Artificial intelligence has become increasingly common in higher education software. But not all AI is the same.
At FlightPath Academics, we take a different approach. FlightPath uses built-in proprietary AI designed specifically for the rules, requirements, and realities of higher education. Rather than relying on a generative AI service to make academic decisions, FlightPath uses purpose-built algorithms to analyze institutional data, identify patterns, evaluate possibilities, and provide actionable recommendations.
That distinction matters. Colleges and universities want the benefits of intelligent technology, but they also need confidence that academic information is being handled appropriately and that the answers students and advisors receive are accurate and grounded in the institution’s actual academic rules.
What Do We Mean by “AI”?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a broad term that encompasses many different technologies. It is not limited to conversational systems such as ChatGPT or other large language models (LLMs).
In FlightPath, our built-in proprietary AI uses algorithms, data analysis, optimization, and predictive techniques to address specific challenges in academic advising and student success. FlightPath can analyze academic information, identify potential problems, evaluate possible outcomes, and help advisors and students make better decisions.
This approach is fundamentally different from asking a generative AI model to determine what a student should do.
Built for Accuracy
Academic advising depends on rules. Degree requirements, prerequisites, course availability, credit requirements, and other institutional policies need to be handled accurately.
FlightPath’s intelligent features are built around those requirements. When FlightPath identifies a registration conflict, evaluates a potential change of major, or analyzes a student’s progress toward a degree, it is working from the institution’s academic data and rules—not asking a generative AI model to guess at the answer.
That means FlightPath does not need to rely on an LLM to invent a degree requirement, interpret an unfamiliar curriculum, or generate an answer that may sound convincing but be incorrect.
Built with Data Privacy in Mind
The growing use of generative AI has also raised legitimate questions for colleges and universities about student privacy and institutional data.
FlightPath’s proprietary AI does not require sending student information to an external generative AI service in order to provide its intelligent academic features. The AI capabilities are built into FlightPath and operate on the data and academic rules that FlightPath already uses to support advising and student success.
For institutions that want the benefits of AI without introducing an external generative AI model into their academic workflows, this distinction matters.
Early Alerts for Student Retention
FlightPath’s early alert system uses analytical and predictive techniques to help identify students who may be at risk of academic challenges. Advisors can receive alerts when student activity or academic performance indicates that intervention may be appropriate.
These insights allow advisors to act earlier, whether that means connecting a student with tutoring, academic coaching, financial aid resources, or other support services.
The goal isn’t simply to identify students who are struggling. It is to give advisors useful information early enough to make a difference.
Analytics That Drive Student Success
FlightPath’s AI-powered analytics provide advisors with actionable insights into students’ academic progress, risks, and opportunities.
By analyzing information such as grades, course history, enrollment activity, and other academic data, FlightPath can identify patterns and potential areas of concern. Advisors can then use those insights to make informed decisions and provide more proactive support.
Because these capabilities are designed specifically for higher education, the resulting insights are connected to the academic context in which advisors actually work.
Intelligent Degree Planning
One of the most promising applications of FlightPath’s proprietary AI is helping students and advisors identify an optimal path through a degree program.
FlightPath can evaluate a student’s remaining degree requirements along with prerequisites, course availability, scheduling constraints, and student preferences. An intelligent planning engine can then evaluate possible combinations of courses and identify paths that best meet those requirements and preferences.
For example, a student might prefer online courses, be available only on certain days of the week, and want to graduate within a specific timeframe. Rather than simply showing the student a list of courses, FlightPath can use those preferences and the institution’s academic rules to identify a practical path toward graduation.
Importantly, this does not require a generative AI model to make academic decisions. FlightPath can use its own academic rules and optimization technology to evaluate possible paths, keeping the institution’s requirements at the center of the process.
Simulating Changing Majors, Minors, Concentrations, and More
Among its many features is FlightPath’s “What If?” feature, which helps students and advisors explore the consequences of academic decisions by simulating changes to majors, minors, concentrations, and other academic programs.
Advisors can model how a change could affect a student’s remaining requirements, credits, course selections, and time to graduation. Students can explore different possibilities before making an important academic decision.
This is another example of how FlightPath applies intelligent technology to a specific higher education problem: helping students understand the consequences of their choices using the institution’s actual academic requirements.
Proprietary AI. Built for Higher Education.
AI does not have to mean a chatbot. It does not have to mean sending student information to an external language model. And it does not have to mean asking a general-purpose system to figure out how a college’s academic programs work.
FlightPath takes a different approach.
Our built-in proprietary AI is designed around higher education from the ground up. It uses institutional academic data, rules, analytics, and intelligent algorithms to help advisors and students make better academic decisions—with accuracy, transparency, and control at the center.
As AI continues to evolve, FlightPath will continue to explore ways that intelligent technology can improve student success while keeping the needs of institutions, advisors, and students at the forefront.
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