Dear Academic Advising Community,

Student Success and UTSA Online are excited to introduce you to RITA (Roadrunner Intelligent Technology Assistant) – our new AI-powered texting chatbot designed to support our undergraduate students with personalized, on-demand guidance.

This academic year we’re piloting RITA with all ONL Program undergraduate students and a sample of incoming first-time-in-college residential students.

Developed in partnership with EdSights (EdSights 101), RITA is available to students 24/7 to answer questions about the university any time, day or night. RITA’s responses all come from a knowledge base we’ve developed that covers a variety of topics:

· Academics (academic advising, study skills, etc.)

· Financial Matters (personal finances, financial aid, scholarships, etc.)

· Campus Life and Involvement (clubs, organizations, events, etc.)

· Student Well-Being (health clinic, recreation, counseling, etc.)

Just like "Siri" or "Alexa," RITA can answer students’ questions across a broad range of campus topics specific to UTSA.

RITA also proactively checks in with students throughout the semester, helping them stay on track and engaged.

To ensure meaningful follow-up and support, the Roadrunner Success Hub will be monitoring student interactions with RITA. When opportunities for follow-up arise, the Student Success Response Team will connect with students to provide additional guidance and resources. You might see notes in Inspire from our outreach connections.

This initiative reflects UTSA’s commitment to leveraging innovative technology to enhance student success and retention. We appreciate your continued support as we integrate RITA into our student engagement ecosystem.

RITA has sent out her introductory text message to students this afternoon. If you receive any questions from students about the chatbot, feel free to forward the questions to SuccessSupport@utsa.edu. If you have questions or would like to learn more about RITA, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Go Runners!

Roadrunner Success Hub

Melyssa Ranton, M.S.

Associate Director, Retention & Graduation Initiatives

Graduation Help Desk | The University of Texas at San Antonio

utsa.edu/roadrunner-success-hub

Relator | Strategic | Woo | Competition | Achiever

The University of Texas at San Antonio

One UTSA Circle

San Antonio, TX 78249

E-mail: melyssa.ranton@utsa.edu

Students: Please be sure to include your Banner ID or MyUTSA ID when corresponding with UTSA officials.

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