Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping higher education, particularly in online and professional continuing education. A new book published by Routledge in association with UPCEA, the online and professional education association, examines how institutions can thoughtfully integrate AI into administrative and academic practices to improve outcomes for students and institutions alike.

AI Applications in Online Higher Education Administration: Strategies for Maximizing Returns and Improving Outcomes, edited by Kathleen S. Ives, Marie A. Cini, and Ray Schroeder, brings together leading practitioners, researchers, and administrators to explore how AI is influencing student recruitment, enrollment, advising, course design, assessment, and institutional strategy.

The 16-chapter volume provides practical insights into the opportunities and challenges associated with AI adoption in higher education. Contributors examine topics including AI-powered student support, instructional design, predictive analytics for retention, ethical considerations, and the operational implications of AI implementation.

“This book captures a critical moment,” writes Rovy F. Branon III, Vice Provost for Continuum College at the University of Washington, in the foreword. “It moves beyond breathless headlines and instead offers grounded, nuanced insights from institutional leaders, designers, and practitioners doing the hard work of integrating AI into the realities of academic life.”

Rather than presenting AI as a technological quick fix, the editors and contributors focus on how institutions can apply AI thoughtfully to enhance human-centered education. Across the book’s five sections, authors explore how AI can support recruitment and onboarding, personalize learning experiences, improve student success, and help institutions design more responsive systems.

“The contributors to this volume bring together deep experience from across higher education and educational technology,” said Robert J. Hansen, UPCEA CEO. “Their work offers leaders a practical framework for understanding how AI can improve student outcomes, strengthen institutional effectiveness, and support responsible innovation across online and continuing education.”

Edited by three leaders in digital learning and higher education innovation, the book reflects decades of experience at the intersection of technology, administration, and institutional strategy.

Kathleen S. Ives, D.M., serves as Chief Business Development Officer and Senior Vice President at UPCEA and previously served as CEO of the Online Learning Consortium. Marie A. Cini, Ph.D., is Provost at University of the People and a recognized leader in adult and online learning innovation. Ray Schroeder, M.S., is Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois Springfield and Senior Fellow at UPCEA, widely known for his writing and thought leadership on emerging technologies in higher education.

The book is designed for higher education leaders, including provosts, presidents, chief online officers, instructional designers, and faculty working in educational technology. It is also well suited as a textbook for graduate programs in higher education administration, instructional design, and related fields.

Availability

AI Applications in Online Higher Education Administration: Strategies for Maximizing Returns and Improving Outcomes (2026), published by Routledge, is available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book formats.

Learn more and purchase the book here:
https://www.routledge.com/AI-Applications-in-Online-Higher-Education-Administration-Strategies-for-Maximizing-Returns-and-Improving-Outcomes/Ives-Cini-Schroeder/p/book/9781032954806