| | FEBRUARY 20199CIOReviewthey also provide extensive data about the success--or not--both of individual students as well as cohorts. This data can be used directly to identify individual students with problems and prompt timely intervention that can help a student stay on track. It can also provide vital data about the effectiveness of student services on campus--for example, do students who follow up on referrals to the writing center do better than students who don't? This data can direct campus leaders to provide better support to effective interventions, and an opportunity to improve--or eliminate--services that are not effective in improving student success.Most recently, the improved capabilities and reduced cost of AI and Machine Learning tools have become part of the technology tool kit for campuses. Many campuses have implemented, or are implementing, one or more "bots" that provide an alternative way to get students the information they need when they need it. While we may think that "all the information the students need is on the website", we know that many students will not read long, complicated instructions. Providing call centers for student questions and guidance is expensive, especially because so much of the business of higher education is seasonal and episodic - a student attempting to speak to the right person on the last day to apply for financial aid or register for classes is likely to end up in a queue. Alternatively, what if a student knows that there's a place to send questions via text message, or they can use a software enabled audio device to get answers? Routine questions can be handled well by the current generation of bots; more complex questions or highly personal issues ("I'm so depressed, I'm going to drop all my classes") can be referred to the appropriate staff who have more time to focus on the complicated problems and difficult student challenges because they are not answering the easy questions ("What time does the library close tonight?") Combining bots with information from CRM or advising software can enable customized communication or "nudges" to encourage students to make changes or take action to help them be more successful.A bot implementation can provide data--what questions are students asking? What are the questions they have that we never thought they would ask? Furthermore, campuses that have enabled bots often report that students find them fun and engaging.A college education is a far more complex process than buying a pair of shoes. However, we've done a poor job historically of simplifying the business aspects of the process. As one student said to me, "Sure, you can give me whatever run around you want and I'll figure it out, because I want to get my degree--but really, I'd rather be spending the time learning about my subject rather than learning how to get through college." Visionary CIOs partnered with leaders in the student services areas have the tools to reduce the non-academic challenges of the college journey so that students can focus on intellectual and personal growth. A CRM enables every student touchpoint to have a full "360-degree view" of the student's profile, needs, concerns, and transactional history
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