The University Support Center Dashboard

This is the continuation of a transcript of a presentation by Stu Worman from Indiana University at an IT conference for unversity IT professionals.

Let’s take a look at the university support center dashboard. These are our contacts to our help desk, our support center. What we can start to know is how do these things change, how do they relate to each other? One thing that I have learned over time is that when you see an increase in calls to our support center, as a user support director, it means something to me. It means some thing has changed.

What has changed in the environment? Is it because there are outages? Is it because there are things going on that we need to fix? Did we change something where we didn’t prepare properly?

What I have learned from this is that a change doesn’t just affect our support group. It affects our call center operators, the people who answer the phones. Because if people can’t get through to the support center, they will start calling any number they can get an answer to. And I didn’t know that before. I didn’t know that it really affected other organizations and how they have to respond to an event. So we started training them. We start giving them information, start giving them tools so they can help with those kind of events.

How Is Artificial Intelligence Helping in University Support Departments?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making significant strides in university support departments, enhancing efficiency, improving student experiences, and reducing administrative burdens. Here's a deep dive into how AI is transforming these departments:

1. Student Services & Support

• AI Chatbots & Virtual Assistants
  Universities are deploying AI chatbots like Ivy.ai, Pounce (Georgia State University), and Watson Assistant to provide 24/7 assistance for students. These bots handle common queries about enrollment, course schedules, financial aid, and mental health resources.
• Example: Georgia State University's Pounce reduced summer enrollment melt by 22% by answering financial aid queries instantly.
• Personalized Academic Advising
  AI-powered recommendation systems analyze students' performance and suggest courses, extracurricular activities, or study materials. Systems like Advising Analytics help students choose courses based on difficulty, past grades, and career interests.
• Example: IBM Watson's AI helps some institutions provide personalized study plans based on student strengths and weaknesses.

2. Administrative & IT Support

• AI-Powered Help Desks
  AI assists IT departments by automating technical support. Instead of relying on human agents, AI-driven platforms troubleshoot network issues, software problems, or account login difficulties.
• Smart Scheduling & Resource Allocation
  AI optimizes scheduling for classrooms, exams, and office hours, reducing conflicts and ensuring maximum resource utilization.
• Example: Civitas Learning helps universities use predictive analytics to allocate resources efficiently.
• Automated Document Processing
  AI-driven Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tools process applications, transcripts, and financial documents, reducing the workload on administrative staff.
• Example: The University of California uses AI to automate transcript evaluations.

3. Financial Aid & Enrollment Management

• Predictive Analytics for Student Retention
  AI models analyze student engagement, attendance, and grades to predict dropout risks. Universities intervene early by offering counseling or financial aid.
• Example: Purdue University uses Forecasting Student Success AI to predict and assist at-risk students.
• AI-Driven Financial Aid Assistance
  AI bots guide students through financial aid applications, helping them navigate FAFSA or scholarship opportunities.

4. Mental Health & Well-Being

• AI Mental Health Support
  AI-driven tools like Woebot or Wysa offer mental health support by engaging in conversations and providing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques.
• Example: Some universities integrate these chatbots into their wellness programs to provide immediate support before directing students to professional counselors.
• Crisis Detection & Intervention
  AI analyzes social media posts, emails, or discussion forums to detect students struggling with mental health issues, alerting counselors before crises escalate.
• Example: The Early Alert System at some universities flags students showing distress signals.

5. Library & Research Assistance

• AI Research Assistants
  AI tools like Semantic Scholar, Elicit, and Iris.ai assist students and faculty in finding relevant academic papers, summarizing research, and generating citations.
• Smart Library Management
  AI-enhanced catalog systems offer personalized book recommendations, automated checkouts, and chatbot-based query handling.
• Example: The British Library uses AI for advanced search capabilities and archive digitization.

6. Career Services & Alumni Engagement

• AI Resume & Interview Coaching
  AI platforms like VMock analyze resumes, provide feedback, and offer mock interview training using natural language processing (NLP).
• Job Matching & Career Path Guidance
  AI-driven job portals match students with internships or jobs based on their skills, coursework, and past experiences.
• Example: The University of Texas uses AI Career Coach to connect students with relevant opportunities.
• Alumni Relationship Management
  AI tools analyze alumni data to personalize engagement efforts, ensuring better networking opportunities for current students.