When Equity is the Mission: Leveraging Higher Ed Technology Trends in 2026

It’s a well-known adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same. For student success and enrollment leaders at colleges and universities, the issue of retention remains an ever-present thorn in the side:

For years, college dropout rates have remained stagnant, with nearly one in four full-time, first-year students (and over half of part-time freshmen) leaving school before their first year elapses. 

Financial struggles, academic challenges, stress, and mental health issues are all contributing factors to students’ decisions to leave school. After record declines in retention during the pandemic, universities are working to re-engage students and provide better support so fewer fall through the cracks.

Student retention also presents an equity challenge. When first-generation, minority, or low-income students leave school without gaining credentials, they often carry debt, while having lost the economic mobility that education can provide.

Many of these students face structural barriers such as financial insecurity, family support obligations, lack of academic support, and caregiving responsibilities. These contribute to higher attrition among already marginalized populations. 

Consequently, keeping students on track and engaged is paramount, and strong student support frameworks represent a bulwark against the cycle of disadvantage. 

State-of-the-Art Engagement Solutions

“Technology plays an absolutely critical role…in almost every facet of relationship building and engagement.“

Sue Cunningham, President & CEO, CASE

Fortunately, emerging technologies in higher education offer some novel approaches to cracking the student retention conundrum. Some highlights:

Emotion AI

Emotion AI is a subset of artificial intelligence that measures and “understands” human emotions, drawing from facial expressions, voice patterns, language and even physiological signals.

At the university level, emotion AI is being used by chatbots to gauge stress or anxiety through conversations with students, allowing faculty and administrators to follow up in person and offer support to struggling students. 

RCS Messaging

RCS messaging elevates conversation and communication with students, allowing school officials to share not only images but files, videos, and photographs that enhance conversations, driving greater engagement and communicating more information.

RCS also enables group chat functions and encrypts conversations end-to-end to maintain students’ security and privacy. 

CRM and SIS System Interoperability

Interoperability between CRMs and SIS systems is rapidly becoming table stakes for colleges and universities.

A school’s student information system (SIS) is an internal-facing system where data, such as students’ grades, class enrollment numbers, or tuition payment information, resides. Customer relationship management (CRM) software integrates with platforms such as websites and social media, as well as other campus systems, and facilitates communication and engagement with students.

It should go without saying that these systems need to talk to each other. Student retention teams’ timely, sensitive, and accurate communication with students about their personal data (including academic success, financial standing, and graduation requirements) is a vital component of any support and engagement strategy.

“The way higher education shapes its own future is by owning our data.”

Ted Mitchell, President, ACE

Expanded Conversational Analytics

Expanded conversational analytics have proven invaluable in college settings for providing realistic dialogue and human-like interaction with students.

These AI-powered systems can assist with administrative tasks, offer tutoring or academic support, answer questions outside of school or office hours, provide “alerts” when students miss deadlines, or even give feedback on assignments.

Chatbots and virtual assistants can provide help to students “at the point of care,” and alert colleges’ faculty and staff when their oversight and interaction are required.  

These solutions, when leveraged strategically, can dramatically improve student engagement and retention. By offering empathetic, personalized support and targeted, round-the-clock communication and information availability, colleges provide a safety net to help students progress happily in their degrees. 

New Solutions, Meaningful Connections

Lake Land College, a two-year public institution in Illinois, serves a diverse student body that includes many adult, nontraditional, and multilingual learners.

The college had long relied on mass emails and static texts, but these one-way messages felt impersonal and inefficient—leading to low engagement and limited connection with students.

Recognizing the need for change, the student success team adopted real-time, two-way conversational messaging to foster stronger relationships.

With Mongoose’s Conversation Intelligence Platform, Lake Land tripled participation in its TRIO program (from 2% to 6%) and expanded inclusion through multilingual communication.

The platform also streamlined financial aid reminders and program follow-ups, boosting both participation and satisfaction.

By replacing generic, one-way messages with authentic conversations, Lake Land College strengthened trust between students and staff—and significantly improved both enrollment and retention outcomes.

“We appreciate how Mongoose adapts to our needs and continuously improves. It’s an essential tool for our student communication strategy, and we would recommend it to anyone looking to enhance their outreach and engagement.”

peighton hinote, Coordinator for Student Communication and Initiatives at lake land college

Bridging the Equity Gap with Technology

Ultimately, higher education institutions have an opportunity to create more connected, personalized, and responsive student experiences by bringing innovative technological solutions to dedicated academic use cases. 

A strategic approach to digital transformation involves meeting learners where they are and supporting them when they need it most.

By integrating emerging technologies like AI-driven engagement tools and real-time, emotionally intelligent communication platforms, colleges can turn fragmented, impersonal processes into cohesive, student-centered ecosystems. These innovations help institutions deliver the kind of personalized support that keeps every learner connected and on track.

Colleges and universities that embrace these tools will not only strengthen engagement and retention but also advance educational equity—ensuring that every student, regardless of background, has the access, support, and sense of belonging needed to thrive.

Ready to future-proof your campus communications? See how Mongoose’s Conversation Intelligence Platform uses AI and automation to boost engagement and retention. Book a demo today.

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