Individualized support addresses complex learner needs
The college experience is different for all learners. Whether it's adapting to the rigor of university classes, balancing personal finances with paying for college, building community or investing in well-being, each student has their own strengths and areas of growth.
Kansas State University's support systems adapt to the needs of each learner. There's no one-size-fits-all strategy — programs and services are designed to provide each student with the support they need, when they need it.
"Meeting learners where they're at is one way that K-State breaks down the barriers that students can face during their university journey," said Bill Watts, associate vice president for academic and career engagement. "Through our universitywide partnerships, we can ensure that all students receive individualized support to tackle the challenges that are getting in the way of achieving their goals."
Willie AI Assistant and I Need Help alerts
In fall 2025, all first-time, full-time students received a text message from a beloved university figure: Willie the Wildcat. These texts weren't spam — they were K-State's AI assistant designed to help new students successfully transition to the rigors of university life.
The textbot, Willie, is available 24/7 to answer students' questions. The bot immediately responds with helpful tips or campus resources to meet student needs. Willie also reaches out regularly to students to get a sense of how they are adjusting. If a student indicates they need additional academic, financial or well-being support, a campus outreach team follows up to make sure students get connected to the right resource.
"The first semester after launching Willie, we made over 900 outreach attempts with 193 students voicing challenges that impacted their experience," said Shana Bender, director of retention and persistence. "Thanks to the efforts of more than 25 staff members across campus, we were able to offer support to those students, so they were better equipped to navigate their next steps."
Although texting with Willie is currently only available to new students, all K-State students can access the same level of individual assistance through Navigate's I Need Help self-alerts. These alerts, used for non-emergency purposes, are a way for students to virtually ask for assistance in navigating the challenges they're facing. After submitting an I Need Help alert, students receive follow-up from campus staff within two business days.
Academic Coaching
Adjusting to college is multifaceted, and skills like time management, goal setting and study techniques are critical to success. Academic Coaching provides a structured approach to helping students build the skills needed to thrive in their courses and beyond.
Students meet with coaches individually to discuss their strengths and challenges. Together, they work toward setting goals and identifying steps needed to reach success. After seeing a coach, students report increased confidence in time management, study and test-taking skills.
"Academic coaching is a collaborative process between the student and the coach. Coaches are here to guide students as they build life-long skills that will help them succeed in the classroom and in their personal lives," said Bender.
All students are eligible to sign up for an academic coaching experience. Appointments are available in Navigate.
Student Access Center
A supportive learning environment starts with an accessible learning environment for all students. The Student Access Center facilitates these learning environments by providing academic and housing accommodations to students with permanent or temporary disabilities.
"We serve the campus community by partnering with students, faculty and staff to create a campus environment that fosters equal access for all students," said Jason Maseberg-Tomlinson, director of the Student Access Center. "We encourage any student with a permanent or temporary disability to connect with our office so we can facilitate the accommodations process."
In addition to secure academic and housing accommodations, the center offers a comprehensive productivity tool, Read&Write, available to any K-State student, faculty or staff member. Read&Write supports reading, writing, studying and research with features including text-to-speech, vocabulary list builder, speech maker and more.