Illinois State University’s AI Playbook for the Digital Campus Experience
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How ISU partnered with Modo to turn system complexity into actionable, conversational, AI-powered student experiences.
Students don’t think in systems; they think in questions, tasks, and outcomes. Yet, for decades, universities have built their digital campus experience around those systems.
In this AI playbook, learn how Illinois State University partnered and Modo Labs to introduce conversational AI into its unified campus app through My Agent, enabling students to ask questions, access personalized information, and complete tasks without navigating multiple systems.
Explore how ISU built a strong digital foundation through deep integrations with systems like PeopleSoft and Canvas before introducing AI, and how the university is now transforming student interactions from screens and clicks into simple, outcome-driven conversations. You’ll also learn:
- How ISU unified campus systems into one digital experience
- Why integration maturity is critical before launching AI
- The phased roadmap ISU used to introduce conversational AI
- Real student workflows powered by AI and live campus data
- Key lessons and recommendations for institutions beginning their AI journey
Download the playbook to see how Illinois State is redefining the campus experience — and how your institution can build its own roadmap for AI-powered student engagement.
Why It Matters?
AI in higher education should do more than answer questions — it should simplify how students interact with the institution as a whole. When AI is embedded inside a unified campus experience platform, it can reduce friction, surface relevant information, and help students take action without needing to understand the systems behind the scenes.
Illinois State’s approach shows that successful higher education AI is not about rushing to automate everything. It is about building the right foundation, connecting real systems, and scaling intentionally to create a more intuitive, useful, and engaging campus experience.
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