"Talk of what's possible with AI permeated conversations this week among the 7,000 attendees at Educause, the sector's leading education-technology conference. But amid the product demos, corporate swag and new feature launches, higher ed's technology and data leaders expressed caution about investing in new tech. They said that budget constraints, economic uncertainty and understaffed technology teams were forcing them to seek a clear return on investment in new tools rather than quick-fix purchases."
"Educause researchers at the event announced the 2026 Educause Top 10, a list of key focus areas they compiled based on interviews with leaders, expert panel recommendations and a survey of technology leaders at 450 institutions. The results underline how uncertainty around federal funding, economic instability and political upheaval is making it hard for leaders to plan. For example, No. 6 on the list is "Measured Approaches to New Technologies.""
Higher-education technology leaders are exercising caution about new tech investments because of budget constraints, economic uncertainty and understaffed teams. Institutions are prioritizing clear cost and ROI assessments and evaluating legacy systems before adopting new tools. Educause compiled a 2026 Top 10 list of focus areas based on interviews, expert panels and a survey of technology leaders at 450 institutions, highlighting planning challenges caused by uncertain federal funding, economic instability and political upheaval. Leaders intend measured approaches to new technologies to avoid quick fixes. Concerns include technical debt, poor interoperability and additional strains on technology teams.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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