About the Episode
About The Episode:
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, live from the Engage Summit, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Hannah Wilson, Knowledge Management and CRM Coordinator at Forsyth Tech Community College. This episode explores the vital role of clean data, the evolving relationship between humans and AI in student engagement, and how smart use of chatbots can revolutionize community college communications. From innovative experiments to real-world enrollment gains, Hannah shares how Forsyth Tech is leading the charge in AI implementation in higher ed.
Key Takeaways
- Clean knowledge bases are essential for effective AI in higher education
- Forsyth Tech's chatbot "Blaze" has resolved 80% of inquiries autonomously
- An organized, well-audited content structure supports enrollment marketing strategies
- Human-in-the-loop systems improve AI accuracy and student experience
- Real-time feedback from chatbot analytics informs website, email, and messaging updates
- Using student vernacular helps institutions communicate across a wide age range
- Forsyth Tech has saved over 300,000 staff minutes and boosted enrollment by 12%
Episode Summary: Garbage In, Garbage Out – Best Practices for Your Knowledge Base
What makes this year’s Engage Summit special for Hannah?
Hannah Wilson, a familiar face at the Engage Summit, highlights how this year’s event emphasized the future of continuing education and the powerful new tech tools shaping it. For community colleges especially, she noted, embracing this evolution is key to staying relevant. Hannah compared these new innovations to toys—fun to explore, but also transformative in the hands of higher ed professionals.
What’s the core message behind Hannah’s presentation, “Garbage In, Garbage Out”?
The heart of Hannah’s session centers around the importance of a clean, reliable knowledge base when working with AI. She walks attendees through a "Knowledge Base 101," diving into the different types of source content and how to properly structure and audit them. To demonstrate what can go wrong with bad data, she introduces "Trixie," a deliberately misinformed chatbot agent, to show how incorrect or missing information can lead to misinformation and confusion.
Why is the human-in-the-loop model essential for AI in higher ed?
Mallory and Hannah both agree: AI should not replace human interaction—it should support it. Hannah outlines how Forsyth Tech uses human oversight to review chatbot conversations, ensuring students receive consistent, empathetic responses regardless of how they phrase their questions. Whether a student types a formal inquiry at 9 a.m. or sends a panicked message at 2 a.m., the system—combined with human review—ensures the answer remains accurate and supportive.
How does Forsyth Tech use AI chat data to improve communications?
Hannah emphasizes that their chatbot isn’t just answering questions—it’s a goldmine of student insight. By analyzing chat logs in real time, Forsyth Tech can identify gaps in knowledge content and adjust quickly. This feedback loop also informs their emails, website content, and other digital communications, ensuring that messaging reflects how students actually speak and think. That responsiveness is especially vital for a community college serving a wide age demographic, from teens to seniors.
How impactful has Blaze—the AI chatbot—been at Forsyth Tech?
Since integrating Blaze into their student support strategy, Forsyth Tech has seen staggering results: over 300,000 staff minutes saved, an impressive 12% increase in enrollment, and a remarkable 80% inquiry resolution rate without needing a human follow-up. Hannah, lovingly dubbed the "Knowledge Base Queen," notes that while some foundational elements were already in place, it didn’t take long to restructure and optimize everything using their platform, Element. Regular audits and experimentation with new agents (including one focused on continuing education) keep their system dynamic and effective.
About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
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