Custom GPTs

🎓Custom GPTs at Sonoma State: A Guide to Exploring, Creating, and Sharing

Welcome to your guide to Custom GPTs—a powerful way to tailor ChatGPT to your specific needs as a faculty member, student, or staff member at Sonoma State University. Whether you're designing a tool to support advising, developing a class-specific AI teaching assistant, or streamlining your daily workflows, Custom GPTs let you create personalized AI assistants—no programming required.
 

This guide will walk you through three key actions:

• Exploring Custom GPTs created by others
• Creating your own Custom GPT from scratch or a template
• Sharing your Custom GPTs with others at SSU or beyond

With step-by-step instructions, example use cases, and tips for responsible use, this guide will help you harness the full potential of Custom GPTs in your academic or professional role.

🎓 Faculty Example:
A biology instructor finds a Custom GPT titled “Lab Report Grader” that helps provide feedback on student drafts using a rubric. They pin it to their sidebar for grading support throughout the semester.
👩‍🎓 Student Example:
A history major uses a GPT called “Citation Coach” to generate citations in MLA format and check for proper formatting.
🧑‍💼 Staff Example:
An administrative coordinator finds a “Meeting Minutes Assistant” GPT that summarizes Zoom transcripts into bullet points and follow-up tasks.

🔍 Exploring Custom GPTs

Custom GPTs are specialized versions of ChatGPT designed for specific tasks or roles. Think of them as AI coworkers, tutors, or assistants with tailored instructions. You can explore public Custom GPTs built by others—many designed for education, research, productivity, and more.
 

1. Log in to ChatGPT

   -Visit chatgpt.sonoma.edu and sign in with your Sonoma State account.

2. Open the Explore GPTs Page

   -On the ChatGPT homepage, look to the top of the left-hand menu, just above your chat history.

   -Click “Explore GPTs” to open the Custom GPT directory.

   -Or go directly to chat.openai.com/gpts.

3. Search by Topic or Use Case

   -Use the search bar at the top to enter keywords such as

   1. syllabus assistant
   2. research buddy
   3. meeting summarizer
   4. STEM tutor
   5. assignment feedback

   - You can also browse by tags like “Education,” “Productivity,” “Research,” or “Coding".

4. Preview and Try a Custom GPT

   -Click on a GPT to read its description and see what it’s designed to do.

   -Click "Try GPT" to open it in a new chat window and start a conversation.

✏️ Creating Custom GPTs

Creating a Custom GPT allows you to tailor ChatGPT’s behavior for a specific purpose—like helping students prepare for a final exam, guiding new staff through onboarding tasks, or organizing research notes. You don’t need coding skills—just clear instructions and a bit of creativity.

1. Log in to ChatGPT

   - Visit https://chat.openai.com and sign in with your Sonoma State account.

2. Open the GPT Builder

   -In the left-hand menu, click “Explore GPTs.”

   -In the top right of the Explore page, click “Create” to open the Custom GPT builder.

3. Choose a Starting Point

   -Clicking on the Left Button “Create” You’ll be asked: “What would you like to make?”

   1. You can describe your idea in plain English, and ChatGPT will help build it.
   2. Alternatively, choosing the “Configure” option to have more control over settings like name, instructions, and tools.

4. Customize Your GPT

   -You’ll walk through several steps to define how your GPT behaves:

   1. Name and Description – Give your GPT a clear, descriptive title.
   2. Instructions – Tell the GPT who it is and how it should behave. (e.g., “You are a Sonoma State onboarding assistant who answers questions from new staff.”)
   3. Conversation Starters – Provide prompts like “How do I set up my SSU email?” to help users begin.
   4. File Uploads (optional) – You can add documents like syllabi, policies, or training guides to shape how the GPT responds.
   5. Tools (optional) – Enable features like image generation or code interpretation if they’re relevant to your GPT.

5. Test and Save

   -Use the built-in chat preview to test your GPT’s responses.

   -When you're ready, click “Update & Save” (or “Create” if it's a new GPT).

🎓 Faculty Example
A chemistry professor creates a Custom GPT named “Chem 110 Tutor” with embedded lecture notes and practice questions. The GPT helps students review key concepts and walk through sample problems.
👩‍🎓 Student Example
An art history major builds a GPT called “Visual Study Buddy” that quizzes them on artwork names, artists, and historical periods using their uploaded flashcard list.
🧑‍💼 Staff Example
An academic advisor builds “Transfer Help Bot,” a GPT that helps students understand transfer requirements using uploaded PDFs from the SSU catalog and transfer agreements.
 

🔗 Sharing Custom GPTs

Once you've built a Custom GPT, you can control who has access to it—from private use to broader sharing across the Sonoma State community. This flexibility allows you to create GPTs for specific classes, departments, or the entire campus.
 

Step-by-Step: How to Share a Custom GPT

1. Navigate to Your Custom GPTs

   -In the ChatGPT interface, click “Explore GPTs” in the left-hand menu.

   - In the top-right corner of the Explore page, click “My GPTs.”

   -This will show you a list of all custom GPTs you’ve created.

2. Click the Pencil Icon

   -Find the GPT you want to share and click the ✏️ pencil icon to the right of its name to open the Builder.

3. Click the Share Button

   - In the Builder, click the “Share” button in the top-right corner.

4. Set the Access Level

   -Under the Access dropdown, choose one of the following options:

   1. Invite Only – Only individuals you specifically invite can use the GPT.
   2. Anyone at Sonoma State University with the Link – Anyone with an SSU login can access the GPT if they have the link (ideal for classes or teams).
   3. Sonoma State – All SSU users can search for and access your GPT without needing a direct link.

5. Copy the Link and Save

   - After setting your access level, you can copy the link if needed.

   - Click “Save” to apply your sharing settings.

🎓 Faculty Example
A professor shares their “APA Style Coach” GPT in their Canvas course homepage to help students with formatting and citations.
👩‍🎓 Student Example
A senior creates a “Capstone Coach” GPT and shares the link with peers working on similar projects.
🧑‍💼 Staff Example
A department assistant sets their “New Faculty Orientation Bot” to “Sonoma State” so it's discoverable and usable by all new employees on campus.

✅ Summary

With Custom GPTs, you can:

• Explore tools designed by others to boost your teaching, learning, or work
• Create your own GPTs without writing code
• Share them with your community to support and scale impact

Custom GPTs empower you to bring the Sonoma State of Mind to your everyday tasks—curious, confident, and ready to lead.