by Michael Cronin
The AACRAO SEM conference in Las Vegas has long been the place where strategic enrollment leaders go not to tinker in the weeds, but to look ahead. This year, that future-focused lens sharpened around one topic more than any other: artificial intelligence. But as Michael Cronin, a seasoned enrollment strategist and AACRAO SEM attendee, put it, the conversation has moved on.
“AI is no longer about should we use it,” Cronin said. “It’s now about how do we implement it responsibly, ethically, and most importantly, effectively”.
AACRAO SEM stands apart as a conference designed for decision-makers, VPs of Enrollment, Provosts, and other cabinet-level leaders, seeking big-picture policy direction, not just operational advice. As Cronin described, it remains “the premier enrollment management conference for senior leadership,” built for those who must translate national trends into institutional strategy.
A Strategic Shift: From Speculation to Practical Application
This year’s agenda didn’t reinvent itself from past themes, but one shift stood out clearly: the AI conversation has matured. Enrollment professionals aren’t wondering if they’ll adopt AI, they’re actively evaluating where it can take tasks off their plate.
“There’s a growing urgency around freeing up time for staff to focus on relationships,” Cronin emphasized. “Not just with students, but with their families. That’s the human part that machines can’t replace.”
And while many institutions are struggling with how to implement this vision, Cronin pointed to a specific use case that’s rapidly gaining momentum: credit evaluation.
The Credit Evaluation Bottleneck, and the Path Through It
In the current climate, every hour an admissions counselor spends copy-pasting transcript data or navigating spreadsheets is an hour not spent recruiting or nurturing a student lead. AACRAO attendees seemed united in their desire to offload manual, transactional work, especially where tools like DegreeSight now offer solutions that pair AI-powered automation with registrar-grade accuracy.
“Enrollment teams are saying: I want a system that answers credit questions in minutes, not weeks,” Cronin said. “And I want that system to help us convert students, not just process them.”
That’s where modern platforms like DegreeSight’s INBOUND are changing the game. Instead of waiting for an application to begin transcript review, institutions can now offer immediate, self-service evaluations right on their website, capturing the lead and answering the student’s biggest question: How will my credits transfer?
AI That Enhances, Not Replaces
Perhaps the most refreshing perspective from Cronin’s interview was his emphasis on balance. AI, in his view, should never be a blunt instrument. “It’s not about replacing staff. It’s about removing the roadblocks that prevent them from doing their most important work,” he said.
For example, DegreeSight blends AI-powered articulation with human oversight, ensuring that decisions are fast and scalable, but also compliant and accurate. It’s a direct response to one of the key tensions Cronin observed at AACRAO: the need to satisfy both enrollment acceleration goals and registrar governance concerns.
“There’s a real opportunity here for tools that empower both offices without compromise,” he said.
Strategic Enrollment in a New Era
As institutions face declining demographics, economic uncertainty, and increasing expectations from students and families, there’s no longer room for slow systems or siloed decisions. The tools institutions choose now will define not just the next admission cycle, but their long-term viability.
AACRAO SEM 2025 made that abundantly clear.
“Strategy isn’t just about policy anymore,” Cronin concluded. “It’s about what you’re doing today to free up your team to recruit, build relationships, and serve students better. If your tech isn’t helping with that, it’s not strategic.”