Survey finds institutional CIOs are prioritizing student experiences and looking to integrated AI to solve key challenges

RALEIGH, N.C., May 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ocelot, the industry leader in AI-driven student lifecycle engagement, today released the Ocelot 2024 Higher Ed CIO Trends Report. This comprehensive survey report, based on insights from over 100 CIOs across private and public institutions, sheds light on the evolving role of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in the higher education sector.

The report notes that the majority of higher ed CIOs agree enrollment and retention depend heavily on students having a seamless digital experience, yet 80% of the higher ed CIOs surveyed said creating seamless digital experiences is a challenge for their institution. While there's a general understanding that improving student experiences leads to positive results – 77% of CIOs reported past investments in advancing the student experience improved retention – respondents underscored the barriers they are facing to deliver on it, including:

• Siloed communications: 66% of higher ed CIOs say systems and communications are siloed at their institutions, causing challenges in delivering a single brand experience to students. Only 16% of those surveyed say students are getting the right personalized message at the right time across communication channels.
• Tech creep: 65% of higher ed CIOs reported tech creep in the past 4-5 years, with most saying it has led to an inability to support and use applications effectively, stretched budgets, and redundant systems, which together make supporting students' needs far more challenging.
• Compliance and data security: The majority of higher ed CIOs noted securing student data across campus was a top priority, while 93% said AI-enabled technology is presenting unprecedented compliance challenges.
• Integration needs: Most higher ed CIOs are either currently consolidating or plan to consolidate their stack. AI is central to this effort, with 63% of those surveyed indicating they are investing in AI to improve the student experience and more than half agreeing that a connected student concept focused on integration would solve institutional pain points.

"The role of CIO has really transformed in the last five years as cloud and self-service applications proliferate across campuses," said Anthony Rotoli, CEO, Ocelot. "This report underscores the unique challenges higher ed as a sector is experiencing and validates our vision of leveraging integrated AI to help institutions support and engage individuals throughout the student lifecycle. By connecting those siloed campus systems with our singular, purpose-built platform, we aim to help solve some of these challenges and empower cohesive, personalized experiences that lead to student and organizational success."

For more detailed insights and recommendations, download the full Ocelot 2024 Higher Ed CIO Trends Report here.

About Ocelot

Ocelot is the industry leader in AI-driven student lifecycle engagement, empowering colleges and universities to improve experiences through 24/7 support and real-time insight into student needs. Ocelot's solutions are underpinned by unrivaled, higher-ed specific language learning models, integrated solutions offerings and a continuously improving AI engine fueled by millions of real-time student interactions. Trusted by hundreds of organizations across the U.S., Ocelot makes cutting-edge machine learning accessible, secure, and scalable so institutions can better understand student needs and focus on creating impactful, personalized interactions that drive real outcomes. Visit ocelot.ai to learn more.

SOURCE Ocelot