Agentforce, a Salesforce platform that enables organizations to create and deploy AI agents, has entered the higher education sector with its launch at Unity Environmental University in Maine. The university’s AI agent, named “Una,” marks the first deployment of Agentforce at a U.S. university, according to a news release.
Una is designed to automate administrative tasks, provide personalized student services, and generate data insights. The AI agent is intended to help prospective students navigate the application process.
Unity Environmental University has experienced significant growth, increasing its student population from 500 in 2012 to roughly 10,000 today. A November news release stated that the university aims to reach 50,000 students by 2030. Salesforce estimates that Una will save recruiters 17 hours weekly by automating the matching of applicants with suitable academic programs based on their interests and goals.
“Unity’s students will now have access to a deeply knowledgeable, contextually aware AI agent that can provide personalized support, 24/7 throughout their entire university experience — starting with admissions,” said Margo Martinez, vice president of education at Salesforce, in a public statement.
President and CEO of Unity Environmental University, Melik Peter Khoury, also sees Una as an opportunity to reduce administrative burdens. “As we integrate Agentforce into our workflows, we can quickly address standard questions like financial aid details or class registration while freeing our team to engage more deeply with students,” he said in a public statement. “This balanced approach ensures that every conversation is more meaningful, as some learners can rely solely on Una for immediate answers, while others benefit from the combined efforts of both Una and our dedicated staff.”
The news release also indicated that Unity Environmental University plans to utilize Agentforce to consolidate student data onto a single platform. The platform will then provide insights on enrollment patterns and student progress. University officials hope this approach will streamline class registration and allow staff to focus on personalized outreach and program development.
“It’s not just about automation,” Khoury said. “It’s about fostering more meaningful interactions and ensuring every student feels supported and valued throughout their journey at Unity.”
While Unity Environmental University is the inaugural institution to use Salesforce’s agent-builder, other higher education institutions have already begun using AI agents for purposes such as student recruitment or in the classroom, including Knox College in Illinois and Berry College in Georgia.
