Each year, Arizona State University relies on Tassel, their 42Chat GradBot, to provide high-quality support for tens of thousands of grads and their guests as part of its largest annual event: spring commencement.
Since the 2022 spring commencement at ASU, Tassel has steadily gained adoption across all types of attendees. In 2022, just under 5,000 graduates and guests opted-in to send and receive SMS messages to and from ASU for their spring commencement. That number skyrocketed to 27,000+ graduates and guests for the 2025 event, with 79% of the graduating class opting to use the chatbot for support—instead of burdening support teams.
In spring 2025, Tassel exchanged more than 594,000 messages with grads and their guests, helping everyone navigate the commencement experience with ease. As a 24/7 team member trained in 72+ topics, Tassel achieved a 99% Correct Response Rate while providing 1,968 hours of instant support.
How High-Quality SMS Support Created an Engaged Community for ASU
Tassel didn’t just offer support. The bot also increased reach and engagement for the Alumni Association and the school’s third-party vendors.
During the spring 2025 commencement, Tassel:- Drove over 2,400 click-throughs on a text inviting new grads to the Young Alumni Summer Mixer, doubling event attendance over the previous year.
- Sent a notification for GradImages photo packages, which earned 6,000+ clicks, increasing the vendor’s web ordering sessions from 5,000 to 19,000+.
Tassel had the capacity to understand and respond to millions of different ways that questions could be asked, and delivered a remarkable 99% Correct Response Rate in Spring 2025. By delivering accurate, timely information on commencement logistics, like schedules, attire, and parking, ASU showed graduates and their guests the value of staying connected with the school. This dependable support kept users opted in to the SMS channel, giving ASU a powerful way to build community and drive ongoing revenue through targeted, high-engagement messages.
As well, Tassel stepped in when needed to provide critical reminders and updates, such as:
Or even:
Using Tassel each year, ASU has unlocked SMS: a high-ROI channel that creates a more engaged school community and drives revenue back to the university. Tassel’s high-quality support builds year-over-year opt-in growth and gives the school a direct channel to share updates that get read—and drive action. By using a GradBot, ASU is laying the foundation for lifelong alumni connections via SMS, starting before the caps even hit the ground.
Want to test out a GradBot for yourself? Scan the QR code to chat with Jennifer, our demo GradBot!
