ExploreWSU: Navigating Academic Success With AI
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Presenter(s)
Raymond Pitzen
Abstract
The process of committing to a program of study is a significant challenge for many incoming students, often characterized by information overload and the frustration of navigating disconnected academic and career resources. WSU Explorer addresses this challenge through a unified, data-driven platform designed to guide program discovery at Winona State University. Developed for the Warrior.AI Symposium and supported by the AI Innovation & Engagement Pilot Fund, this project utilizes AI-powered tools to aggregate authoritative sources including MN DEED, WSU IPAR, and IPEDS, into a single accessible interface. At the center of the platform is a custom Warrior Advisor agent that helps students explore academic programs through a conversational interface tailored to Winona State. The site provides program-specific data such as enrollment trends, faculty, career outcomes, and course requirements, allowing students to compare their options more efficiently and make better-informed decisions. In addition, the platform tracks real-time program interest, geographic trends, and conversion data, providing the university actionable insights into student engagement and experience. By combining web development, institutional research, and AI capabilities, WSU Explorer demonstrates how universities can use data and intelligent tools to empower students to make more informed and confident decisions about their academic goals.
College
College of Business
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Prof. Pat Paulson
Second Advisor/Mentor
Prof. Larry Schrenk
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Format of Presentation or Performance
Pre-Recorded Video
Metadata Creation Responsibility
Raymond Pitzen
ExploreWSU: Navigating Academic Success With AI
The process of committing to a program of study is a significant challenge for many incoming students, often characterized by information overload and the frustration of navigating disconnected academic and career resources. WSU Explorer addresses this challenge through a unified, data-driven platform designed to guide program discovery at Winona State University. Developed for the Warrior.AI Symposium and supported by the AI Innovation & Engagement Pilot Fund, this project utilizes AI-powered tools to aggregate authoritative sources including MN DEED, WSU IPAR, and IPEDS, into a single accessible interface. At the center of the platform is a custom Warrior Advisor agent that helps students explore academic programs through a conversational interface tailored to Winona State. The site provides program-specific data such as enrollment trends, faculty, career outcomes, and course requirements, allowing students to compare their options more efficiently and make better-informed decisions. In addition, the platform tracks real-time program interest, geographic trends, and conversion data, providing the university actionable insights into student engagement and experience. By combining web development, institutional research, and AI capabilities, WSU Explorer demonstrates how universities can use data and intelligent tools to empower students to make more informed and confident decisions about their academic goals.
