Virtual Front Desk
Tired of Emailing Offices With Questions? Look
for the Virtual Front Desk
If you’re like me, your inbox is already packed full. The last thing you want to do is start a new email thread, especially when you need help with something right away. Sure, you could visit an office in person, but most of us don’t have the time for that. Luckily, with Virtual Front Desk (VFD) you can zoom with someone in real-time.
9 Offices Have Implemented VFDs, Several More to Come
Thanks to an idea from LynxConnect, we built a new model for students to get in touch with representatives from multiple offices through zoom. Although several more offices are getting ready to launch their own VFDs, these nine have already implemented them:
- LynxConnect
- First-Year Experiences
- Peer Advocate Leaders
- Undergraduate Academic Advising
- University Honors & Leadership Program
- Learning Resources Center
- Center for Identity & Inclusion
- Student Life
- Undergraduate Admissions
No Paperclips – Or Any Other Animated Assistants
Microsoft killed Clippy in 2001, and we wouldn’t dare resurrect him. With VFD, you have the ability to meet with a real person. Offices will have members of their team on-call and ready to assist you with services, answer questions, and connect you to whatever it is you need.
Innovative Idea from an Innovative Team
LynxConnect was first introduced last fall as a one-stop-shop for experiences beyond the classroom. It combined:
- The Career Center
- The Experiential Learning Center
- Study Abroad
- Undergraduate Research
Now, you can find career services, internships, undergraduate research and global education opportunities all in one place. But their new student-driven service model didn’t stop at a physical location. Wanting to deliver that same personal experience in the digital space when the university went remote last spring, Virtual Front Desk was born, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the LynxConnect team.
Not only can you access services through the newly built LynxConnect website, you can now zoom directly with a representative from their office. Be on the lookout for more innovations from this team as more and more offices are joining the club and creating their own VFDs to serve students wherever they may be.