Build assistants that answer only from approved sources
Each college approves the pages and files its assistants may use. Staff build an assistant for one job, publish it when the sources are ready, and read reports to see what to fix next. This page shows what your college sets up and what each person gets.
Approved sources with an owner and a review date
A source is a web page, a file, or a collection. It has one owner office and one review date. Only a source in approved status can be linked to an assistant or cited in an answer.
Web page
Add the address of a college page. Staff check the page on a schedule. A page that no longer loads is flagged for the owner.
File
Upload a handbook, a form, or a policy in PDF, Word, or text form. Passages from the file can be cited in an answer.
Collection
Add a group of related pages or files under one owner. Each page keeps its own title and link.
What staff do with a source
- Owner office is named for every source
- Review date is set before approval
- A source past its review date stops being used in new answers until it is re-approved
- Retiring a source removes its passages from new answers at once and keeps past citations readable
Read how source approval works and follow the approve a source guide.
College assistants for admissions, financial aid, IT help, and student services
Each college builds its own assistants. One assistant covers one job. It uses only approved sources for its college and names a handoff office before it can publish.
Admissions and financial aid
Answers application and aid questions from approved pages. Hands off to the admissions or financial aid office.
IT help desk
Answers account and access questions from approved help pages. Hands off to the IT help desk.
Student services
Answers transcript, registration, and campus service questions from approved pages. Hands off to the named office.
What a builder sets up
- Set the name, welcome text, and covered topics
- Choose approved sources for this college only
- Name the handoff office and write the message for when the answer is not known
- Test the assistant and send it for approval before publishing
See assistant types and sample questions and follow the build an assistant guide.
Answers with linked sources and a plain not-known message
A signed-in person asks in plain words on the Ask screen. The assistant answers only when at least one approved source supports the answer. Every answer lists its sources with links.
When is the add deadline for spring term
The last day to add a class for spring term is shown on the academic calendar. Check the calendar page for the exact date for your term.
Sources
- Academic calendar, last checked date shown
- Registration guide page, last checked date shown
Example of a not-known message: I do not have an approved source for that question. Talk to the Registrar office. Phone, email, and hours are shown on the screen.
What the person can do on the answer screen
- Open each source link and read the source title and last checked date
- Rate the answer helpful or not helpful
- Copy the answer or export your own history
- Paste a draft and choose Write a first draft, Make it plain, or Translate to Spanish, then edit before saving
Drafts are labelled as drafts and never send without a person editing and saving them. Learn the steps in the ask and check sources guide.
Handoffs to the right office with the transcript attached
When an answer is not known, or when the person asks for a person, the screen offers the named office. The question, the answer given, and the sources tried travel with the handoff.
For the person who asked
See the office name, phone, email, hours, and location. Send the question with contact details already filled in. Keep the reference number for follow-up.
For staff in the office
Open the queue by college, assistant, office, and status. Read the question, the answer, and the sources tried. Edit a draft reply drawn only from approved sources, then send, book a time, or transfer.
A draft reply never sends without staff review. Closing a handoff needs a staff note with the answer given or the next step. Follow the hand off to an office guide.
Reports by college and assistant, and the unanswered work queue
Reports show usage, satisfaction, and unanswered questions by college and assistant. Staff act on the numbers by assigning work and fixing sources.
Usage and satisfaction
See questions asked, answered share, hand-offs by office, and helpful ratings. Every headline number opens the list behind it.
Unanswered themes
Unanswered and low-rated questions are grouped by theme. Staff assign an owner office and a due date.
Fix and check
Staff add or fix an approved source or improve the assistant. A theme is marked resolved only when the change that covers it is linked.
Test and staff preview sessions are excluded from headline counts and labelled as excluded. College local time is stated on the screen. Read the reports page, the read reports guide, and the work unanswered guide.
See what your college would set up
Request a demo to walk through approved sources, an assistant, and the first report with your own questions. Sign in if you already have an account.