Using AI to Strengthen Student Relationships

Using AI to Strengthen Student Relationships

Artificial intelligence is moving so quickly that it can feel hard to know what's useful, what's hype, and what's actually worth bringing into the work we do with students. But one of the most important questions may not be what AI can do. It may be whether it helps us create more meaningful human connection, or quietly pulls us further away from it. My guest today is Chadd Engel from Waubonsee Community College. Chadd brings a thoughtful perspective shaped by his work in K-12, career pathways, computer science advocacy, and AI in community college instruction. He has spent years thinking about how education can help students move toward opportunity, and now he's helping institutions think through how AI fits into that bigger picture. We talk about how higher ed leaders can filter through the noise around AI and focus on use cases that actually support student success. Chadd shares why AI should be used to raise the quality of our work first, not simply reduce time on task, and how that saved time can be reinvested into more student-centered conversations. At the heart of this conversation is the idea that technology should help us see students more clearly, support them more personally, and build stronger relationships across the institution. Show Notes: [02:54] Chadd Engel shares how his work in education began in K-12 and grew into career pathway experiences designed to help students move toward living-wage opportunities. [05:23] Personal details can make a big difference in student support, and Chadd explains how AI can help advisors remember meaningful connection points across large caseloads. [08:30] We shift into the cultural and operational hurdles that can slow AI adoption in higher education, especially when new tools are introduced without clear purpose or context. [11:49] Concerns about surveillance, accuracy, and replacement are real, but the conversation also explores how AI can increase capacity when it is treated as a tool instead of a substitute for human expertise. [13:03] Chadd introduces the dialogue model and explains why curiosity, listening, and open-ended questions are more useful than trying to dominate conversations about AI. [15:27] Rather than focusing only on saving time, Chadd encourages leaders to use AI first to raise the quality of their work and then reinvest any saved time into human connection. [18:37] A simple social media example shows how technology can either isolate people or become a shared experience that opens the door to conversation. [21:45] One practical AI use case is using publicly available program and pathway information to support advising conversations in real time. [24:24] Chadd frames AI adoption as institutional upskilling and suggests building momentum through grassroots sharing, curiosity, and ongoing dialogue. [26:09] A strong guiding principle emerges: if an AI use case leads to more human-to-human interaction, it is worth exploring, and if it reduces connection, it deserves closer scrutiny. [27:21] The conversation turns to the future of AI translation tools and how they may help students learn, communicate, and receive support in their first language. [28:05] Chadd closes by emphasizing that the future of AI in higher education is not just about smarter systems, but stronger human relationships. Links and Resources: Civitas Learning [https://www.civitaslearning.com/] Chadd Engel - Waubonsee Community College [https://www.waubonsee.edu/engel-chadd] Waubonsee Connection Spans Generations in the Engel Family [https://www.waubonsee.edu/student-experience/student-stories/waubonsee-connection-spans-generations-engel-family]

Signals: Are We Solving the Right Problem?

Most buying conversations in higher education start with features. Dashboards. Alerts. Predictions. AI capabilities. But stronger evaluations ask a different question: Will this system actually help our institution coordinate action? In this audio edition of Signals, we explore why lasting impact depends on more than platform capabilities alone. Drawing from recent Inside Higher Ed and EDUCAUSE research, this episode examines the gap between investment and execution — and why institutions that see sustained progress tend to evaluate something deeper than feature lists. Topics discussed include: • Why features alone don't create coordination • The difference between buying software and strengthening an operating model • Why fit matters more than breadth of capability • The role of workflow alignment, ownership, and long-term partnership • Questions institutions should ask before the next demo gets scheduled Resources referenced in this episode: • Inside Higher Ed Survey Insights: The Top 12 [https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/executive-leadership/2025/12/17/top-12-findings-inside-higher-eds-surveys-2025] • EDUCAUSE 2026 Top 10 Research [https://er.educause.edu/articles/2025/10/2026-educause-top-10-4-building-a-data-centric-culture-across-the-institution] • Buyer's Guide to Evaluating Institutional Success Systems [https://info.civitaslearning.com/student-success-platform-buying-guide] • Student Success Playbook [https://hubs.la/Q049d9840]

Beyond the Plateau: Designing Retention Experiments While the System Is Still Moving

Retention is often treated like a finish line, where you hit the number and move on.This conversation pushes back on that. When outcomes improve, the work doesn't settle down, it gets more precise. The obvious fixes are gone, and what's left takes more attention, better questions, and a willingness to keep testing things that aren't guaranteed to work. John Rindy, Assistant Vice President for Career and Academic Progress, and Emily McClain, Associate Director for Academic Success Design at Slippery Rock University, talk about how they approach that reality. They rely heavily on data, but not just to report results. They use it to spot patterns, challenge assumptions, and decide where to experiment next. That includes looking at second-semester drop-off, rethinking how they define "at-risk" students, and building partnerships across campus that don't always come easily. We also talk about how this shows up in practice. A student organization becomes the basis for a retention experiment. Tutoring is taken directly to students instead of waiting for them to ask. Faculty conversations get uncomfortable when data pushes back on long-held beliefs. Underneath all of it is a consistent idea that student success isn't a fixed system, it's something you keep adjusting as students, expectations, and conditions change. Show Notes: [02:11] John walks us through his role at the university and gives an overview of the school and its programs. [03:07] Emily explains her role in academic success design and how she works with coaching and student support. [03:52] We get into retention and why improving the numbers doesn't make the work easier. It actually gets more complex. [04:37] We talk about how they use data to ask better questions and turn those into things they can test and try. [05:48] Early retention gains come from obvious fixes, but once those are handled, it's harder to see what needs attention. [06:58] A pattern shows up with more students leaving after the second semester, which gives them something new to dig into. [08:06] The idea of complacency comes up and why strong results can actually be a risky place to stop learning. [08:51] The shift to using quartiles instead of broad "at-risk" labels to get a clearer picture of students. [09:29]Campus culture and how much it matters when trying to work across departments. [10:43] Instead of waiting for students to ask for help, they bring support directly to where students already are. [11:57] We talk about breaking down the stigma around asking for help so students actually use the resources available. [13:22] How focusing on testing ideas, adjusting, and improving over time is better than one-time solutions. [14:11] A retention experiment through a student organization, built around connection and mentorship. [15:57] Student relationships and sense of belonging come up as major factors in whether students stay. [17:06] That idea expands into thinking about how more student organizations could play a role in retention. [18:18] Faculty pushback comes up, especially when data challenges how courses or outcomes are viewed. [19:53] Trust and relationships make those conversations easier and more productive. [21:14] They share a framework for building stronger connections across campus, centered on care and engagement. [22:58] Over time, consistency and being open with data help build momentum with campus partners. [25:46] The focus shifts to assumptions and how they can shape decisions about students without people realizing it. [26:44] They question why some schools retain nearly all of their students and what might be driving that difference. [27:36] Clear expectations for students are set early, pushing back on the idea of just "trying" college. [28:42] Their focus on student potential instead of looking at students as lacking something. [30:23] The idea of value and why students are more likely to stay when they see the value in their experience. [31:37] Creating space for students to think about purpose and direction is part of helping them stay engaged. [32:41] A quick story from a campus tour shows how they communicate opportunities in a simple, clear way. [33:53] Leadership support comes through as a key factor in being able to experiment and try new ideas. [34:39] They stress the importance of stepping back and questioning what's actually working and what isn't. [35:52] We wrap with the idea that this work is ongoing and always changing. Links and Resources: Civitas Learning [https://www.civitaslearning.com/] Slippery Rock University [https://www.sru.edu/] John Rindy - Slippery Rock University [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrindy/] Emily McClaine - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymcclaine/] Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College [https://www.amazon.com/Relationship-Rich-Education-Connections-Success-College/dp/B092JMQ2D1]

Signals: Go-live Isn't the Finish Line

Most implementations focus on reaching go-live. But the real test often begins after launch. In this Signals audio edition, we look at the handoff no one talks about: the space between what technology can do and what teams actually do with it. Through Lawrence Technological University's six-week Civitas Learning deployment story, we explore why speed matters, why structure matters more, and why partnership after go-live is often what determines whether progress holds. Resources discussed: * IHE's 2025 Survey Insights: The Top 12 [https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/executive-leadership/2025/12/17/top-12-findings-inside-higher-eds-surveys-2025] * 2024 EDUCAUSE Analytics Landscape Study [https://library.educause.edu/resources/2024/9/2024-educause-analytics-landscape-study] * From a Year of Frustration to Live in Six Weeks: Lawrence Technological University's Deployment Story [https://www.civitaslearning.com/customer-success-stories/from-a-year-of-frustration-to-live-in-six-weeks-lawrence-technological-universitys-deployment-story/] * 2025 EDUCAUSE Top 10 #7: Faster, Better, AND Cheaper [https://er.educause.edu/articles/2024/10/2025-educause-top-10-7-faster-better-and-cheaper] * Gardner Institute's 2025 Impact Report [https://gardnerinstitute.my.canva.site/impact-report-2025]

Signals: The Relationships Behind the Number

This Signals edition — adapted for audio in the Next Practices feed — explores a question many institutions are facing: What does it actually take to sustain student success gains over time? Six years ago, Slippery Rock University was told that improving retention by a single percentage point wasn't realistic. This fall, they reached 86.4% — the highest in their history. The number matters. What's behind it matters more. In this episode, we examine what's driving that kind of progress — from relationship-rich partnerships to the discipline of stopping low-impact work — and why initiative fatigue, not effort, is often the real barrier. Drawing on SRU's experience and new insights from the Gardner Institute's 2025 Impact Report, this edition explores how institutions move from isolated initiatives to systems that compound results over time. Key links: * Th [https://gardnerinstitute.my.canva.site/impact-report-2025]e Gardner Institute's 2025 Impact Report [https://gardnerinstitute.my.canva.site/impact-report-2025] * From 81% to 86.4%: SRU's Playbook for Sustained Retention Gains [https://www.civitaslearning.com/customer-success-stories/from-81-to-86-4-srus-playbook-for-sustained-retention-gains/] * CLOSE the Student Impact Gap: A Modern Operating Model for Student Success [https://www.civitaslearning.com/blog/close-the-student-impact-gap-a-modern-operating-model-for-student-success/]