Freshman and sophomore students may have noticed periodic text messages from Willie AI, often asking them how they are managing the school year and their student lifestyle. What students may not know is that the Willie AI program is more than spam or mass text messaging — it serves to provide 24-hour support to first- and second-year students in finding the right resources for them.

Students can interact with the program to find on-campus resources as well as any other K-State information. Shana Bender, director of retention and persistence, said the program has two functions which ensure adequate assistance to students. 

“The first is to support students and provide them with resources at the time that they need it,” Bender said. “At any point in time, a first- or second-year student can text Willie AI and ask questions and get an answer about resources, locations and information on campus. The second part of what Willie AI does is routine check-ins with students to find out if there are any areas that are particularly challenging for them in a moment.”

The second functionality bridges the AI program to those at K-State who are able to help students in need of support. Generally, Willie AI will ask students questions regarding how they are feeling about their wellness, academics, finances and belonging throughout the year. 

Bender said students can also receive assistance in finding and contacting resources available to them depending on how they respond to the program. 

“When a student responds to Willie AI to say, ‘this part of my experience is kind of tough or challenging right now,’ on the back end, we can help get connected with that student and make sure that they know all of the available resources on campus that could help them decrease that stress, overcome that barrier and see other pathways to move through that challenge,” Bender said. 

Luke Matulewicz, assistant director of the Academic Achievement Center, said the program is part of a campus-wide effort to improve student support in areas that need it.

“K-State hears student voices, and we respond to them,” Matulewicz said. “[Willie AI] is really converting student voices and student feelings into an actionable plan to improve as a campus.” 

For Karla Lopez Correa, sophomore in music education, the program introduced K-State services she wasn’t aware of prior to using Willie AI. 

“It offered me tips and services that I didn’t know were included in my tuition,” Lopez Correa said. “It felt like I was talking to another student … it wasn’t like, ‘sorry, this AI bot can’t compute,’ it was actually giving me the correct information.” 

Previously, the service was exclusively available to first-year students; however, this year it has been expanded to include second-year students as well. Though upperclassmen do not have access to the Willie AI program, the ‘I need help’ feature in K-State’s Navigate app performs a similar function and is available to all students.