LOU and You, an artificial intelligence chatbot, is officially available for mobile communication with UNK students and staff. The messaging service sent its first text on Nov. 3.
“LOU and You will offer students an easy resource to ask questions without the fear of looking silly or the nervousness that comes with talking to someone,” said George Holman, the associate vice chancellor of student affairs.
This systemwide initiative has been in the works for a few years. Holman, who has served as the project coordinator, became aware of the four reasons students choose not to stay at their universities. Academics, sense of belonging, finances and mental health play major roles in student retention.
Holman reached out to several colleagues at other universities and found EdSights such as LOU and You to counteract these issues. EdSights are websites that provide information, resources and learning materials for students, teachers and parents. The Nebraska University system then received a grant to cover costs for moving forward with the project. UNO, UNL and UNK all implemented it this week.
DJ Hardwick, a member of the committee in charge of LOU and You, has also seen the advantages of an EdSight like this on other campuses.
“This model has produced strong gains in engagement and persistence at campuses nationwide, and even a modest version of that at UNK would mean dozens more students staying on track to graduation,” Hardwick said.
The service is available 24/7 with an emergency alert system also coded into it for students who may need extra resources. While there is no constant monitoring, some campaigns will help identify students who need assistance.
The bot is also there to answer questions about menu items, resources available to students or even finances.
“Through serving as project coordinator, I’ve been able to see the amount of things ed-sites like this can do,” Holman said. “It can answer questions, offer resources and also give us the ability to see questions that students are asking to analyze what we need to do a better job on.”
Holman, as well as his committee, will be analyzing responses and questions received from the chatbot to make UNK and college as a whole a less stressful experience.
This resource has already helped new freshmen on campus who are experiencing college for the first time. Kaycee Graf, a freshman pre dental hygiene major, has already used LOU and You.
“I think UNK implemented this especially for freshmen because it’s a fast and easy way to ask a question and get a quick response with the convenience of it on your phone,” Graf said. “I’ve already used it to see what was on the menu in the dining hall.”
While some students may be nervous about the use of AI or confused on how it works, Holman is hoping they choose to be optimistic about it.
“We understand implementing AI can make students weary, but we’re hoping they give it a try,” Holman said. “75 percent of workplaces are using AI on some level, and it’s a great tool to get them used to operating with it.”
If students texted “STOP” to opt out of messaging, they will no longer hear from LOU. Those who don’t can look forward to a text every 7-10 days. Some messages will be asking for student responses, while others are just a reminder of the resources. In the meantime, Holman is asking students to save the contact information and stay open-minded about the project.
