Cowboy Charlie: OSU’s new text bot supports first-year students 24/7

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Media Contact: Jordan Bishop | Editor, Department of Brand Management | 405-744-7193 | jordan.bishop@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University launched an AI-powered messaging bot for first-year students in September to provide 24/7 assistance, connect them with campus resources, alleviate stress and improve retention by addressing common challenges new students face.

The bot is named Cowboy Charlie, after a dog from Pete’s Pet Posse and one of the program's first therapy canines. 

“Students sometimes feel safer and more comfortable interacting with a text bot than asking an actual human,” said Associate Provost of Student Success Shannon Baker. “They’ll worry about things at three in the morning. Charlie is always awake, so he’s useful for that.”

Cowboy Charlie was developed using EdSights, a platform that helps colleges nationwide connect with students and gain insights into their lives. Site users can utilize data from the chatbot to initiate programs that support students. 

For instance, Cowboy Charlie recently asked students to rate their financial stress on a scale of one to three. If students chose the second option, they were directed to an OSU website to explore financial support options. If they selected the third option, they were connected with a human consultant for further assistance in managing their financial concerns.

Before using Cowboy Charlie, students are informed that administrators can view their responses. If reports are made or someone is flagged as “high risk,” they may receive support with human intervention.

“Fifty-one percent of our freshmen have engaged with Cowboy Charlie,” Baker said. “That means they’ve answered a text or asked a text question. Students have texted Cowboy Charlie 11,600 times. Those are texts that Cowboy Charlie has received since mid-September.”

Kendria Cost, director of the Ann Hargis OSU Center for Pet Therapy, owns the real Charlie, a shepherd mix and rescue pup. If students want to learn more about the four-legged friend, they can ask the text bot about his major, favorite toy and other dog-related questions. 

“As his mom, I’m very proud of him,” Cost said. “I don’t think for one minute that he does  more than any other pet therapy dog on campus, but with him being from the first class of dogs and there only being two left from that class, I think it was a great honor for him to be asked to engage with students in this way.”

Cowboy Charlie might be released for other classes of students in the future, but additional data is still being collected to ensure the program meets everyone’s diverse needs. First-year students will have access to Cowboy Charlie until next May when he will say goodbye and allow them to pass the torch on to the next freshmen class. 

“I see the impact the dogs make each and every day,” Cost said. “Each dog speaks differently to each person. Some students gravitate toward a specific dog, maybe because it’s a specific breed, it’s a dog they’ve always wanted to have or that dog was there for them right after or before a test. 

“Any partnership we could create with the university utilizing the dogs, whether it’s technology-based or not, we’re all in because we see the difference these dogs make every day.”

Story By: Mak Vandruff | makenzie.vandruff@okstate.edu