Examining the Integration of Conversational Agents in Academic Advising, Enrollment, and Student Engagement

Abstract

This research examines the implementation and impact of conversational agents within higher education, specifically within academic advising, enrollment management, and student engagement. As higher education institutions become more reliant on digital solutions to keep up with the increasing demand for accessible and effective student services, conversational agents based on AI have emerged as useful assets to enhance institutional operations and extend the student experience. By using a quantitative research design, data were gathered from 280 students using a guided questionnaire and were analyzed by correlation, regression, and t-test methods. Results indicated that there is a very strong positive correlation between the use of conversational agents and the enhancement of academic advising services. Additional findings indicated that conversational agents have a substantial positive impact on the efficiency of enrollment processes as well as on the degree of student participation in academic and extracurricular activities. These outcomes pinpoint the experiential and operational values of AI-based systems on campuses and how they can facilitate higher education digital transformation efforts. On the basis of the studies, institutional services should be more integrated with conversational agents, there should be regular system updates, and ongoing research into their long-term educational impacts must be carried out. The findings contribute to the expanding body of evidence on AI use in education and provide actionable advice to university administrators, policymakers, and technology developers looking to leverage maximum student support services.