UCR Information Technology Solutions is pleased to announce the April 29, 2026, soft launch of The Grove—a secure AI campus assistant designed to help you reclaim your time. 

What is The Grove?

The Grove is a powerful new resource available only to the UCR community. It has the potential to become your campus-connected, time-saving platform. To realize this vision, we are looking for eager early adopters to provide the feedback and guidance necessary to cultivate its growth.

Key features of The Grove include:

• Familiar, Powerful Tools: The Grove contains familiar AI tools like Gemini chat and NotebookLM, as well as powerful new agents that can perform tasks and streamline workflows.
• Responses Grounded in UCR Information: What makes The Grove unique is that it is directly connected to UCR information systems and uses this campus data to inform responses and actions while aligning to your unique permissions.  
• Private, Closed System: The Grove operates within a secure, UCR-only environment. It centralizes access to institutional knowledge, automates processes, and provides personalized assistance.
• Data Security: The data used within The Grove remains within the university’s control. Any data provided is not used to train public AI models. As a result, it is acceptable to use sensitive, protected data. 

Cultivating Knowledge. Harvesting Time.

The goal of The Grove is simple: give Highlanders their time back. The university's extensive information systems are complex and can be challenging to navigate. The Grove aims to address this by offering "agents" that provide a central, more direct way to access institutional knowledge and resources. 

How Can I Prepare to Use This New Resource?

To learn how to get the most out of The Grove, we encourage you to attend the upcoming workshop series:

• April 29 at 1 PM - Foundational Concepts & Gemini Ecosystem (register to attend)
• May 13 at 1 PM - Data Management & AI Best Practices (register to attend)
• May 27 at 1 PM - No-Code Agent Building (register to attend)

We’ll open the gates to The Grove on April 29, 2026. Keep an eye out for the announcement on how to access it and provide feedback!

How Does The Grove Work? 

The Grove is built on Gemini Enterprise and leverages a lot of the same generative AI technology that Highlanders have come to know with their Google AI for Education accounts. What sets The Grove apart, however, is the fact that it is a closed-system environment that is directly connected to UCR’s data sources. Grounding the platform in UCR’s data helps ensure that responses are relevant, personalized, and based on UCR-specific information. When interacting with The Grove, it operates within your existing UCR account permissions and only references emails, calendars, and resources to which you have access.

Moreover, The Grove features new, cutting-edge agentic AI. These “agents” are connected to specific UCR sources and can actually perform tasks on behalf of the user, such as sending an email, scheduling a meeting, or submitting a support ticket.    

It’s important to note that The Grove is new, and currently only connected to a few key UCR data sources. The plan is to connect all relevant UCR information systems over time to achieve the vision of The Grove serving as a true central resource with customized assistance and time-saving integrations and automation. Campus feedback will be key to that ongoing work.

How Can I Improve The Grove?

While we are excited to launch this initial version, there is significant growth ahead as we continue to refine and expand The Grove’s capabilities. Your active participation and insights are vital to this process. Once in The Grove, you’ll be able to provide feedback directly from the home page. ITS will review all submissions, using the information to prioritize new features, improve system responses, and further develop The Grove’s functionality.