With fewer students applying to college, the competition to attract and retain them is fierce. As a school that has always embraced innovation, we knew at Georgia Southern that we had to rethink how we engage with students to stay competitive.
Today’s students are digital natives, through and through. They’re used to seamless, intuitive experiences. Whether ordering food delivery on an app or streaming their favorite shows, they know how to use nearly any digital platform without instruction. As such, creating an experience for students that feels equally easy to navigate is what higher education institutions need to offer to remain relevant.
Our key to jumping over this hurdle was creating a personalized experience that would meet our students where they’re at — and that’s where AI has made a huge difference. We implemented a basic text-based chatbot, which evolved into an AI-powered virtual assistant, completely transforming how we engage with our campus community. Gus, our university’s AI system created with DRUID AI, has helped us achieve the level of personalization that our students crave – and we need to stay ahead of the curve.
Personalizing the student experience
When we first launched Gus, it was simple. It could answer some FAQs and offer information about campus events, but it wasn’t exactly what you might call “intelligent.” Over time, we worked to evolve Gus into something much more dynamic. Now, Gus is a sophisticated AI tool that provides answers to common questions and connects with other university systems to provide instant information.
For example, Gus can check a student’s academic status, look up their financial aid and even tell them about any holds on their account. These are all things that previously would require a visit to a department or a phone call to an office, things that can’t always be done promptly, given students’ busy schedules.
While many still think of AI systems as purely chatbots, they’re much more complex than that. Unlike basic chatbots that handle simple queries, advanced AI systems can integrate with other technologies and processes to deliver tailored, real-time support. Gus is trained to engage with students in a way that feels authentic and supportive, reflecting the values and tone of our university community. This approach allows us to connect students with the right resources at the right time, which has significantly impacted the student experience.
Take our academic improvement plans, for instance. Previously, students filled out the 16-page form manually – which was time-consuming and had a very low completion rate. With the help of AI, we turned the AIP process into something students could complete easily on their phones.
The result? The completion rate jumped from 27% to 99%. And even more importantly, we saw a 48% drop in the number of students failing the courses they were struggling with. Gus helped create a tangible solution to this problem, and with fewer students at risk of failing, we’ve been able to focus more on proactive support to help them succeed across their academic journey.
Predicting (and preventing) student challenges
One of the most beneficial things AI can help learning institutions with is the ability to predict student success or failure. Using predictive and prescriptive analytics, and looking at attributes that indicate a student’s risk of attrition, we can identify which students are at a higher likelihood of dropping out or falling behind in their courses.
We can look at factors like test scores, class performance, and personal circumstances to predict which students might need extra support. And thanks to AI, we can pinpoint those struggles at the earliest possible point for intervention and think of what prescriptions are most effective to help students succeed.
At Georgia Southern, we use these predictive tools to support students in real time, and we’ve seen the power of this approach when it comes to our students, including our busy student athletes, who have to balance school, sports and often an outside job. In identifying student struggles early on, we can offer one-to-one guidance to help them stay on track. Using this type of data-driven approach helps students work toward their goal of achieving academic success while also allowing universities to improve retention and completion rates.
Assisting administrators
Gus centralized access to services and information, integrating deeply with the university’s infrastructure while offering 24/7 intelligent support. The university created a more responsive, personalized and scalable digital campus experience by shifting from one-way messaging to a dynamic AI-driven ecosystem. The impact:
- 2% increase in enrollment
- $2.4M in additional revenue
- 300,000+ messages sent with less than 1% opt-out
Gus brought together advanced features such as campaign management, survey administration and an array of HR functionalities, all within an intuitive conversational interface powered by AI. This approach allowed for a reduction in manual processes and elevated the overall efficiency of university operations. The virtual assistant was meticulously designed to understand and process inquiries in natural language, offering personalized responses and guidance across a broad spectrum of university life, from enrollment questions to HR inquiries.
Looking ahead: AI’s future in higher education
Evolved AI systems are helping us address real-time needs in ways we couldn’t before with simpler bots. It’s helped us to anticipate challenges, support students when they need it most, and make their overall experience more seamless from the application process to becoming an alumni. This results in a more connected community where students feel a deeper sense of engagement with those around them.
Looking ahead, AI will continue to be central to tailoring experiences at higher education institutions. Still, for it to truly succeed, we need to continue to balance it with human interaction. AI will never replace the personal connections we build with students, faculty, and staff. Still, when used correctly, it can amplify them and create a more efficient, personalized and supportive environment for everyone.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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