The Texas A&M University System has launched a targeted AI intervention specifically for Pell-eligible first-year students across six campuses. The program is designed to close completion gaps among low-income and first-generation learners by using behavioral science and real-time guidance. By employing chatbots to assist with complex financial aid and degree requirements, the initiative aims to address the unique challenges faced by Pell students and to offer tailored support outside regular staff hours. The long-term goal is to raise persistence rates by 2.5% for these student populations and ensure that solutions are culturally and institutionally relevant.

Generative AI is prompting universities to rethink the traditional dissertation, as doctoral students increasingly use generative AI for analysis, synthesis and writing. This shift challenges the dissertation's role as a demonstration of independent thought, raising questions about authorship and originality, write Celia Marshik and David Rubenstein of the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Hybrid learning has grown in popularity, with 29% of students preferring a mix of in-person and online instruction, according to Tyton Partners' "Time for Class" report. To improve hybrid learning experiences, colleges and universities are investing in technology such as customizable cameras, dynamic speakers and artificial intelligence; expanding wireless access point coverage; increasing network capacity; and aiming for interoperability with students' devices. Experts share several other aspects of hybrid learning that appeal to students.

A study at Western Sydney University in Australia shows a decline in plagiarism among university students over the past 20 years, despite the rise of generative artificial intelligence, researcher Guy Curtis writes. The study, which surveyed students every five years beginning in 2004, found that the percentage of students engaging in plagiarism dropped from 80% in 2004 to 57% in 2024.