Not long ago, I was speaking with a university president who asked a question that made me pause.
“Everyone is talking about AI,” he said. “But which leadership roles are actually changing because of it?”
It is a thoughtful question. The conversation around artificial intelligence in higher education can sometimes feel abstract. But when you step back and look at how institutions actually operate, the impact becomes much more tangible.
More than just a new tool, artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping how several cabinet roles function day-to-day. In particular, we are seeing meaningful shifts in three positions: the Provost, the Vice President of Enrollment, and the Vice President of Institutional Advancement.
If you are thinking about the future composition of your leadership team, it may be helpful to consider how each role is evolving and what that means for recruiting new talent.
What We Are Asking Leadership Candidates Today
A great search strategy (for any role) starts with asking the right questions. Artificial intelligence may be changing how work happens, but it is not replacing leadership judgment. If anything, the opposite may be true.
As technology becomes more integrated into institutional decision-making, leaders must become even more thoughtful about how human insight and technological capability work together. Smart leaders understand that the greatest value from AI emerges when organizations combine human judgment with machine intelligence, rather than treating one as a substitute for the other.
At Blue Rock Human Capital, we see this shift reflected in our conversations with leadership candidates.
The questions we ask today often look different from those we asked even a few years ago:
| Leadership Role | What AI Is Changing | What Blue Rock Human Capital Asks Candidates |
| Provost | Redefining academic integrity, authorship, and assessment as AI becomes part of the learning environment. | How will you guide faculty through changes in teaching and assessment while preserving academic rigor? |
| Vice President of Enrollment | Expanding the use of predictive analytics and data modeling to inform recruitment strategy and financial aid decisions. | How do you balance data insight with the relational work that drives enrollment decisions? |
| Vice President of Institutional Advancement | Using analytics to identify donor capacity, personalize outreach, and prioritize fundraising efforts. | How can technology strengthen donor relationships without losing the personal connection philanthropy requires? |
Now, let’s talk about what these questions might lead to for our three highlighted roles.
The Provost: Guiding the Academic Enterprise Through a New Learning Environment
For generations, the provost’s role has centered on protecting the integrity of the academic enterprise. That responsibility has not changed.
What has changed is the environment in which teaching and learning now take place.
Students have access to generative AI tools that can assist with writing, research summaries, coding, and problem-solving. Faculty are experimenting with many of these same tools in course design and scholarship. Some see enormous potential, while others are understandably cautious.
This places the provost in the middle of an important institutional conversation, amidst questions like:
- Where does AI belong in learning?
- Where should students demonstrate mastery independently?
- How should institutions define authorship, originality, and academic integrity in this new environment?
They may sound like technology questions, but deep down, they’re academic questions.
Today’s provost must guide faculty through these discussions while protecting the core values of scholarship and intellectual rigor. Increasingly, institutions are seeking provost candidates who combine scholarly credibility with curiosity about emerging technologies and their implications for teaching and research.
The Vice President of Enrollment: From Recruitment Strategy to Data Insight
Enrollment leadership has always been tied closely to institutional sustainability. What is different today is the level of complexity surrounding the student decision process.
Demographics are shifting, competition is intensifying, and families are examining return on investment more carefully than ever. Many prospective students now rely on digital tools and AI-powered platforms to research and compare institutions.
At the same time, enrollment teams are sitting on enormous volumes of information. Inquiry behavior, engagement patterns, financial aid sensitivity, and yield history all offer clues about how students move through the enrollment journey.
All that data, however, means nothing without the ability to interpret it effectively.
AI is helping enrollment leaders identify patterns that were once difficult to see. Predictive tools can highlight students most likely to enroll, flag melt risks earlier, and support more strategic financial aid decisions.
All that said, it’s important to remember: technology does not (and cannot) replace relationships.
Students still choose institutions because they feel understood and supported. The most effective enrollment leaders know how to combine analytical insight with the human connection that ultimately drives enrollment decisions.
The Vice President for Institutional Advancement: Fostering Relationships in a More Analytical Environment
Advancement leadership is evolving with technology as well. Development teams now have access to richer insight into donor engagement and philanthropic potential. Analytics can help identify prospective major donors earlier and allow gift officers to prioritize their time more strategically.
These tools can also support more personalized stewardship communication and help advancement teams understand which engagement strategies resonate most with donors.
Still, as with other areas, philanthropy remains deeply relational. A donor does not support an institution because an algorithm suggests they should. They give because they believe in the mission and trust the people representing it—and that trust can only be built by dedicated, relationship-savvy professionals.
For fund raising professionals, the opportunity is to use data and technology to strengthen relationships, not to push them aside.
A Leadership Moment for Presidents
If there is one theme that continues to emerge in our conversations with university leaders, it is this: AI is not replacing leadership judgment; rather, it is raising its importance.
The roles themselves are evolving, and so are the expectations attached to them. When institutions recruit for these positions today, they are selecting the people who will help define how their university navigates this next chapter.
At Blue Rock Human Capital, we spend a great deal of time speaking with presidents and boards about how leadership profiles are shifting across higher education. If this is a conversation you are beginning to have on your campus, we would welcome the opportunity to exchange perspectives and share what we are seeing in the talent market.
Sometimes your most valuable insight comes from comparing notes.
By Dr. Jacquelyn D. Elliott, President and COO