Madgwick Student: Safety, privacy, equity and job readiness at scale
When 85-90% of university students are already using AI tools,1 providing secure, equitable access becomes an institutional responsibility. Madgwick Student, launching November 1, addresses this need through a custom platform that prioritises student protection while building essential workforce skills.
Safety architecture in practice
Every student must complete a mandatory Safe Use of AI course before accessing the platform.
The safety framework operates across three layers. Automated filters detect and flag concerning content categories. When patterns suggest potential student distress, the system can provide direct access to support service contacts while alerting Safe Communities teams. These mechanisms work alongside the inherent safety features of the underlying AI models, which are configured to refuse harmful outputs.
The architecture balances student autonomy with institutional duty of care – providing powerful tools within appropriate guardrails.
Data sovereignty and controlled access
Madgwick operates on NSW-based cloud infrastructure with full encryption for data at rest and in transit. Unlike commercial platforms, under Madgwick's data policy student data is never used to train AI models.
Student conversations remain separate from academic oversight – lecturers and tutors cannot access student chats. However, the platform maintains audit capabilities for safety monitoring and technical support, with access restricted to authorised personnel under specific protocols. This approach balances privacy with necessary safeguards.
The distinction matters. Students gain a space for academic exploration without routine surveillance, while the university maintains its ability to respond to safety concerns or provide technical assistance when required.
Removing financial barriers
Premium AI subscriptions represent a significant expense that many students cannot afford. This creates an emerging digital divide between those with access to advanced AI tools and those without.
Madgwick Student eliminates this financial barrier, as every UNE student receives free access to the same comprehensive toolkit – advanced research through Perplexity and Grok, image generation, coding support, and task planning capabilities.
The platform remains optional unless specified as a course requirement, respecting student choice while ensuring opportunity.
Workforce preparation through practical application
Students using Madgwick aren't just consuming AI – they're learning to work with it strategically. The platform enables students to create, customise and share their own AI assistants for specific tasks, from research workflows to study planning. This hands-on experience mirrors professional AI deployment.
The Madgwick ecosystem already contains over 2,800 assistants created by UNE staff, demonstrating the platform's maturity and capability. Students enter a proven environment that reflects real-world AI implementation.
These aren't abstract skills. Students develop practical experience with prompt engineering, workflow automation, and appropriate AI application – competencies increasingly expected by employers across sectors.
Implementation and support
The staged rollout begins November 1 with PhD and Masters by Research students, extending progressively to all students over three months. Each cohort receives email invitations with access through existing UNE credentials.
While Cogniti continues as the platform for unit-based teaching and learning activities, Madgwick Student serves a different function: comprehensive support for individual study, research, organisation and wellbeing needs.
For staff preparing to support students through this transition, three key points emerge. First, the safety mechanisms are proactive, not reactive. Second, the privacy model balances student autonomy with institutional responsibilities. Third, the platform develops genuine workforce capabilities through practical application.
The Madgwick Student webpage, live from October 1, provides comprehensive documentation, FAQs, and support resources for staff reference.
Campus Technology, 2024; HEPI/Kortext Student Survey, 2025