From Calls to Clicks: How the University of Houston Transformed Student Support with AI-Powered Efficiency

About the University of Houston

Founded in 1927, the University of Houston (UH) is a leading public research institution and the largest university in Houston. UH offers more than 276 degree programs and serves a diverse community of students dedicated to innovation, discovery, and social impact. Recognized nationally for advancing opportunity and driving economic growth, UH continues to shape the future through research, education, and community engagement.

The challenge: Managing overwhelming inquiry volume while maintaining a high-quality student experience

As student inquiries increased year over year — particularly during peak periods like registration and financial aid deadlines—staff across multiple departments at UH found themselves overwhelmed by repetitive questions. Common requests such as password resets, transcript updates, and account balance checks consumed valuable time that could otherwise be spent on higher-touch student support.

The growing demand for real-time answers highlighted the need for a new, scalable solution. Leadership sought a way to streamline communication, reduce call volume, and ensure that students could access the information they needed, anytime and anywhere.

The solution: Implementing an AI-powered virtual assistant to streamline support and empower self-service

To address these challenges, UH identified a virtual assistant as the strategic solution to rethink how service and information are delivered at scale. By implementing an institutionally managed virtual assistant, named Shasta, UH was able to offload routine inquiries, enhance the student experience, and drive greater operational efficiency across campus.

Rapid launch and collaboration

Departments across Enrollment Services, Office of Administration, and IT worked together to identify the most common student questions and build integrations. With strong leadership support and cross-departmental collaboration, the team achieved a successful soft launch in just a few weeks.

Data-driven insights and optimization

From the start, the team prioritized measurement and continuous improvement. A dedicated dashboard was created to track metrics such as conversation volume, resolution rates, and changes in call activity. These insights guided ongoing enhancements, helping departments refine content, identify new integration opportunities, and maintain consistent accuracy.

To ensure outcomes were measurable and repeatable, UH put several foundational practices in place, including:

• A defined onboarding process
• Targeted training
• Clear success metrics
• Built-in accountability across UIT and participating departments and colleges

Engagement and adoption

Shasta, the virtual assistant, handled more than 10,000 conversations within the first few months, demonstrating strong student demand for 24/7 self-service. Once promoted through social media, email, and digital signage, usage increased by an additional 30%.

The institution also introduced collaborative onboarding sessions for participating departments, helping teams define their goals, identify key use cases, and align on success metrics.

Building a unified student experience

The initial launch included integrations for transcript checks, account balances, and FAFSA status updates, ensuring that students could get personalized, quick, and accurate answers to their most common questions from day one. The next phase of the initiative focuses on creating a unified “shared brain” across all virtual assistants, giving students a single, intelligent entry point for information, no matter which department they’re trying to reach.

The outcome: Fewer calls, faster answers, and a smarter, data-driven student experience

Since implementing Shasta, UH has seen measurable improvements in efficiency, service quality, and student satisfaction.

Key results include:

• 75% reduction in IT live chat volume year over year at the same time
• 9,000+ conversations handled in the first semester
• 33,000+ conversations from February through October with an 82% resolution rate
• 28% decrease in Financial Aid call volume year over year at the same time
• 10% decrease in Admissions call volume year over year at the same time

By reducing repetitive inquiries and empowering students with instant, accurate answers, the university has freed staff to focus on more complex needs and personalized support. 

Today, the chatbot is a vital part of the institution’s digital engagement strategy, helping departments work smarter, collaborate more effectively, and deliver the modern, on-demand experience students expect.

Looking ahead, UH is exploring how IVR can further extend this approach into call centers, creating even more automated, accessible, and seamless support across the student journey.

Solution spotlight

Gravyty is the AI-powered engagement platform purpose-built for higher education, K-12 schools, and nonprofits. From first engagement to first gift, Gravyty empowers institutions to deliver smarter, faster, and more personalized engagement at every step of the student and donor journey. With solutions for 24/7 student support, alumni engagement, fundraising and stewardship, Gravyty helps teams scale their impact, break down silos, and provide always-on support without burning out staff.

Ivy & Ocelot from Gravyty empowers teams to create always-on, high-touch communication, without increasing staff workload. From multilingual virtual assistant support to data-powered content improvements, Ivy & Ocelot helps higher education institutions like the University of Houston drive meaningful engagement, streamline support, and ultimately increase enrollment yield.