Higher education stands at an unprecedented inflection point. After decades of incremental change, universities worldwide are grappling with converging forces that are fundamentally reshaping what it means to deliver truly connected digital experiences to students, faculty, and staff.
While 79 per cent of undergraduates feel their university met or exceeded expectations, 29 per cent of degree holders don’t believe their education was worth the cost. Meanwhile, student AI usage has exploded from 66 per cent to 92 per cent in just one year, yet only nine per cent of university technology leaders believe higher education is prepared for this transformation.
This disconnect reveals the challenge: traditional approaches to digital transformation in universities focused on digitising existing processes rather than reimagining the entire student experience.
According to Paul Towers, country manager for Liferay Australia, “there’s a clear mismatch between how fast student expectations are evolving and how slow institutions are responding. The next generation of learners have higher expectations than ever for what an optimal student experience looks like.”
Today, four powerful forces are converging to redefine what “connected” truly means in the university context.
Force 1: The consumer-grade expectations revolution
Today’s students are digital natives who don’t differentiate between university services and the consumer applications they use daily. They expect the same personalisation they get from Netflix, the same convenience they experience with Amazon, and the same responsiveness they receive from their banking app.
Yet amid rising costs and inflation only 60 per cent of students believe they’ll get value for money from their degree. Therefore students increasingly expect their university’s digital platforms to demonstrate clear value and efficiency at every touchpoint.
This convergence of financial pressure, everyday student challenges, and digital nativity creates unprecedented expectations. Universities must deliver consumer-grade personalisation while addressing the complex, multifaceted nature of student success.
It’s no longer enough to have separate portals for academics, student services, and campus life, students expect one unified experience that understands their complete journey and responds to their changing needs.
Force 2: The everything online imperative
The second force reshaping university digital experiences is students’ expectation that anything they can do on campus, they should be able to do online – efficiently and intuitively.
Research shows 52 per cent of students use online search engines as their primary research tool, with 68 per cent focusing searches on specific degree programs. This behavior extends throughout their university experience; from course registration and grade checking to meal ordering and appointment scheduling.
An overwhelming 93 per cent of institutional leaders expect digital tools to have significant impact over the next decade, recognising that digital-first service delivery is no longer optional. Students now use mobile apps for everything from ordering school meals and printing schedules to renting textbooks and checking exam grades.
However, recent research reveals an important nuance – while students want digital convenience for routine transactions, they increasingly value in-person interactions for complex, collaborative activities.
“Students don’t think in terms of departments or administrative offices, they think in terms of outcomes. If your digital experience adds friction, you’re making student success harder than it needs to be,” Mr Towers said.
Leading universities embrace ‘digital-first, human-when-it-matters’ models – removing friction from routine tasks while preserving meaningful human connection.
Force 3: The AI acceleration effect
Perhaps no force is reshaping university digital experiences as rapidly as artificial intelligence. The statistics are staggering: 92 per cent of students now use AI in some form, with 88 per cent having used generative AI for assessments.
Yet there’s a significant readiness gap. While 61 per cent of faculty have used AI in teaching, 88 per cent do so minimally, and only 36 per cent of students have received institutional support to develop AI skills despite overwhelmingly believing these skills are essential.
This creates both challenge and opportunity.
“AI is no longer a future trend – it’s a present reality in student workflows,” Mr Towers said.
Universities that proactively integrate AI into their connected digital experiences can deliver unprecedented personalisation and support. Leading institutions envision AI-powered learning analytics and improved accessibility for both students and faculty.
The AI revolution in university digital experiences isn’t about replacing human connection – it’s about augmenting it. AI handles routine tasks, supports 24/7, and predicts student challenges early. This frees human staff to focus on the complex, empathetic, relationship-building activities that truly matter in education.
Force 4: Real-time connected experience
These three forces are converging toward a vision of truly connected digital experiences that goes far beyond current university technology implementations. The future of a real-time connected experience includes:
Predictive intelligence: Systems that anticipate student needs before they arise, identifying at-risk students early and proactively connecting them with appropriate support services.
Hyper-personalisation: Modern learners expect flexible, personalised study paths that align with their commitments.
Seamless integration: Rather than forcing students to navigate separate systems for academics, student services, career development, and campus life, connected experiences will provide a unified platform with a single source of truth about each student’s complete university journey.
Accessibility excellence: Universities recognise that AI tools can significantly improve accessibility, creating more inclusive experiences for students with diverse needs and learning preferences.
As Mr Towers outlines, “this future for students is not just digital. It’s intelligent, integrated and deeply personalised. And more importantly it will become what students expect by default.”
What this means for universities
The convergence of these forces is redefining what “connected” means in university digital experiences. It’s no longer sufficient to simply digitise existing processes or provide students with access to multiple systems. True connection requires:
- Ecosystem thinking: View university experiences as a unified whole.
- Student-centric design: Design around student journeys, not silos.
- Proactive engagement: Anticipate needs with data and AI.
- Human-digital balance: Use tech to enhance human interaction.
Universities that embrace these principles and invest in truly connected digital experience platforms will be positioned to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. Those that continue with fragmented, process-centric approaches risk falling behind as student expectations continue to evolve.
The question isn’t whether these forces will reshape higher education – they already have. The question is how quickly and strategically institutions will adapt to serve their students in this new reality.
The universities that get this right won’t just improve their digital offerings; they’ll transform their ability to support student success at scale while maintaining the human connections that make higher education transformational.
With the AI education market projected to reach $20 billion by 2027, the investment and innovation in this space will only accelerate. The time for universities to reimagine their digital experiences isn’t tomorrow – it’s today.
Universities like Queensland and George Washington are already moving from fragmented systems to unified digital experiences that meet evolving student expectations.
If you’re exploring how to unify your university’s digital ecosystem and create more responsive student experiences, Liferay has the expertise and platform to support your journey.
Learn more about our approach and see how these institutions transformed their digital student experiences.
Download our exclusive e-book, which explores how three Australian institutions leveraged Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs) here.
Do you have an idea for a story?
Email [email protected]
