How Higher Ed Is Putting AI Agents to Work

Penn State University marked the awarding of its millionth degree this year, a milestone tied to the personal journey of CIO David Horton, whose father was a first-generation graduate. Horton emphasized that behind each degree is an individual with unique needs, requiring institutions to scale support systems. With over 87,000 students and 37,000 employees, Penn State faced the challenge of integrating AI to meet these demands without losing the human touch in education.

AI agents at Penn State and DePaul University are transforming operations by connecting fragmented data across 55 systems of record and 2.5 million digital assets. Penn State’s enrollment agent, powered by Agentforce, saved staff 197 hours during peak enrollment, while reducing support cases by 79%. This shift allowed staff to focus on the 21% of cases requiring human intervention, improving the student experience at critical moments.

DePaul University launched a financial aid agent last fall, built on internal and external data, capable of performing a 53-point check for each inquiry. The agent cut through administrative complexity, saving over 100 staff hours annually and reducing processing times by 90%. Faculty and staff redirected this time toward meaningful student interactions, using agent-generated insights to better understand individual needs before meetings.

Higher-education institutions are accelerating AI adoption to keep pace with technological change, with Penn State implementing three recent Salesforce projects in 120, 98, and 80 days respectively. Through the 'Quantum Leap' initiative, Penn State collaborates directly with Salesforce’s AI teams to speed up experimentation. Institutions are breaking down complex problems into smaller tasks, recognizing AI as a permanent disruption in education.