Beyond the Whiteboard: AI's New Role in Higher Education - Part 1

AI is rapidly changing the higher education landscape, offering new ways to enhance student engagement, streamline recruitment processes, and support academic success. While AI tools are often associated with efficiency and automation, their true potential lies in fostering more meaningful human interactions.

In this post, we explore insights from higher education leaders like Paul LeBlanc, Mallory Willsea, Seth Odell, and Lenell Hahn, who share how AI is reshaping the student experience in profound ways. From personalizing interactions to improving decision-making, AI’s role is evolving beyond simple tools into a key driver of student success.

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Key Takeaways

• AI helps higher ed institutions personalize student interactions at scale, freeing up staff for high-impact, face-to-face engagements.
• AI-powered tools like chatbots improve the efficiency of recruitment and admissions by handling repetitive inquiries.
• Data-driven AI solutions enable more informed decision-making and predictive insights while preserving the human element in academic and student services.
• The adoption of AI in education must prioritize transparency, ethical use, and integration with human staff to foster trust and efficiency.

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How Can AI Support Student Engagement and Personalization?

AI’s role in higher education isn’t just about automating processes; it’s about building stronger human connections. Paul LeBlanc, who appeared on Pulse Check: The Future of Student Search, emphasized that AI doesn’t simply save time; it enables higher education professionals to engage more deeply with students by reducing administrative tasks. This allows institutions to focus on fostering stronger relationships through personalized interactions at scale. The goal isn’t to replace human interaction but to elevate it — students want to feel seen and heard, and AI can help institutions provide that recognition on a larger scale.

At Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC), this approach led to significant improvements in student retention. According to Orna Shearin, GTCC’s Customer Relationship Management Specialist, “By leveraging Element451's AI tools like Bolt AI Assistants, we can deliver targeted messages to students at precisely the right moments, offering support, guidance, and encouragement to help them stay on track and motivated.” AI-enabled personalization helped GTCC ensure that every student felt seen, heard, and supported, resulting in double-digit retention growth.

This theme of AI-driven personalization extends beyond communications, however. Mallory Willsea and Seth Odell, during the Higher Ed Pulse episode on AI-powered site search, highlighted how AI tools can anticipate student needs by analyzing data from multiple touchpoints, such as website searches and chatbot interactions. Today’s students approach institutions with increasingly complex, personalized queries — moving beyond simple course names like “Business Management 101” to questions like “What will I learn in Business Management 101?” AI solutions provide dynamic answers and suggest next steps, making these interactions more conversational and relevant to each individual.

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How Is AI Revolutionizing the Recruitment Process?

One of the most significant ways AI is reshaping higher education is through its application in student recruitment and enrollment management. 

Paul LeBlanc emphasized that while AI efficiently handles transactional tasks—such as processing applications and scanning transcripts — its true value lies in freeing admissions staff to focus on students' unique stories. For example, AI can quickly assess academic records, giving staff more time to understand the personal context, such as how a student has overcome challenges or demonstrated resilience. This balance between AI-driven efficiency and human empathy enhances the recruitment process by combining data-driven insights with the personal touch that admissions teams excel at.

Lenell Hahn from Southeast Missouri State University shared on Mission Admissions how her team has integrated Element451’s AI chatbots to handle frequently asked questions about application status, financial aid, and campus events. These AI-powered assistants not only streamline repetitive tasks but also ensure that prospective students receive consistent, accurate information in real time.

Similarly, Johnston Community College (JCC) is leading the way in using AI to create personalized experiences throughout the student journey. At JCC, they are leading the way in leveraging technology to enhance student experiences. Using Element451, their CRM, they can personalize communications to support student success and strengthen their relationships with them

“Today, our college can view student profiles, send personalized messages, and track their progress from prospect to graduate, all within Element451,” said Carrie Pitts Densmore, VP of Enrollment and Marketing at JCC. “Centralizing our communications, maintaining a consistent brand message, and utilizing AI to support more students simultaneously has truly transformed our approach. We are seeing remarkable growth and changing lives!”

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What Ethical Considerations Should Higher Ed Leaders Keep in Mind?

While AI offers transformative potential, it also raises critical ethical questions that higher education leaders must address. Mallory Willsea and Seth Odell highlight the importance of transparency, ensuring that students and staff know when they’re interacting with AI versus human. Transparency is essential for maintaining trust in processes like recruitment and advising, where personal interaction is key. Without clear communication, institutions risk undermining the student experience by making AI feel impersonal or detached.

Lenell Hahn stresses the value of using institution-specific data to train AI systems. Customizing AI tools with accurate, relevant data tailored to the institution’s unique context ensures that students receive reliable information, rather than the inconsistent results often produced by generic AI systems. This careful curation builds institutional credibility and supports a more personalized student experience.

Paul LeBlanc addresses the broader societal impact, noting that while AI can enhance access to education, it must be deployed thoughtfully to avoid perpetuating inequalities. For AI to truly benefit higher education, leaders need to ensure that their systems are designed to support fairness and inclusivity. Ethical guardrails should be in place to prevent biased outcomes, ensuring that AI helps close gaps in access to education rather than widening them.

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The Future of AI in Higher Education

The integration of AI into higher education is already showing positive outcomes, from more personalized student experiences to enhanced operational efficiency. 

But the future will undoubtedly bring more profound changes. As Paul mentioned, AI has the potential to redefine the roles of educators and administrative staff, shifting focus from information management to relationship building. As AI takes on more knowledge-based tasks, higher education could see a resurgence in "caring economy" roles — those that emphasize mentorship, emotional support, and student well-being.

In the words of Lenell Hahn, AI is becoming more than just a chatbot — it’s evolving into an AI assistant capable of managing vast knowledge bases and guiding students through every step of their educational journey. Institutions that adopt AI responsibly and thoughtfully will be well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of students in this new era of higher education.

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We Love AI! And We Have The Resources To Prove It…

Explore these resources created by the industry's best AI experts tailored for higher education. These guides and podcasts provide actionable strategies for integrating AI at your institution:

• AI Engage Summit - The AI Engage Summit is your chance to learn from many of your favorite Enrollify creators and institutions that have already harnessed AI’s potential, sharing practical strategies you can implement at your institution. Oh yeah, it’s also FREE!
• Element451’s AI Learning Center - Enjoy a plethora of must-read guides to help you shape your institution's future with AI-powered innovation.
• The AI For U Podcast - Unlock the potential of AI at your institution with practical insights from Brian Piper and easy-to-implement use cases tailored for higher ed professionals. Stay ahead in your field by learning how to seamlessly integrate AI into your workflows and transform your institution's processes with confidence.

The Generation AI Podcast - GenerationAI hosted by Ardis Kadiu and Dr. JC Bonilla is a groundbreaking podcast designed exclusively for higher education professionals who are keen to navigate the dynamic world of Artificial Intelligence. New episodes drop every Tuesday!