Abstract
The Office of International Programs and Global Engagement (IPGE) is vital in supporting international students during their academic journey, during the application process, enrollment, and into campus life. However, with ever more inquiries from prospective and existing students, the office is constantly confronted with the issue of handling routine communication effectively. Students frequently question application status, required documents, deadlines, and general campus-related procedures. These questions are repetitive and must be answered to satisfy students and avoid delays in the admission process. Answering these questions manually consumes a lot of time and effort from administrative staff and hinders them from dealing with more complex, case-specific issues that require human judgment. Additionally, the absence of around-the-clock support particularly affects students in other geographies, who wait for feedback and consequently risk missing deadlines in their application process. Here was an instance where a solution that would have the capacity to automate IPGE engagement, be available round-the-clock, and give accurate and timely answers sensitive to the user's context had the potential to make a tangible difference.
In order to solve these issues, the project tried to develop an AI chatbot powered by GPT capabilities that could serve as a first point of contact for students. This chatbot is designed to deliver not just productive and scalable support but also personalized assistance, enhancing the overall student experience.
All the generic IPGE data was sourced from IPGE's publicly disclosed FAQs and documentation guidance documents [12] and application process procedures. Student personal and application data, which is handled with the utmost care and in compliance with data protection regulations, made up some of the system data. The data collected formed the foundational knowledge base for the solution that enabled the chatbot to answer relevant and personalized responses based on natural language processing capabilities.
IPGE's student support improved with increased student service accessibility by adopting their GPT-based chatbot system. Student service improved significantly through the system as it could provide accurate information in a timely manner, in real-time, with a reduced staff workload due to handling repetitive work and receiving regular student questions. The use of OpenAI to automate frequent contacts offered IPGE administrators a new way of driving their operations.