Doing More With Less: An AI Playbook for Higher Ed Operations

Helping higher ed stretch budgets, streamline work, and put students first.

GUEST COLUMN | by Taran Lent

BAPPADITYA ROY

Higher education is navigating one of its toughest financial periods in decades. Financial uncertainty, enrollment declines, and the mounting retention and staffing pressures have left many universities and colleges in a precarious situation operationally, academically, and financially. The question that binds colleges is how to do more with less—without simply cutting costs. AI is emerging as a practical tool to help institutions streamline operations, extend limited resources and refocus time and attention on what matters most: supporting students and advancing institutional missions.

‘With hiring freezes and capital projects on hold, automation that pays for itself in one fiscal year moves from “nice to have” to “need to have.”’

The use of AI among higher ed professionals has surged. 84% now report personal use, however, true enterprise-wide adoption remains rare. Moving from isolated pilots to institution level initiatives requires a shift in mindset: Rather than asking “How do we use AI?”, a better question is “What can we stop doing?” What if teachers spent less time with grading and more one-on-one personal time with students? What if financial aid spent less time processing paperwork and more time matching students to scholarships, grants, and sponsors? Practical AI implementation focused on administrative efficiency, student engagement, and resource optimization will be critical for universities to thrive in the years ahead. So, how are schools beginning to use AI to do more with less?

With hiring freezes and capital projects on hold, automation that pays for itself in one fiscal year moves from ‘nice to have’ to ‘need to have.’

Deepening Alumni Connections with AI Personalization

Traditional alumni outreach often relies on broad messaging that can struggle to forge strong personal connections. This can limit engagement, especially during a time when fundraising is increasingly critical to institutional sustainability.

Schools that have implemented AI-driven personalization report significant gains. For example, Boise State University achieved an 87% year-over-year increase in donors using AI-supported outreach.

AI enables schools to analyze alumni data — academic histories, past giving behavior, event participation and career trajectories — and deliver tailored engagement at scale.

Personalized newsletters, event invitations and fundraising appeals can be automatically aligned with the individual’s interests and giving capacity.

Beyond communication, AI also enables gamified fundraising strategies. Leaderboards showcasing class-year or affinity group giving can spark healthy competition, while milestone-driven challenges encourage participation.

When done thoughtfully and with intention toward a specific group, AI can enhance the experience by making every touchpoint more relevant, timely, and meaningful.

Applying AI to Improve Pricing and Campus Services

Campus services like dining, parking, laundry and event ticketing often operate on static pricing models that don’t reflect real-time demand. As a result, universities are missing opportunities to optimize resource usage and revenue.

AI-powered dynamic pricing solutions analyze factors like facility occupancy, transaction volumes, time of day, and event schedules to adjust prices automatically. This allows schools to balance supply and demand while enhancing the student experience.

‘This allows schools to balance supply and demand while enhancing the student experience.’

Colleges are already testing lower parking rates during evenings or semester breaks to boost utilization and offer dining discounts during traditionally slow afternoon periods. Dynamic ticket pricing for campus events can help fill seats and maximize engagement. Lower prices on weekdays could eliminate the Sunday-night laundry traffic jam.

These strategies, already common in industries like travel and hospitality, can translate to new revenue streams for campuses. Dynamic pricing strategies, when communicated transparently, can drive better resource utilization and student satisfaction without risking perceptions of unfairness. But transparency is key: communicating the rationale behind dynamic pricing helps avoid perceptions of “price gouging” and builds trust with students and staff.

Starting with targeted pilots — like parking, laundry or event tickets — allows institutions to test models, gather feedback, and scale thoughtfully.

Personalizing Campus Engagement

Students are inundated with generic event announcements and campus-wide messages — and often tune them out. As a result, valuable opportunities frequently get lost in the noise.

AI can solve this by delivering personalized event recommendations based on a student’s academic major, past attendance behavior, stated interests, and even real-time location data. Instead of a blanket email, a computer science major might get a push notification about a hackathon, while an art student gets alerted to a gallery opening.

Personalized recommendations ensure students see opportunities aligned with their interests at the right time. It strengthens campus community ties, increases participation, and makes every engagement feel intentional.

AI-powered personalization is already improving student engagement. For example, universities that added AI-driven recommendations to virtual campus tours saw average student engagement time increase by more than two and a half minutes (EAB).

Moving forward, integrating AI-driven personalization into mobile apps and event platforms will be critical for institutions looking to meet modern student expectations.

Anticipating Student Needs

Student retention – and meeting students where they are – is another area where AI shows enormous promise. Traditionally, support systems identify struggling students too late, after grades slip or disengagement becomes obvious.

AI-powered predictive analytics changes that by continuously analyzing data, including activity in the Learning Management System (LMS), assignment submissions, class attendance, financial aid status, engagement with campus events, dining habits and communication patterns. Subtle risk indicators can trigger early interventions.

Schools like Georgia State University, which tracks over 800 risk factors daily per student, have seen graduation rates rise by 22% after implementing predictive analytics-driven advising. Similarly, the University of Arizona achieved a 7% increase in retention by implementing predictive analytics to identify disengaged students earlier and connect them with targeted support.

These systems don’t replace human advisors; they supercharge them. By surfacing at-risk students earlier, advisors can intervene more effectively, providing the right support at the right time.

Predictive analytics require thoughtful implementation and strong data governance to ensure fairness and transparency. But when done right, it can dramatically shift student success outcomes.

Streamlining Admissions and Scheduling

Beyond student success, AI is also streamlining core administrative processes.

‘Beyond student success, AI is also streamlining core administrative processes.’

In admissions, AI tools can automate initial application review, transcript parsing, and eligibility checks, which helps staff by giving them the time and space they need to focus on strategic decisions. Chatbots can handle common applicant inquiries 24/7, improving service without adding headcount (or headaches).

In scheduling, AI optimization algorithms can analyze enrollment trends, faculty availability, classroom capacities, and degree requirements to create smarter, conflict-free course schedules. This improves resource utilization and ensures students get the classes they need to graduate on time.

Institutions that have embraced AI-driven operational improvements are seeing measurable gains in efficiency, student satisfaction, and staff productivity.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

Schools face real challenges, from integrating AI with legacy systems to ensuring high-quality data and safeguarding student privacy. Ethical concerns — including bias mitigation, transparency, and maintaining human oversight — must remain top priorities, especially in high-stakes decisions like admissions or financial aid.

Creating robust AI governance frameworks, piloting new tools responsibly, and prioritizing measurable outcomes over hype are essential steps. Schools will need to establish clear standards and best practices they expect their vendors to meet with AI capabilities. By tackling both the technical and ethical complexities head-on, institutions can establish trust with students, faculty, and staff.

AI as a Catalyst for Smarter, More Resilient Campuses

Artificial intelligence gives budget-conscious campuses a rare opportunity to rethink operations, reimagine engagement, and reallocate resources to what matters most. Success won’t come from buzzwords or shortcuts. It will come from asking better questions — like “What do we want to stop doing?” — and then deploying AI with intention, strategic purpose, ethical discipline, and a relentless focus on outcomes.

For schools willing to explore, experiment, and implement thoughtfully, AI isn’t just another technology trend. It’s a catalyst for smarter, stronger, and more resilient campuses.

—

Taran Lent is Chief Technology Officer at Transact + CBORD, elevating campus experiences through transformative payments and credential-driven transactions and privileges. Connect with Taran on LinkedIn.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading…

Related