Each college builds its own assistants for its own jobs
A college administrator can start with one job, choose approved sources for that job, test the assistant, and publish it when the sources and the handoff office are ready. This page shows three common assistants and the steps to publish.
Admissions and financial aid assistant
This assistant answers general admissions and aid questions from approved college pages. Personal questions ask the person to sign in and use the private route.
Example questions
- What documents do I need for financial aid
- When is the application deadline for a program
- How do I check my application status
Handoff office
Admissions office for application questions. Financial aid office for aid questions. The screen shows phone, email, hours, and location for the office that was chosen.
What the visitor sees
The welcome text names the college and the assistant. It states that answers come from approved sources. It offers starter questions. When no approved source covers a question, the screen says so plainly and names the office to contact.
Public sources only are shown to a visitor without an account. Student records are never shown in public.
IT help desk assistant
This assistant answers account and access questions from approved help pages. It hands off to the IT help desk when a person needs a staff member.
Example questions
- How do I reset my college password
- Why is the portal not loading on my phone
- How do I connect to campus Wi-Fi
Handoff office
IT help desk, with phone, email, hours, and location shown on the screen. The transcript and the sources tried travel with the handoff so the person is not asked again.
What staff do next
Staff open the handoffs queue, read the question and the sources tried, edit a draft reply drawn only from approved sources, and close with a note on the answer given or the next step.
Student services assistant
This assistant answers registration and campus service questions from approved pages. Each college names the office for each topic.
Example questions
- How do I request a transcript
- Where do I buy a parking permit
- How do I book an advising appointment
Handoff office
Student services or the Registrar office, based on the topic. The screen shows the office name, hours, phone, email, and location.
How sources are chosen per assistant and how approval works
An assistant can be published only when every linked source is approved for that college and a handoff office is named. Changes to a published assistant create a new draft version and need re-approval before they go live.
Pick one job
Choose admissions, IT help, student services, or another job. Name the assistant and write the welcome text.
Choose approved sources
Select only approved sources for this college. A source belongs to one college unless system governance marks it shared across colleges.
Name the handoff office
Choose the office from the office directory for that college. Write the message for when the answer is not known.
Submit for approval
Approvers read the sources and the wording. They approve, return with a note, pause, or retire the assistant.
Publish or pause
Publishing updates the assistant for new chats. Pausing an assistant stops new answers at once and keeps past answers readable.
Follow the build an assistant guide and the approve a source guide.
How to test an assistant before publishing it
Test conversations are labelled as test and excluded from usage and satisfaction counts. Staff mark each result pass or needs work before approval.
Ask and check
Ask a question the source can answer and open its source link. Ask a question the source cannot answer and check the handoff message and office.
Mark and fix
Mark each result pass or needs work with a note. Fix the source or the wording and test again before approval.
Follow the test answers guide. Then request a demo or sign in to build your first assistant.
Start with one assistant
Choose one job, approve its sources, test three questions, and publish when the handoff office is named.