EDUCAUSE’s Top 10 for 2026 centers on reconciling collective will with individual capabilities as higher‑ed IT leaders push to make better institutional connections. The report stresses human factors—workforce, governance and the alignment of technology to learning outcomes—rather than pure tech stacks. Institutions are also planning infrastructure investments: Google’s new Minnesota data‑center agreement with Form Energy for a 100‑hour iron‑air battery points to a growing expectation that campuses will partner with industry on long‑duration storage and grid resilience. CIOs and facilities directors should assess how large‑scale energy projects and modern IT architectures can support research uptime and hybrid learning continuity.