From Insights to Impact: How AI is Rewriting the Student Success Playbook

Data rich, insights poor. It's a far too familiar script that remains unchanged in higher education. While awash with data, the real challenge for higher ed is to be able to use it to make timely, meaningful decisions. At the College of Southern Nevada, we’re trying to flip the script, from reacting to signs, to anticipating them by using predictive and prescriptive AI. Join us to learn how we built an enterprise strategy that supports the student journey from the admission app to the graduation cap, supported by a mindset transformation aimed at redefining the student experience across the life cycle. With data spread across multiple systems—SIS, LMS, advising platforms, and a medley of CRM-esque tools—we turned to machine learning to develop models that identify early signs of engagement or disengagement and recommend personalized and timely actions. Whether it’s a text message at the right time saying the right thing, or pointing them to the right support resource, these nudges are helping us reach students when it matters most. The session will walk through the key components of our approach, which include system consolidation, integration and, importantly, a mindset transformation across campus. Expect to leave with actionable takeaways to kick-start or expand AI to fit your institutional culture, maturity, and vision—and leave with a few lessons we learned the hard way so you don’t have to repeat them.