Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


HBCU Bethune-Cookman Turns to Upswing for Student Engagement

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 12/01/20

A small Florida Historically Black University has gone public with its longtime use of a program intended to help the school stay connected with its students. Bethune-Cookman University said it has been using student engagement software from Upswing for virtual tutoring and virtual assistance. The university has about 2,500 students.

Bethune-Cookman initially adopted Upswing to deliver 24/7 online tutoring and writing help. Now it's also being used for financial aid assistance and student retention efforts, according to Arletha McSwain, the institution's senior educational technologist. Usage includes Ana, the program's virtual assistant, for text "nudges."

Recently, the university also began piloting a new mental health platform under development by Upswing.

"Giving our students action items they can respond to is so important during COVID, and it's this aspect of Upswing we're so excited about moving forward," said McSwain, in a press release. "We are finding that our students are more likely to respond to a text message as opposed to an e-mail."

She added that getting students to respond is important "because they're not on campus, and Ana helps students do what they used to do face-to-face on campus."

The institution said that many instructors are giving students bonus points for logging into Upswing. Administrators are using Ana as part of their dropout prevention system. Bethune-Cookman also used Ana to encourage students to register to vote and to join a march to the polls on Election Day.

As McSwain explained, "Like our sister HBCUs, our mission is to put the students first. We know our students, and our students know us. We looked to Upswing to help us scale our student services to provide our resilient students with even greater support."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Abstract neural network 3D illustration

    Intel® AI EmpowerED: The AI-Ready Campus, Delivered

    Artificial intelligence is transforming higher education, prompting institutions to rethink how they manage infrastructure, security, governance, and workforce readiness. Successful adoption requires a strategic, institution-wide approach that aligns AI initiatives with educational goals, faculty enablement, and scalable operational frameworks.

  • Minimalist binary data fragmentation

    Fragmented Data Is Quietly Undermining Student Success and Cybersecurity Hygiene

    Siloed tools, teams, budgets, and resources spread across departments and campuses generate massive amounts of data. However, fragmentation creates unnecessary exposure to security threats and inadvertently reduces student support because no one can see the whole picture.

  • broken digital lock and glowing chain

    Cybersecurity Researchers: AI Has Crossed into the Live Attack Chain

    AI is moving beyond assisting cybercriminals and beginning to operate within live attacks, according to a new report from Check Point Research. The technology is making sophisticated capabilities faster and more accessible while creating new security risks for businesses deploying their own AI systems.

  • Abstract background with digital shield made of data particles glowing blue blocking against cyber attacks

    Report: AI Attacks Push Organizations Toward Autonomous Cybersecurity Defense

    Artificial intelligence is raising the stakes of cyber conflict as attackers use the technology to accelerate reconnaissance, uncover vulnerabilities, and launch attacks faster than many security teams can respond.