By the time a struggling student asks for help, the term is half over.
Where it breaks down:
Instructors notice a student missing work, but have no time to reach out.
The student keeps falling behind alone.
Students rarely ask for help first.
The conversation starts too late.
Campus resources exist, and students don't know about them.
Tutoring and support go unused.
We kept it kind, short, and about the student: ask, listen, and point to help.
- A check-in early in a rough patch is worth more than one at the end.
- Listening comes first, and advice is not the agent's role.
- A student struggling beyond the coursework needs a person, and the right campus office.
The agent had to:
- Reach the students the instructor flags, who have agreed to be contacted.
- Be warm and non-judgmental, and never counsel.
- Share help, and pass any concern to a person.
A RevAIvo Voice agent that checks in with students who are falling behind and points them to help.
Your list, with consent
Works the students the instructor flags, from the list you provide, who have agreed to be contacted by your institution.
Kind and brief
Opens with care, not a lecture, asks how things are going, and listens. It doesn't counsel or diagnose.
Consent first
The first text carries office hours and campus resources, and nothing about the student's record. It asks the student to confirm they would like text updates for this course. Later texts go only to students who confirm.
Concerns to a person
Anything that needs a person is logged for the instructor. Where a student mentions distress, the agent shares the campus support contacts you've set.
It brings in your instructor when…
Scoped narrow on purpose. Where you've set a number it can connect the caller; otherwise it logs a callback request for the instructor.
- The student mentions distress, a crisis, or a safety concern. The agent shares the support contacts you've set, and flags it for a person.
- The student asks for an extension or a change to a deadline.
- The student asks about their grade.
- The student asks to stop calls. The request is recorded for your team.
- The student asks for a person.
What the call sounds like
Hi, is this Lena? This is a call on behalf of Professor Marlowe's STAT 101 course. They wanted to check in and see how the course is going for you. Is now an okay time?
Honestly, I'm overwhelmed. I'm working part-time and I'm behind in two classes.
Thank you for telling me, and I'm sorry it's been hard. I can't change any deadlines, but I can share when office hours and the tutoring center are open, and I can pass a note to Professor Marlowe asking them to follow up. Would that help?
Yes, I'd like that.
I'll log it. When we hang up I'll text you the office hours and tutoring links. The text will also ask you to confirm you'd like text updates for this course, and I won't send more unless you do.
Sent after the call
Hi Lena, this is Hartwell College on behalf of Professor Marlowe's STAT 101. Office hours and the tutoring center: hartwell.example.org/stat101/help. If you want to talk with someone about how you're doing, campus counseling is at 555-0152. Tap to confirm you'd like text updates for this course: hartwell.example.org/stat101/texts. To stop texts at any time: hartwell.example.org/stop
Hi Lena, thanks for talking with us. Office hours and the tutoring center are here: hartwell.example.org/stat101/help. If you want to talk with someone about how you're doing, campus counseling is at 555-0152.
The first text asks the student to confirm they would like text updates for this course. Later texts go only to students who confirm. Messages go out when the call ends, and the wording is illustrative.
What changes for your team
An illustrative scenario:
Say your team handles 200 check-in calls a month, and the agent takes 40% of them end to end, at an assumed 5 minutes a call. These figures are assumptions for illustration, not customer results.
In a pilot we measure this with you, on your own calls in RevAIvo Pulse: calls connected, when students pick up, and outcomes by disposition.
Struggling students reached early, pointed to help, and a note in the instructor's hands.
The conversation that usually starts too late, started sooner.