AI in Student Support

About the Episode: In this episode, “Mastering the Next” welcomes Dr. MJ Knoll-Finn, Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at NYU, to discuss a pressing topic in higher education today: the role of AI in student support. As AI continues to reshape various aspects of our lives, NYU is at the forefront, integrating these technologies into their student services. The interview explores how NYU is leveraging AI to enhance student success while maintaining their commitment to a human-centered, service-oriented approach.

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Key Takeaways:

• AI at NYU serves as a "co-pilot," enhancing efficiency and enabling staff to focus on complex, human-centered interactions.
• AI-driven chatbots are being used to handle high volumes of student inquiries, allowing for 24/7 support and multilingual communication.
• The adoption of AI is reshaping student success strategies, helping identify at-risk students and improving targeted outreach.
• The future of AI in higher education will involve more collaborative, cross-functional teams, leading to faster adoption in enrollment and student success management.

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Episode Summary:

What’s next for AI in student-centered support at NYU?

MJ Knoll-Finn explains that NYU is leveraging AI to streamline administrative tasks, allowing staff to focus on more meaningful student interactions. AI is viewed as a “co-pilot,” augmenting tasks such as data entry and student communication. For a university with over 66,000 students and 120,000+ applications annually, AI has proven instrumental in reducing the workload and helping staff connect with students on a deeper level.

NYU’s initial foray into AI has been through the use of chatbots, a system that provides 24/7 support to students while also addressing privacy and security concerns. These chatbots not only answer questions efficiently but can communicate in multiple languages, serving the university's large international student base.

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How does NYU maintain a human-centered approach alongside AI-driven tools?

Balancing technology with human touch is central to NYU's AI strategy. Knoll-Finn emphasizes that while AI can handle 80% of routine queries, human intervention remains crucial when students need personalized assistance. The AI systems flag students who may need extra help, ensuring that staff can step in at critical moments. NYU is keen on using AI to allow staff more time to focus on those who truly need human interaction, such as low-income or first-generation students who may be hesitant to ask for help.

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How is NYU using AI to influence decision-making and prevent burnout?

By utilizing AI, NYU aims to alleviate burnout among enrollment and student success teams by automating mundane administrative tasks. The AI system helps analyze data to identify students who might need more support, allowing staff to focus their energy on high-impact interactions. Knoll-Finn also discusses the critical role AI plays in marketing and recruitment, enabling targeted messaging that helps the university connect with students in a more efficient, data-driven manner.

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What challenges does NYU face in adopting AI, and what does the future look like?

One of the biggest challenges for NYU has been shifting the institutional culture to embrace AI. Knoll-Finn points out that adopting AI requires a mindset shift among staff to welcome collaboration and resource-sharing across departments. The cross-functional teams at NYU have facilitated this by creating spaces where staff from different areas come together to solve problems using AI.

Looking to the future, Knoll-Finn predicts that AI will become an even more integral part of admissions and enrollment management, acting as a co-pilot to help guide decision-making. She emphasizes the importance of ethics and human oversight in these processes, ensuring AI is used responsibly to enhance student experiences.

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Connect With Our Host:

Dr. Ray Lutzky

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About The Enrollify Podcast Network: Mastering the Next is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include The EduData Podcast and Generation AI.

Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

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Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30. Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders,  innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI’s impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success.

Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution.

Whether you’re looking to enhance student outcomes, optimize enrollment marketing, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the AI Engage Summit is your gateway to the next level of higher education innovation. Registration is free, save your spot today.