AI Leaders Offer Key Advice for Higher Ed Pros: Use Technology for Transformation

Artificial Intelligence is an essential tool for higher education professionals — saving time, maximizing team efficiency, and improving student engagement.

In three recent episodes of the AI For U podcast, hosted by Brian Piper, guests Jaime Hunt, Dr. Janet Spriggs, and Bart Caylor all explored practical applications of AI in the education sector. What emerged from their conversations were key insights into how AI is revolutionizing workflows, optimizing resources, and, more importantly, enhancing human connections within institutions. 

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Personalizing the Student Journey 

Janet Spriggs, President of Forsyth Tech, emphasized the critical role AI plays in personalizing learning experiences. She discussed how adaptive learning platforms and predictive analytics allow institutions to tailor educational pathways to each student's needs, meeting them where they are. 

By integrating AI tools such as AI Assistants, FTCC can offer 24/7 support, a major advantage for students who might be searching for answers at odd hours when staff aren’t available. FTCC has resolved 79% of student inquiries with its intelligent chatbot. Saving Janet’s staff over 36,600 minutes in responding to redundant inquiries. Spriggs shared a powerful example of how predictive analytics has significantly impacted Forsyth Tech’s enrollment and retention rates. These tools help identify students at risk of falling behind, allowing early intervention and providing support tailored to individual students. The ability to personalize and automate student communication, guiding them through application and enrollment processes, ensures they don’t fall through the cracks, thus improving both retention and graduation rates.

This shift towards personalized, data-driven support demonstrates how AI is augmenting the administrative side of education, ensuring institutions are more responsive to individual student needs. 

Listen now to Janet’s AI For U episode. And read a case study showcasing how AI helped boost FTCC’s enrollment by 12%.

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AI as a Collaborative Tool, Not a Replacement 

Caylor, a higher-ed AI consultant, shared stories of working with institutions where AI was initially met with resistance. However, once faculty and staff understood the technology’s capabilities—like automating repetitive tasks such as analyzing data or creating content—they saw AI not as a threat but as an enabler of efficiency. Bart pointed out that when AI takes over mundane, time-consuming tasks, educators can dedicate more time to innovation and student engagement. Listen to Bart’s AI For U episode here. 

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AI’s Role in Retention and Student Success 

Another compelling example of AI's impact in higher education comes from Jaime Hunt’s experience at Old Dominion University (ODU), where they used AI to streamline the creation of program pages for their online programs. Hunt described how her husband, Dave Hunt, led the use of AI tools to automate the development of these pages, which traditionally would have taken months to complete.

By leveraging AI, ODU created pages that featured information about career opportunities related to each degree program, global outlooks for these fields, and even AI-generated videos. Hunt explained that Dave used AI to write scripts, which were then edited and refined, and employed tools like Pictory for video creation, and Suno for voiceovers. This approach allowed ODU to quickly produce comprehensive, engaging program pages, complete with video content, that would typically require significant time and resources to develop manually.

This use of AI in content creation not only accelerated the workflow but also ensured that the university could offer rich, informative materials to prospective students promptly. It was a clear demonstration of how AI can drastically enhance marketing efforts and reduce the workload of staff by automating key tasks. Check out Jaime’s full AI For U episode here. 

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It’s Time To Empower the AI Enthusiasts

For institutions just beginning their AI journey, one piece of advice stood out from these interviews: start with educating your team. 

Institutions should focus on AI literacy, helping staff understand the technology and its possibilities. By integrating AI into training and workshops, organizations can foster a culture of curiosity and innovation. This bottom-up approach, where staff members are encouraged to experiment and share their learnings, creates a more collaborative and forward-thinking environment.

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AI is for Efficiency, Not Replacement

Throughout these discussions, a common thread was clear: AI is not about replacing human jobs but enhancing efficiency and enabling professionals to focus on what they do best—human connection, creativity, and strategic thinking. Whether it's improving student outcomes through personalized interventions, streamlining administrative processes, or automating content creation, AI offers transformative potential for higher education.

The examples and use cases presented on AI For U demonstrated that, with the right mindset, AI can be a powerful ally in improving institutional success. The key lies in collaboration, education, and embracing AI as a tool to enhance—not replace—human effort. By making space for AI in routine tasks, institutions can carve out more time for the meaningful work that truly drives education forward.

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