When Keith Whitfield, PhD, assumed the role of president at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 2020, he had an ambitious, if somewhat unrealistic, goal to speak with every student on campus — all 30,000 of them. Last month, in support of that vision, he commissioned a digital version of himself that is accessible to anyone at any time as a chatbot. The conversational chatbot acts as a “one-stop shop” for information on a wide range of topics, including campus resources, enrollment data, and much more.
“I hope people feel a little more comfortable because they get to know me and feel like they are a piece of the UNLV community,” Whitfield explains. “When you feel like you belong and when you know people at your university, your success increases because it doesn’t feel odd to ask questions, and you don’t feel like there is no one you can go to.”
Creating a digital avatar of a president is one of the more innovative ways that colleges and universities have begun using artificial intelligence (AI), but UNLV is not alone in its endeavor to use this technology to support students and build community. Georgia State University (GSU) and Elon University have previously implemented some form of AI to promote student success. This approach, if balanced with effective in-person communication, can be especially beneficial for first-generation and economically disadvantaged students who are less likely to know how to navigate the college experience, Whitfield explains.
Continue reading: https://www.insightintodiversity.com/universities-embrace-artificial-intelligence-to-support-students/
“I hope people feel a little more comfortable because they get to know me and feel like they are a piece of the UNLV community,” Whitfield explains. “When you feel like you belong and when you know people at your university, your success increases because it doesn’t feel odd to ask questions, and you don’t feel like there is no one you can go to.”
Creating a digital avatar of a president is one of the more innovative ways that colleges and universities have begun using artificial intelligence (AI), but UNLV is not alone in its endeavor to use this technology to support students and build community. Georgia State University (GSU) and Elon University have previously implemented some form of AI to promote student success. This approach, if balanced with effective in-person communication, can be especially beneficial for first-generation and economically disadvantaged students who are less likely to know how to navigate the college experience, Whitfield explains.
Continue reading: https://www.insightintodiversity.com/universities-embrace-artificial-intelligence-to-support-students/
