A Process Model for Academic Student Support Services — A Croatian Case

Equal access to education without discrimination, including for students with disabilities, is guaranteed by legal and strategic frameworks at global, European, and Croatian levels. Higher education institutions establish support units to provide necessary resources, ensuring quality and accessible education for all students. This paper examines the information system for the Academic Accommodations Counseling (AAC) unit at the University of Rijeka, Croatia. Effective support requires a detailed business analysis, data and process assessment, and model development as a foundation for the information system. Traditional approaches to business process modeling serve as a basis, but advancements like artificial intelligence (AI) offer significant enhancements. This study introduces a process model incorporating AI applications, positioning the project as an intelligent information system. The primary contribution is the AAC's process model and an exploration of AI applications. Future research will focus on developing a data model illustrating all system data interconnections, constructing the system, and monitoring its effectiveness, particularly by tracking meeting frequency per student and measuring satisfaction among staff and students.