TOPICS: Chatbot for University    Building a chatbot   

College enquiry chatbot: How chatbots change campus technology

We always knew that 21st century universities would go the digital route. What we might not have predicted, though, was the extent to which technology would define how modern universities function. College enquiry chatbots, in particular, have made waves in the world of higher education, transforming the way students interact with their universities. Campus technology, in particular, has had a major facelift thanks to these chatbots. Here’s why.

Every college needs a campus guide.

At the start of any academic year, newly enrolled students have a long list of questions.

“When does the library open?”

“Where do I go for my Biochem class?”

“How do I sign up for the football club?”

And so on. Usually, new students try and look for a faculty member for information, or work up the courage to ask a senior. What this means is that at the beginning of every academic year, the university’s faculty and staff members are burdened with the additional responsibility of showing new students the ropes and answering the same bunch of questions.

This is precisely why universities need campus guides. And College enquiry chatbot development has created the perfect solution.

Over the past few years, leading colleges and universities around the world have been building College enquiry chatbots for their websites. These chatbots are able to function as round-the-clock campus guides, and at a fraction of the cost of hiring multiple human employees. They’re also way more accessible than human guides, because students don’t need to track them down. All they need to do is open the university website, and type their query into the live chat window.

The college enquiry chatbot gives them an instant – and accurate – response. So when the student wants to know if the computer lab is open on weekends, they don’t get vague answers like, “Yeah, I think so, but you should check with them.”

Instead, the online chatbot tells them, “Yes, the computer lab is open on Saturdays, from 10:00hrs to 15:00hrs. It is also available for use on Sundays, with prior permission from the dean’s office.”

The whole process can be repeated over and over again, and it’ll always be just as effective as the first time.

College enquiry chatbots guide students to the right sources of information.

The questions we illustrated above were fairly straightforward. In the absence of an online chatbot, students would be able to get them answered by anyone who’s been on campus for a while – a senior student, the dorm’s resident advisor, or a faculty member. But a lot of the time, they need help with very specific issues and don’t know who to ask. And those are the situations where college enquiry chatbots become all the more important.

Universities that create a chatbot to respond to student queries, automatically create a more streamlined information exchange system. Students – both new and existing ones – don’t have to spend time figuring out who to direct their custom queries to. The College enquiry chatbot can take their questions and point them in the right direction.

Example 1:

Student: “I want to register for the summer internship program at [Institute] next year. How do I make sure I qualify?”

Chatbot: “Have you read the eligibility criteria for [Institute]’s summer internship program? You can read them on this link. Prof. J. Wilson ([Department]) handles applications for the program. You can get in touch with him for detailed information. Here are his contact details.”

Example 2:

Student: “I have opted for the annual fee payment option. I’d like to find out if I can convert that into monthly instalments for the next 6 months.”

Chatbot: “You can send an email to our Finance department on [email ID]. You can also meet them in person at [Building], between 9:00hrs and 16:00hrs Monday through Friday.”

College enquiry chatbots take universities beyond time zones.

Universities that take applications from overseas students should be prepared to cater to their queries and concerns outside of business hours. Building chatbots is an inexpensive and effective way to achieve that. With chatbots in place on a university’s website, international applicants can log in at any time and ask questions about their student visas, fee payment options, and academic matters. In case of tailored enquiries that the chatbot isn’t programmed to answer, the student can create a ticket with their request and someone from the university’s concerned department can email them back in a day or two.

With more and more colleges opening their doors to overseas enrollments and student exchange programs, this simple but effective functionality is a big step in the direction of a tech-savvy and inclusive campus where every student feels at home.

Updates and notifications by chatbots all semester long.

Chatbots don’t just have a role to play at the beginning of the academic year. Colleges and universities can use them to notify students about upcoming examinations, events and activities throughout the semester. This can take two routes. Students can ask the chatbot for information, by asking questions like:

“When is the deadline on my lab report?”

“When do the mid-terms start?”

“What’s my time table for the next two weeks?”

Alternatively, important reminders and updates can be built into the chatbot’s initial message itself. So for example, when the due date for dissertation papers approaches, the chatbot could greet students with a message like:

“Hi there! Please type your question below. Important reminder: All dissertation papers for [subjects] are due by Friday, 23rd March. Late submissions can incur penalties.”

Or, categories like “Important dates” and “Time table” can be added to the menu of options in the chat window, so students can access them easily.

College enquiry chatbots development is revolutionizing university campuses around the world. Would you like more information or assistance with building chatbots for your institute’s website? Just leave us a message and we’ll be happy to help.