Registrar’s Office develops bots to improve student experience, efficiencies
Kim Chaudoin |
The Lipscomb University Registrar’s Office is utilizing Boodlebox AI tools to develop innovative ways to make information more accessible and processes more efficient. Under the leadership of Nanci Carter, director of academic technology and operations, the office has proactively explored how AI can address the high volume of questions and administrative tasks they manage daily.
Nanci Carter
“I love new technology. I’m always ready to embrace new technology,” she shared. “The AI tools that we now have available to us are incredible, and it has been great to explore what we can do with them.”
She has developed two bots — RegTech and Linus, that are published and in the testing phase, with two others on the way. These are designed to elevate the student experience and provide efficiencies within the Registrar’s Office.
- RegTech is designed specifically for faculty and staff, providing instant, step-by-step guidance for technical tasks in CNS and Conclusive, the university’s registration and degree audit systems. Whether it’s performing a registration override, making a degree plan exception, or entering a departmental schedule, RegTech delivers clear instructions on demand.
- Linus serves as a comprehensive resource for academic policy and procedure questions. While currently developed for faculty, staff and students, Carter said Linus will soon focus exclusively on student inquiries, due to the large volume of information, with a separate bot planned for faculty and staff in the future. Students can ask Linus how to drop or add a class, find important academic deadlines, file graduation forms, order regalia or appeal a grade.
“I want students to have a good experience with Linus, especially when they’re stressed,” Carter explained. “It’s cheerful, positive and helpful—a calming presence.”
Two additional bots are in development: a Course Description Wizard to help students understand transfer credits, and a Curriculum Change Assistant to streamline program and course updates.
Carter encourages the campus community to embrace these tools. “These are never going to replace a human. I’m just trying to help you with your job,” she said. “What I’ve learned is to not be scared (to use these tools), to just keep trying.”