Auto-Scheduling Implementation Administrator Lucrezia Lewandowska-Pociecha and Student Administration Lead Louise Ross are pleased to have Admissions Validation Automation (AVA) technology speeding up the process for international postgraduate applicants.
A robot named AVA has helped speed up the admission process for international postgraduate applicants to the University of Otago, and the technology will soon be used to assist with processing applications for domestic undergraduate study as well.
Since its release in June 2024, the Admissions Validation Automation (AVA) bot has helped process about 9,500 postgraduate programme applications from more than 4,500 international applicants.
The technology has helped slash the median waiting time for an offer of place at Otago for successful applicants from this cohort from more than 15 days to less than 24 hours.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement) Professor Jessica Palmer says speeding up the process is crucial in converting applications to enrolments.
“We know that the quicker an offer is made, the more favourably an applicant looks at that institution,” Jessica says.
“Therefore, the difference between waiting 15 days or less than 24 hours for an application outcome could well be a determining factor in whether some students end up studying at Otago or elsewhere.”
Process Automation Manager Kitty Higbee, from the University’s Continuous Improvement team, says AVA works by using robotic process automation to ensure an application is valid and has all the necessary information attached.
“AVA effectively acts as a digital team member, quickly handling repetitive validation tasks which are very time-consuming for someone to do manually,” she says.
“If something is missing from a student’s application, AVA will automatically send a message back to the applicant to let them know, or escalate the application for hands-on attention.”
Kitty says that given AVA’s success in helping speed up international postgraduate study applications, the technology is now being rolled out for undergraduate enrolments too.
A Domestic Otago Undergraduate (DOUG) bot is in place and geared up to help process first-year domestic enrolment applications for 2026 when they open next month.
“We are excited to continue finding more ways this technology can improve student experiences and help busy teams like Admissions,” she says.
Student Administration Lead Louise Ross says it has been great to welcome AVA to the team.
“Processing applications can involve a lot of complexity, but also a lot of repetitive and time-consuming tasks,” Louise says.
“We collaborated with the Continuous Improvement team to come up with a way to make the process more efficient, and automation was an option that made complete sense.”
Louise says that as well as helping to speed up the process for prospective students, AVA has enabled her team to spend more time improving other areas of application processing.
“A task that was taking four team members a large portion of every day now takes one team member just an hour or two per day,” she says.
“It’s important to note that the technology is a tool to enhance our team’s capabilities and isn’t replacing our valuable staff. The time saved means that our team can use their expertise to focus on and move more quickly through the other aspects of processing applications that can’t be automated.”
Jessica says the technology is a great example of progress under Pae Tata – Otago’s strategic plan to 2030.
A key priority under Pae Tata is to substantially grow Otago’s student cohort – including international enrolments – and improving application efficiency is a key part of that, she says.
“Improving our systems and processes across the University more broadly, as well as better harnessing the power of digital technology, are two crucial factors in enabling us to fulfil our goals under Pae Tata.
“The introduction of robotic technology is a great example of progress in both these areas, so it’s great to have AVA and DOUG on the team,” Jessica says.
Kōrero by Communications Advisory Services Manager, Jamie Shaw