For most of higher ed history, processes were handled with pen and paper. In the 90s, institutions started to embrace the power of digital solutions to transform their campus operations. The ultimate culmination of this first digital revolution were large “source of truth” systems, such as the SIS, LMS, and CRM. These tools consolidated disparate data and workflows into a single place, enabling staff to work faster and get more done.

The Problem

These tools are amazing, but they have a critical bottleneck: Staff. No matter how great your tools are, if you don’t have the staff to use them well, you can’t get the results you need. 80% of software features go unused, waiting for a skilled person to come along and leverage them. In higher ed, this means cluttered inboxes, slow responses, and gaps in student support.

Now, the world is in the midst of a second Digital Revolution, moving from traditional software to Agentic AI. Agents can think, decide, adapt, and act on their own, so they are more than just a tool – they take away the work of using one.

Traditional software is like a bicycle, amplifying the energy of the rider, enabling them to move faster and further. Agentic software is like a self-driving car. The driver decides where to go, monitors what the car is doing and steps in when necessary, but doesn’t usually need to touch the gas pedal.

First Digital Revolution: You act, software supports.

Second Digital Revolution: Software acts, you decide.

In this new world, the most important input from staff will not be manual effort, but critical thinking. Agents are absurdly powerful, but can lack judgement and common sense. Humans have great taste and intuition, but are constrained for time and energy. The second digital revolution is combining both into a superteam that delivers unprecedented outcomes.

The AI Workforce Needs a Platform

The second digital revolution is happening in every industry:

• Manufacturing has long relied on smart automation, with intelligent machines collaborating with humans to create high-quality products
• Cursor is changing the game for software development, making it easy to collaborate with agents to write code.
• Intercom is revolutionizing customer support, providing a frontline agent, Fin, that works alongside human staff to ensure customers are always getting the answers they need.

Like a modern manufacturing floor, Cursor and Intercom are more than just software, they are AI Workforce platforms – a place where people and agents collaborate to get work done. This type of “bridge” is necessary, because agents on their own can’t deliver great results. It’s the collaboration that shines.

Element451 is the AI Workforce platform for higher ed. We empower our customers to onboard teams of agents to handle real work alongside them, allowing the institution to meet its mission.

How Agents Help

Element451’s Bolt Agents are proactive digital teammates. Like any teammate, they require light training and onboarding, then work independently to accomplish real goals. They learn on the fly and adapt to each individual student. They are precise and never forget to follow your process, so they help bridge departments by maintaining a clear timeline of every action.

Bolt Agents...

• Can see every piece of data and past interaction your school has had with a student
• Always follow the process and never forget a step
• Can work 24/7 and never get overwhelmed when an influx of work comes in

Meanwhile, staff...

• Set the strategy and make the judgment calls that humans do best
• Onboard and train agents to fit their organization and philosophy of student care
• Guide and provide feedback to agents so they keep getting better and better

Agents save time for schools while allowing them to deliver dramatically superior results for students.

For example, at Richard Bland College, it used to take staff an average of 117 days to process an inbound application. Agents can validate the application and conduct a “first read” in just minutes, ready for review and supplementation by staff. Applicants get answers fast, while counselors can focus on building relationships.

How it Works

Implementing an AI Workforce platform delivers revolutionary results, but it can be done step-by-step. Agentic software requires less training and implementation time, because by definition, they require humans to do less of the heavy lifting within the platform.

Getting Element451 up and running, for example, takes just a few steps:

1. Core Platform Implementation

Implementation can take just weeks. The focus is on building a “hub” of school-specific knowledge, so agents will have plenty of material to work from.

2. Agent Onboarding

Schools set up their agents to fit seamlessly alongside their staff, customizing their personalities, voices, knowledge, and skills.

3. Job Assignment

Staff can then assign real work to their agent team, such as increasing application volume, promoting events, and supporting students at scale.

4. Feedback and Guidance

Agents go off and do their work, continually communicating with staff to get feedback and report outcomes.

5. Expansion

Schools can start with just a single agent and then go from there. With an AI Workforce platform in place, it’s easy to scale an agent team and adapt it to changing needs.

Experience the Second Digital Revolution

The 21st century will be defined by this profound shift in technology. From government to entertainment to science and education, the breakthroughs will come from teams of people and agents working together. Our mission is to put our partners at the forefront, so that they and their students can thrive.

Curious? Take one of our Bolt Agents for a spin—ask it a question just as a student would and see how it responds. → Try an AI Agent

And if you’re ready for a deeper look at your own campus needs, book a 15-minute walkthrough and map the first role your new digital colleague can take on.

Element451 is the AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed—designed to help every campus team act faster, serve students better, and find fulfillment in the work that matters most.