By Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis
Guest Commentary
I recently had the opportunity to attend and participate in ASU-GSV, arguably the largest and most comprehensive global summit operating at the intersection of technology, workforce and education. The summit is a partnership between Arizona State University and Global Silicon Valley and brings together educators, EdTech leaders, philanthropists and corporations leaders committed to innovation. While there, I engaged with colleagues and policymakers in discussions around AI enabled education solutions and digital tools designed to enhance student engagement and knowledge transfer. The critical question posed in nearly every conversation, demo, presentation, and panel was how to harness innovation in ways that deepen student engagement rather than alienate learners. While the sheer number of products, services and solutions was nearly overwhelming, I found the convening incredibly valuable because I left with an even greater sense of urgency around the need to ensure that our students are fully engaged with people.
To be sure, we are living in a moment of extraordinary technological acceleration. Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant promise, it is a present reality, shaping how we teach, learn, assess, and even imagine the future of higher education. At institutions like Benedict College, where innovation and traditions walk hand in hand, we embrace the transformative power of AI. But let me be clear: no algorithm, no matter how sophisticated, can replace the power of human connection in unlocking student success. As much as I appreciate data, student success is more than a series of data points. It is not a predictive model. It is not a dashboard metric. Though these tools can inform our work, student success is a deeply human endeavor, rooted in relationships, trust, belonging, and belief. Belief, in particular, is something no machine can manufacture.
Every student who walks onto our campus carries more than a backpack and a class schedule. They carry aspirations, anxieties, lived experiences, and untold stories. Many carry the weight of being first-generation scholars. Others carry financial strain, imposter syndrome, or the quiet fear that they do not belong in spaces that were not historically designed for them.
AI can analyze patterns in retention. It can flag risk factors. It can even suggest interventions. But it cannot look a student in the eye and say, “I see you. I believe in you. And I will walk this journey with you.” That is the work of human engagement.
At Benedict College, we understand that student success is cultivated through intentional, sustained, and meaningful relationships. It is the faculty member who lingers after class to check in. It is the advisor who knows a student’s name, their dreams, and their struggles. It is the peer mentor who offers not just guidance, but reassurance. It is the president who refuses to lead from a distance, choosing instead to remain present, visible, and accountable to the students we serve. This is not incidental. It is strategic.
In an AI-powered world, human engagement is not a soft skill, it is a competitive advantage. As we integrate AI across our institution. From enrollment management to academic support to career readiness, we do so with a clear philosophy: technology should enhance human connection, not replace it. AI should give us more time to be human, not less. It should remove administrative burdens so that we can lean more deeply into mentorship, coaching, and community-building. The data is clear: students persist where they feel they belong. They thrive where they are known. They graduate where they are supported, not just academically, but holistically. This is especially true at HBCUs, where our legacy has always been about more than education, it has been about transformation. We do not simply confer degrees; we cultivate leaders. We do not merely teach content; we affirm identity, purpose, and possibility. No machine can replicate that sacred work.
As leaders in higher education, we must resist the temptation to over-automate the student experience. Efficiency cannot come at the expense of empathy. Scale cannot replace soul. Instead, we must design institutions that are both high-tech and high-touch.
This means investing in faculty and staff who are not only experts in their fields, but also deeply committed to student development. It means building systems that prompt—not replace—human outreach. It means using AI to identify when a student may be struggling and then ensuring that a real person shows up in response.
It also means reimagining leadership itself. In this moment, courageous leadership requires us to center students not just in our strategies, but in our presence. It calls us to listen more intently, engage more authentically, and act more boldly on behalf of those we serve. Because at the end of the day, student success is not driven by technology alone. It is driven by people, by educators who care, by institutions that commit, and by communities that surround students with unwavering support.
AI may power the future. But human engagement will always define it. At Benedict College, we will ensure that every student is not only prepared for a world shaped by artificial intelligence but grounded in a community that reminds them of their irreplaceable humanity.
That is our charge; that is our commitment; that is our legacy; and that is the essence of Benedict College.
Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis is President and CEO of Benedict College
