UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has reached another significant milestone in its ongoing transformation of student services with the successful launch of a new Salesforce-powered case management solution supporting the Office of the University Bursar and the Enrollment Services Center (ESC).
Each year, the Enrollment Services Center receives more than 285,000 inquiries related to financial aid, billing, registration, student records and other enrollment services. The new case management solution equips staff with enhanced tools to respond more quickly and consistently while seamlessly collaborating with experts across multiple University offices when specialized assistance is needed.
Historically, students and families with complex questions often had to navigate multiple offices, repeating their situation each time responsibility shifted from one department to another. By connecting service teams through a single case management platform, Penn State is reducing unnecessary handoffs and creating a more coordinated experience from the initial inquiry through resolution.
"Enrollment Management, the Office of the University Bursar, Penn State Information Technology, and stakeholders from across the University collaborated on this initiative to modernize the technologies and processes that support this critical student-facing service," said David Horton, vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer. "Our goal was to simplify the overall experience for students and their families."
The initiative began in September 2025 with the establishment of the University's new Enrollment Services Center. That initial release laid the foundation for a unified service model by consolidating previously siloed services and introducing Salesforce case management. Rather than requiring students to determine which office could best answer their questions, the new model enabled staff to collaborate behind the scenes, helping students receive the assistance they needed through a single point of contact.
The second phase, launched in February 2026, expanded the platform's capabilities by introducing integrated telephony, lobby and kiosk management and enhancements requested by frontline staff. Those improvements further streamlined the student experience by bringing phone, in-person and digital interactions together within a single service platform.
Building on that momentum, Penn State introduced Salesforce Agentforce, an agentic AI solution supporting Enrollment Services. Agentforce helps students more efficiently access information, summarize cases and deliver faster, more consistent responses.
The newest release extends those capabilities by bringing the Office of the University Bursar into the shared case management environment, allowing billing-related inquiries to be managed alongside other enrollment services. The result is a more connected support network that enables staff across offices to collaborate efficiently while maintaining a complete history of each student's interaction.
Instead of asking students and families to understand Penn State's organizational structure, the University is creating systems that allow its offices to work together behind the scenes. Staff can now engage the appropriate experts without requiring students to restart the process, leading to faster resolutions, greater consistency and a more seamless overall experience.
"This intentional shift reflects a new way of delivering service," said Chris Lucas, associate vice president for IT and deputy CIO. "Employees can now spend more time addressing students' needs while laying the groundwork for future AI-powered capabilities at Penn State. This project supports the University's broader vision of shifting from an institution-centric model to a student-centric approach."
As Penn State continues investing in the Enrollment Services Center, University leaders view the Salesforce platform as a foundation for continued innovation. Future enhancements will continue to build on the University's student-centered approach by connecting people, processes and technology in ways that make it easier for students and families to receive timely, coordinated support throughout their Penn State journey.