Mid-America Christian University · Oklahoma City · 2,700 students
AI Helpdesk Platform
Legacy PHP Loaded Every Ticket on One Page. We Replaced It With AI That Routes Before Submit.
30-second page loads. Manual triage. Asset tracking in a spreadsheet. FERPA risk across 2,700 student records. We rebuilt the entire helpdesk — AI routing, RAG draft replies, asset lifecycle, and enforced role-based access.
30s → 0
Page load eliminated Paginated + query-optimized
Pre-submit
AI ticket routing Gemini Embeddings + pgvector
−40%
Triage time reduction Automated categorization
RAG Drafts
Reply suggestions From resolved ticket history
The Problem
Staff Fought the Tool More Than They Helped Students.
Four compounding failures in one legacy PHP system.
Legacy PHP Helpdesk⚠ broken
✕Every ticket ever created rendered on one page — 30+ sec loads
✕No notifications — staff manually checked the queue
✕Manual triage — read, categorize, forward for every ticket
✕Asset tracking in a separate spreadsheet
✕Any staff member could see any student's data
✕Every response started from scratch
AI-Powered Platform (Rebuilt)✓ shipped
✓Instant load — paginated, query-optimized
✓Async notification queue — guaranteed delivery
✓AI routes tickets before student hits Submit
✓Asset context appears in ticket automatically
✓FERPA RBAC — role-level enforcement
✓RAG drafts from resolved history
⏳
30-Second Page Loads
No pagination · years of tickets · every queue check
🔀
Manual Triage Loop
Hours delay · every ticket manually categorized
💻
Spreadsheet Asset Tracking
Zero asset context · context switch every time
⚠
FERPA Exposure
Any staff · any student data · no RBAC
Architecture
Route Before Submit. Draft From History. Surface Context Automatically.
Each layer removes a category of manual work entirely.
⚡ Pre-Submit AI Routing
Gemini Embeddings + pgvector · real-time
Incoming tickets
📶 my Wi-Fi keeps dropping in dorm
🚿 hot water isn't working in my building
📚 can't access my course materials
💻 loaned laptop won't charge
→
AI Engine
Gemini Embeddings
Semantic similarity · pgvector
vector searchcosine simreal-time
→
Auto-routed
IT ConnectivityWi-Fi · network
Facilitiesutilities
Academic SupportLMS · courses
IT Hardwaredevices
↓ ticket in queue — agent sees RAG draft waiting
📚 RAG-Powered Smart Replies
institutional knowledge as infrastructure
New Ticket
"Wi-Fi drops near east stairwell in Harper Hall"
→
Vector Search
Matches against embedded resolved ticket history
→
Context-Aware Draft
Pre-written response from what resolved similar issues
🎯 A new hire drafts as well as a 3-year veteran from day one. Knowledge doesn't walk out when staff turn over.
↓ three systems working in parallel
💻
Asset Lifecycle
Hardware linked to student profiles. Loaned devices appear in ticket context automatically. No spreadsheet.
device context in ticket
⚙
Dynamic JSON Forms
Admins add custom fields through a no-code UI. Forms adapt per department without a developer.
no-code config
🔔
Async Notifications
Email delivery decoupled from UI via Supabase Cron. Guaranteed delivery even during traffic spikes.
decoupled · guaranteed
The Proof
What Students and Staff Actually See.
Staff open the queue and find work ready to do — not work to create.
macu-helpdesk · ticket-submission · student-view⚡ AI routing active
▸ Submit a support ticket
Subject
My loaned laptop won't charge and battery is at 2%
Description
I've tried different outlets in the library and the dorm. The charging indicator light doesn't come on at all. I need it for an exam tomorrow morning.
AI routing: IT Hardware Support — loaned device, charging issue✓ Pre-routed
▸ Dynamic fields — IT Hardware form
Device ID
MACU-LT-4821
Location
Hardison Library
When did issue start
This afternoon
Outlets tried
3 different outlets
💻 Asset context — auto-surfaced
💻
Dell Latitude 5540 — MACU-LT-4821
Jordan Williams · Student ID 441892 · Checked out Aug 28, 2025
Condition: Good · Warranty active until Dec 2026
✓ On file
📚 Smart Reply — Jordan Williams · MACU-LT-4821
3 similar resolved tickets found
▸ Similar resolved tickets
94%Dell charging indicator dark · hardware fault · Oct 2024→ Swap