pepperdine University earns Google recognition and Digital Education Council membership for AI initiatives

Pepperdine University in California has received recognition from Google and the Digital Education Council for its work on artificial intelligence in higher education.

The university announced on Oct 21 that it had been selected as one of the first Gemini Reference Universities in North America and awarded Gold Tier membership of the Digital Education Council. It also highlighted its engagement with EDUCAUSE on research and discussions around AI in higher education.

Google recognition and global education network

Pepperdine said Google selected it in August 2026 as one of the first Gemini Reference Universities in North America. The designation recognises its work with Google Gemini and AI tools in education, including their use in learning and administrative workflows through Google Workspace.

According to the university, the designation provides access to emerging AI features, recognition in a global directory and opportunities to exchange practices with education leaders.

Pepperdine also joined the Digital Education Council as a Gold Tier member. The council connects higher education institutions and organisations working on digital transformation, AI literacy and the future of education. Membership gives

Pepperdine access to research, working groups, global summits and resources on areas including digital governance and AI ethics.

The university said it joined the council in July 2026 after being approached by the organisation and consulting two existing member institutions about their experiences.

Building AI skills among faculty and staff

Pepperdine said it has also been working to address concerns among faculty and staff about the privacy and security risks associated with generative AI tools.

Its Information Technology department introduced Google Gemini for Education as part of a broader strategic initiative. It also established a tiered framework for assessing AI tools and their appropriate use.

Between September 2025 and June 2026, the university delivered 98 live training sessions covering five core topics. These sessions recorded 1,156 registrations and engaged nearly 700 individual employees, according to the announcement.

The university cited several examples of how staff and faculty have applied AI tools. Its Office of the General Counsel uses Gemini and automated scripts to extract contract clauses and schedule deadline alerts. Finance staff used a customised Gemini tool to organise more than 1,800 unstructured email threads into a four-year dataset.

At the Caruso School of Law, faculty use AI to generate mock client transcripts from case files for student writing assignments.

AI across teaching and research

Pepperdine has also introduced AI-related learning initiatives for students. Seaver College has incorporated an AI literacy course into its core curriculum, while the university’s Waves 100 course includes an AI module intended to develop practical familiarity with the technology.

The university said its approach also includes an AI Oversight Committee, an academic AI policy and a framework intended to ensure digital course content meets accessibility and inclusion standards.

Through its participation in EDUCAUSE, Pepperdine expects to engage with wider research and discussions on technology in higher education. The university said these partnerships would allow its faculty, administrators and students to exchange practices with institutions internationally.

The announcement reflects Pepperdine’s efforts to integrate AI into teaching, research and administrative work while establishing policies for its use. The university did not report independent measurements of the initiatives’ effects on student learning outcomes.