University Uses LivePerson to Enhance Communications with Students and Parents
Chat begins as a quick fix after Hurricane Katrina and grows into a vital tool for UNO's Office of Admissions
The University of New Orleans (UNO) is located on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain and only minutes from downtown New Orleans. With an enrollment of about 12,000 students, UNO offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees through the doctoral level. UNO's five colleges offer a variety of studies in business administration, education, engineering, liberal arts and sciences.
After Hurricane Katrina struck in August, 2005, UNO was forced to abandon its main campus. Closing the campus caused a great deal of confusion for the University's students and their parents. Would there even be a Fall 05 semester for UNO?
The UNO administrative functions - Admissions, Student Financial Aid, Office of the Registrar, Bursar and many others - set-up temporary operations in Baton Rouge and later, after parts of the city where re-opened, in a satellite UNO campus. The biggest task at hand was answering the thousands of questions pouring in each day. Unfortunately, the administrative staff had - quite literally - one single phone line per department. For all intents and purposes, reaching the University by phone was impossible.
"Live chat has become the preferred method of communicating among students and parents alike. With live chat, questions are answered immediately. That's not the case with email."
Longin Gogu
Assistant Director for Admissions Data Management
University of New Orleans