AI Advising Tools

The Vendor is required to provide to help agency understand the capabilities of closed system AI advising platforms maintaining strict control over internal data access and usage to safeguard sensitive information for higher education and to identify organizations with AI advising platforms who may be interested in working with agency to develop and deploy an AI-based advising solution across the agency system.
- launching an AI-based advising pilot during the 2025-26 academic year, which will inform future efforts to scale one or more AI-based advising platforms, in collaboration with faculty and campus administrators, System-wide.
- The AI advising platform will offer personalized, real-time academic and career guidance to students. 
- It must be accessible on a 24X7 basis and offer scalable, barrier-free assistance to help students achieve their educational goals.
- At implementation, the AI advising platform will integrate with campus student information systems, degree planning tools, and any other technology solutions the campus may want to leverage to support academic advising.
- The AI-based advising platform will be trained and deployed to answer student questions including but not limited to about:
•    Courses needed for their current or intended program of study,
•    Access to tutoring and other academic supports,
•    How to access financial aid information/complete the act,
•    Access to basic needs and other non-academic supports,
•    Transfer opportunities,
•    Career services, and
•    Other questions that have a direct relationship to on-time completion and post-completion positive outcomes (e.g., wages).
- AI Advising Platform System Requirements:
•    A solution would have the capacity to provide access to AI-based advising assistance for students enrolled at any agency campus. 
•    While we expect to begin with a more limited pilot project at one or more campuses, the desired solutions must be capable of scaling to accommodate usage and volume of the agency system without degradation in performance.
•    The AI advising platform will provide personalized advising support based on campus curriculum and program plans.
•    The AI advising platform will provide timely support within existing student workflows and existing student platforms where appropriate.
•    The AI advising platform will reinforce campus curriculum and approaches to advising and guide students to additional resources as needed.
•    The advising platform will collect and analyze data on student interactions to provide insights on student trends for advisors and campus administrators.
•    The AI advising platform will integrate with campus student information systems, degree planning tools, and any other technology solutions a campus wishes to leverage to support academic advising.
•    The AI advising platform must have a clear sustainability component outlining funding, staffing, and technical resources necessary for long-term operation and maintenance. 

- Contract Period/Term: 1 year