Questions about Saint Louis University? Ask SLU. You can query SLU's knowledge base using our chatbots, texting or ask even Alexa.
About the AskSLU Skill
SLU was the first university in the country to bring Alexa-enabled devices, managed by Alexa for Business, into every student residence hall room or student apartment on campus.
The Ask SLU skill provides instant answers to more than 800 questions specific to the University, from “Where can I eat on campus right now?” to “When does the next bus arrive at the Busch Student Center?” The Ask SLU skill can also provide information about admission or housing, and provides support for ITS, parking and card services, Student Financial Services and more.
Asking Questions By Text
Get answers to your questions about Saint Louis University using the Ask SLU skill via text message. Add 314-977-2428 (CHAT) as a contact in your mobile device to ask questions on the go.
1. From your iOS mobile device, open the Contacts app.
2. Tap to create a new contact.
3. Enter +1 314-977-2428 as the primary phone number and fill in the remaining fields
as appropriate.
4. When you’re finished, tap "Done."
1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Contacts app.
2. At the bottom right, tap "Add."
3. Enter +1 314-977-2428 as the phone number and fill in the remaining fields as appropriate.
4. When you're finished, tap "Save."
FAQ About the Ask SLU Skill and Echo Dots on Campus
You can ask SLU about almost any aspect of life on campus. SLU is also continually working to expand the skill and make it more useful.
Saint Louis University takes the privacy of our students, faculty, staff, researchers and patients very seriously.
Because of our use of the Amazon Alexa for Business (A4B) platform, your Echo Dot is managed by a central system dedicated to SLU, and SLU administrators cannot access anything said to Alexa. You can read more about Alexa security and privacy features here.
You can mute the microphone on your Echo Dot by pressing the button with the microphone icon. When muted, the light ring around the top of the Dot will turn red. You can turn the microphone on again by pushing the button a second time. You may also unplug the Echo Dot to turn it completely off.
Due to limits on personalization, the Echo Dot in your residence hall room can only stream radio stations through the iHeartRadio and TuneIn skills.
Search for Stations on iHeartRadio
The University is working with our partners to expand music streaming options. You can, however, use the Echo Dot as a Bluetooth speaker for other music streaming providers such as Spotify and Apple Music.
Please let your RA know if you have lost or damaged your Echo Dot. There will be a minimal charge added to your account to cover the cost of the device. Your RA will also be able to get you a replacement Echo Dot for your room.
If you would rather not use your SLU-provided Echo Dot you can unplug the device and store it in a safe location in your room. You will need to turn it in during the checkout process at the end of the academic year to avoid a charge for the device.
That happens sometimes. Make sure you remembered to say "Alexa, ask SLU" to activate our SLU-specific skill. If you aren't sure if Alexa is connected to the internet, ask "Alexa, are you connected to the internet?" If the answer no, contact ITS at 314-977-4000 to reconnect the device.