EdTech Connect Ep. 70 – Sharon Harrison: How AI Support is Becoming the New Front Door of Higher Education

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Jeff Dillon is joined by Sharon Harrison, Chief Marketing Officer at Gravity, to discuss the transformative role of AI in higher education. The conversation dives into how AI chatbots and virtual assistants have evolved from simple FAQ responders to essential infrastructure touching every stage of the student lifecycle—from recruitment to alumni engagement. Sharon shares insights from her experience merging leading edtech platforms, why 24/7 AI support is redefining student services, and what institutions should prioritize as they navigate data integration, compliance, and student needs in an AI-powered era.

Sharon Harrison’s EdTech Journey

• Background and Motivation: Sharon’s entry into higher ed tech was driven by personal and professional curiosity—a desire to stay ahead technologically ("to remain ahead of where my kids are with technology" - Sharon, 02:47) and to contribute to democratizing access to education.
  • Her experiences as a parent of children at all education stages, and as an alumni herself, inform her understanding of user journeys.
  • Quote: “It feels good to be part of a conversation that's geared around democratizing access to tertiary education. That feels important.” (03:45)

The Strategy Behind Gravity: Merging AI for Every Student Touchpoint

• Bringing Ivy AI and Ocelot Together under Gravity (04:17–05:31)
  • Ivy AI and Ocelot were leading purpose-built virtual assistant providers for higher ed.
  • Gravity was a leader in alumni engagement and fundraising.
  • Merged to deliver a cohesive, full-lifecycle engagement platform.
  • Quote: “How are we building the community from the second we first engage with the prospect all the way through to driving institutional loyalty... then it makes sense, right?” – Sharon (04:56)

Evolution of Chatbots: From Basic to Indispensable

• Early Days (“Chatboxes”), to AI Infrastructure (05:31–09:16)
  • Early chatbots handled FAQs like digital interns.
  • COVID and the “enrollment cliff” accelerated digital adoption and innovation.
  • Shift from chatboxes, to chatbots, to sophisticated agentic (autonomous) experiences.
  • Quote: “Now it's part of the zeitgeist. It is table stakes...that was when there was an interest in adoption, but also, of course, a heavy amount of caution.” – Sharon (07:36)
• Jeff’s Note: The pain points AI addresses vary widely across institutions—from enrollment overloads, to retention, advising, and student outreach. (09:28)

Use Cases Gaining Traction

• Key Areas: Admissions, Financial Aid, Retention, and Advising (10:10–11:54)
  • Staffing shortages and budget pressures are common; AI helps optimize limited resources.
  • AI supports application completion, 24/7 assistance, and financial aid process (driver of enrollment).
  • Gravity operates as a B2B2C, focused on institutional and student needs.
  • Quote: "Admissions is really thinking about how do I increase the application submission rate...Financial aid: A completed...application is the highest indicator of enrollment." – Sharon (10:39)

Impact Stories: AI Changing Student Trajectories

• Tackling Sensitive Obstacles (13:00–15:16)
  • AI virtual assistants reduce barriers for students facing food insecurity or housing issues by providing nonjudgmental, empathetic information on demand.
  • Example: High proportion (32%) of financial aid inquiries happened outside business hours—AI ensures support is always available.
  • Quote: “If you can talk to something that...is not going to bring shame, it's going to be very empathetic. What an interesting way and very humanist way to deploy technology.” – Sharon (13:26)

Integration: Fitting AI Seamlessly into Existing Campus Ecosystems

• Avoiding “Breaking Anything” (15:31–18:54)
  • Higher ed’s tech landscape is fragile—multiple, siloed systems (CRMs, SIS, LMS, etc.).
  • Gravity focuses on “sitting on top” of existing infrastructure, integrating data rather than replacing systems.
  • Example: Enabling a chatbot to retrieve application status by connecting with existing CRMs and SSO authentication.
  • Quote: “We want to capitalize on that and make that data worth even more...We're not here to replace them. What we specialize in is sitting on top of them.” – Sharon (17:49)
  • Insight: Many institutions have multiple CRMs due to departmental silos.

Metrics That Matter: Measuring Chatbot Effectiveness

• Moving Beyond Question Counts (18:54–23:17)
  • Key metrics: calls deflected, hours saved, cost savings, user engagement rate.
  • Attribution should focus on impact: time saved, more valuable staff conversations, demographic insights.
  • Example: University of Houston deflected 32,000 calls in four departments over 6–7 months, saving approximately $50,000.
  • Adoption is crucial—schools like Houston and Lone Star ran campaigns to drive student awareness.
  • Quote: “You can't just stick it on the website...you have to push the adoption.” – Sharon (21:48)
  • Customization: Metrics should tie back to what matters for a given team or institution.

Hybrid AI: Balancing Automation and the Human Touch

• Definition and Importance (23:31–26:52)
  • Hybrid AI combines retrieval-based responses (static, FAQ) with generative AI (conversational, dynamic).
  • AI uses institution-specific content; avoids outsourcing to public large language models, reducing risks around misinformation and bias.
  • Tone and brand voice can be customized (“If you want to sound like a pirate, we can do that.” – Sharon, 25:58)
  • Invisible handoff: Seamless transition between bot and human, so students always get the right support.

Guardrails for Safe, Equitable AI Adoption

• Compliance & Transparency (26:52–28:55)
  • Institutions must ask vendors about accessibility (VPAT), FERPA compliance, security (SOC2), and algorithm transparency.
  • Key: Understand the source of the AI’s data and oversight mechanisms.
  • Quote: “All AI isn't created equal. Just because you say you're using it doesn't tell the customer how you're using it.” – Sharon (28:45)

The Next Frontier: Predictive & Proactive Student Support

• Integrated Student Profiles & Early Intervention (29:12–31:15)
  • AI will draw from decentralized campus data to flag at-risk students and proactively offer resources (e.g., tutoring, counseling, meal plans).
  • Removes the need for students to self-advocate; reaches those who might not ask for help.
  • Quote: “If you don't know it's available, you can't take advantage of it.” – Sharon (31:07)

Getting Started: Advice for Resource-Limited Institutions

• Start with What You Have (31:15–32:24)
  • Audit existing tools—many campuses have under-used resources already in place.
  • Leverage internal assets and cross-departmental knowledge before new procurement.
  • "If you could avoid going to RFP, wouldn't you love that?" – Sharon (32:07)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “It feels good to be part of a conversation that's geared around democratizing access to tertiary education. That feels important.” —Sharon (03:45)
• “Now it's part of the zeitgeist. It is table stakes.” —Sharon (07:36)
• “If you can talk to something that...is not going to bring shame, it's going to be very empathetic. What an interesting way and very humanist way to deploy technology.” —Sharon (13:26)
• “We're not here to replace [systems]. What we specialize in is sitting on top of them.” —Sharon (17:49)
• “You can't just stick it on the website...you have to push the adoption.” —Sharon (21:48)
• “All AI isn't created equal. Just because you say you're using it doesn't tell the customer how you're using it.” —Sharon (28:45)
• “If you don't know it's available, you can't take advantage of it.” —Sharon (31:07)

Key Takeaways

• AI in Higher Ed has evolved from simple chatbots to essential, lifecycle-spanning infrastructure.
• Real impact comes from empathetic, always-available AI support—especially for underserved and nontraditional students.
• Integration and metrics matter as much as features; success means embedding AI seamlessly and tying outcomes to student and institutional goals.
• Hybrid AI offers the best of both worlds—automated efficiency with human sensitivity.
• The future lies in proactive, predictive AI that targets the rightstudents with the right resources before problems escalate.
• Practical start: Audit internal resources and break down campus silos before considering new investments.

For more on Sharon Harrison and Gravity, check out the show notes or visit edtechconnect.com.