Let me introduce you to Bucky.
Bucky is a new addition to the ETSU website, found on the Financial Aid page at the bottom right of users’ screens.
According to Financial Aid Associate Director Blake Hopson, Bucky was created to give real time financial aid support to the student body in the form of a new resource called Bucky The Chatbot. The resource is available 24/7.
The Chatbot was designed by the financial aid and student body experts at Ocelot, featuring Financial Aid TV. Bucky was launched on the site on Aug. 5, equipped already with about 1,000 questions and growing.
Artificial intelligence is only as sophisticated as its programmers make it, and the Financial Aid team spent much of the summer working to fine-tune Bucky. As a result, the current “I Don’t Know” response rate to users is about 2%.”
Simply type in a question and usually in less than a second Bucky will respond. According to Hopson, Bucky is easy to use and helps alleviate stress you may have about financial aid, especially on the weekends. Financial Aid TV works alongside Bucky in its immense selection of tutorial videos.
Hopson’s role in this new resource is serving as part of a team implementing Chatbot. This team worked on Bucky to accommodate the questions most students and their families stumble upon and need assistance with. This should provide students with a more customized and positive financial aid experience.
An initial knowledge page was built for Bucky, but he continues to progress and “grow” daily to accommodate different terms and language. Built with the growing knowledge base alongside the video platforms, Bucky is designed to enhance the experience of the student body and provide help for everyone.
