UPCEA AI Lab: Leveraging AI in Enrollment and Retention - March 2027
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Register
- Non-member - $259
- Member - $189
Course Description
This interactive AI Lab provides a practical introduction to the opportunities, tools, and considerations shaping enrollment and retention management in higher education. Participants will explore how artificial intelligence can enhance recruitment, personalized communication, enrollment operations, and student success while examining ethical considerations and responsible implementation.
Through demonstrations, real-world examples, and guided activities, learners will identify practical ways to incorporate AI into their daily work and develop an action plan for applying these tools within their own institution.
What You Will Explore
Recruitment and Communication
Explore how AI can support prospect engagement, personalized messaging, content development, and timely communication across the enrollment journey.
Enrollment Operations
Examine practical applications for CRM workflows, administrative processes, data analysis, and operational efficiency.
Retention and Student Success
Consider how AI can help identify learner needs, improve support, and strengthen engagement throughout the student experience.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this AI Lab, participants will be able to:
- Explain how artificial intelligence is influencing enrollment, recruitment, retention, and student success across higher education.
- Identify appropriate AI tools and applications that support recruitment, communication, CRM workflows, and learner engagement.
- Apply responsible and ethical practices when using AI in enrollment and retention management.
- Evaluate opportunities to improve enrollment and student success processes through practical AI applications.
- Develop an action plan for implementing AI tools and strategies within their own professional context.
Lab Structure and Expectations
This online lab is delivered over one week and combines focused asynchronous activities with two live synchronous sessions. Participants will engage with practical examples, explore tools and use cases, exchange ideas with peers, and apply course concepts to their own institutional context.
Explore the Opportunities
Examine current AI applications across recruitment, communication, enrollment operations, retention, and student success. Discuss institutional opportunities, limitations, and responsible-use considerations.
Move From Ideas to Action
Share insights from the week, evaluate potential use cases, discuss implementation considerations, and refine an action plan for applying AI within your professional environment.
Guided Activities
Complete focused exercises that help you evaluate tools, identify use cases, and connect AI applications to existing enrollment and retention processes.
Practical Demonstrations
Review examples of how AI tools can support communication, analysis, workflow improvement, learner engagement, and decision-making.
Peer Exchange
Learn from professionals at other institutions by sharing challenges, approaches, questions, and emerging practices.
Your AI Action Plan
By the end of the lab, participants will identify a practical opportunity for using AI within their own work and outline responsible, achievable next steps for implementation.
Who Should Enroll?
This lab is designed for professionals who support the recruitment, enrollment, engagement, and success of online, professional, continuing, and adult learners.
Enrollment and Admissions Professionals
Explore AI applications that may improve prospect communication, workflow efficiency, conversion, and enrollment operations.
Marketing and Recruitment Professionals
Identify opportunities to use AI for audience engagement, personalization, content development, and campaign support.
Student Success and Program Leaders
Consider how AI may strengthen learner support, retention, communication, and the overall student experience.
Vickie Cook
Senior Fellow
UPCEA
