How AI, Cloud, and Data Analytics Transform Student Management in Higher Ed

I crafted a guiding principle years ago: "For technology to be truly transformative, it must alter behavior. If tech lacks transformation, it hinders progress." Higher education often speaks of transformation but settles for digitization, missing true behavioral change. Here's why: - Culture Rooted in Tradition: Universities uphold centuries-old traditions, favoring deliberation over disruption. Adopting technology that demands behavioral shifts challenges established norms, leading to tech being added on rather than processes being rethought. - Technology as an Overlay, not a Driver: Institutions typically treat technology as an add-on rather than a catalyst. Instead of transforming, they replicate analog workflows digitally (PDF forms). For instance, if the form requires you to enter data that the system already knows or requires you to type in the data entered on the form, this isn't transformational. - The irony of age-old traditions is that there is little patience when it comes to change. Rather than seeing transformation as the long play and investing the time and resources to make it happen, it's easier to see tech as an overlay. Thus, the tech is more of a burden than an enabler. - Incentive Misalignment: The academic system values research over operational efficiency or innovative teaching. Embracing transformative tech doesn't often lead to rewards like tenure or promotion. Administrators prioritize compliance and stability, discouraging risk-taking necessary for transformation. - Fragmented Decision-Making: IT, academic affairs, and student services operate independently, resulting in fragmented technology adoption. Without a cohesive institutional vision, tools are deployed in fragments, creating more obstacles for students, staff, and faculty. - Budget Constraints: Colleges operate on tight budgets, relying on incremental funding that fosters short-term projects rather than systemic change. Flashy pilot programs get funding, but behavior reverts when funding ends. - Reluctance to Upset Stakeholders: True transformation means abandoning old practices, which can face resistance from faculty, students, and alumni. Institutions often maintain the status quo alongside new initiatives, diluting impact and hindering lasting change. - Tool-Centric Approach: Many campuses adopt new technologies without considering how they impact behavior. Without a clear strategy for behavioral change, technology becomes mere noise. Tech tools can spark transformation by demonstrating that change supports the mission, not threatens it. However, intentional design is crucial for the right tools and their seamless integration. Many institutions prioritize “cloud first,” but this often requires replacing existing tools with complementary ones. True cloud modernization requires seamless integration of all tools. Let's rethink how technology can truly transform behaviors in education. #Transformation #HigherEducation #Innovation

As I shared with Alison Griffin in this new Forbes piece, nearly 1 in 10 higher education institutions have no AI strategy at all. That’s a five-alarm fire. We’ve already seen the consequences when colleges treat transformative technology as experimental—the pandemic exposed how unprepared many were for the shift to online learning. With AI, the risks are even greater. Without coherent strategies, institutions risk leaving students—and the future workforce—unprepared for a data-driven economy. https://lnkd.in/e_gBWnFZ

California Community Colleges and Google Launch Nation’s Largest Higher Education Systemwide AI Partnership to Equip Millions of Students for the Future Workforce! >2 million students and faculty across the state’s 116 community colleges will have free access to AI training, Google Career Certificates, and some of Google's cutting-edge AI tools including #Gemini for Education and #NotebookLM Check it out 👇 https://lnkd.in/gsWbGXya

Higher education administration has long been bogged down by process, not progress. Are we finally seeing a systemic shift, or just another buzzword? Ellucian recently announced its strategic adoption of Microsoft Copilot, aiming to inject AI-driven efficiency into its internal operations. This move signals an intent to modernize, promising to streamline tasks for their own teams. The core question remains: will this internal shift translate to tangible benefits for institutions? The plan involves leveraging AI to enhance productivity, accelerate decision-making, and improve the overall employee experience. For Ellucian, this means quicker development cycles and more agile support for their clients. It's a foundational step towards integrating advanced AI capabilities directly into their product suite down the line. We must scrutinize if this internal optimization truly addresses the deep-seated inefficiencies plaguing university systems. Integrating AI like Copilot offers the potential for significant gains in data analysis, content creation, and workflow automation. Imagine administrative staff freed from repetitive tasks, reallocating their expertise to more critical student and institutional needs. This isn't just about faster document drafting; it's about fundamentally reshaping how higher education institutions operate. The promise is efficiency, but the proof will be in the system's resilience and adaptability. This internal AI adoption is a precursor to future product enhancements that could redefine student information systems and ERPs for higher ed. If successful, it could set a new standard for intelligent administrative platforms. However, without transparent rollout strategies and measurable outcomes, it risks remaining a theoretical advantage. What concrete steps must Ellucian take to ensure this AI investment directly benefits struggling higher education institutions, rather than merely enhancing their own internal workflows? #HigherEdTech #Ellucian #AIinEducation #DigitalTransformation #EdTech #MicrosoftCopilot

🎓 Future-Proofing Higher Education As institutions navigate rising student expectations, tightening budgets, and evolving learning models, the right technologies have never been more crucial. According to Accruent, several key shifts are setting the stage for smarter, more resilient campuses.  Enhancing digital capabilities isn’t just about technology—it’s about building trust, agility, and accessibility in higher education. 📖 Read the full blog: https://bit.ly/3TML21S Ready to prepare your institution for the future? ☎️ +64 9 623 1223 ✉️ support@matrix.co.nz #MatrixNZ #HigherEducation #FutureCampus #DigitalTransformation #AI #HybridLearning #SmartCampus #EducationInnovation

California Community Colleges and Google Launch Nation’s Largest Higher Education Systemwide AI Partnership to Equip Millions of Students for the Future Workforce! >2 million students and faculty across CA’s 116 community colleges will have free access to AI training, Google Career Certificates, and some of Google's cutting-edge AI tools including #Gemini for Education and #NotebookLM Check it out 👇 https://lnkd.in/gsWbGXya #GoogleforEducation

The California Community Colleges announced a new partnership with Google to provide free access to AI training, Google Career Certificates, and AI tools including Gemini for Education and NotebookLM to its 2 million students and faculty. https://lnkd.in/gimHegqW

Earlier this week, Google and California Community Colleges just announced the largest AI education partnership in the USA. I didn’t see it coming but I’m glad it did. Over 2 million students and faculty will now have access to Gemini, NotebookLM, and Google Career Certificates. This is a meaningful, bold step forward. And the big opportunity is what this kind of access can make possible for students. This isn’t just about AI. It’s about readiness and relevance. And it’s about whether we’re willing to change fast enough to meet students where they are. I wrote a few thoughts about what this moment really means and what I hope comes next. #FutureOfWork #Education #AIinEducation #WorkforceDevelopment #CommunityColleges #EdTech #RelevanceMatters

"Perhaps most revealing in the data is how institutions are approaching the integration of artificial intelligence. While 77% of chief online learning officers believe AI will become crucial within two years, only 23% have developed institution-wide strategies. Another 66% of these professionals describe fragmented, department-level efforts with no coordinated approach. Nearly 10% have no AI strategy whatsoever, which should concern anyone who remembers how unprepared institutions were for pandemic-driven online learning demand." "[The finding] that nearly 10% of institutions have no AI strategy is a five-alarm fire for higher education," says Josh Jones, CEO of QuantHub, a data and AI skills training platform offering online courses and credentials. "We're watching history repeat itself. This mirrors exactly how universities approached online learning in 2010, and we know how unprepared that left them for 2020. But this time, the stakes are higher. [I]nstitutions without coherent AI strategies aren't just falling behind—they're failing to prepare students for a fundamentally transformed workforce." https://lnkd.in/gxkgKXCJ