Higher‑education leaders expect 2026 to accelerate three interlocking shifts: deeper investment in short‑term credentials, stronger employer engagement, and expanded institutional use of AI. Reporting shows more than 30 states invested roughly $8.1 billion in short‑term workforce credentials in 2025, prompting colleges to build faster pathways tied to local labor markets. At the same time, institutions plunging into generative AI are confronting a foundational problem: bad or poorly governed data. Campus IT leaders and consultants emphasize that reliable AI outcomes require clear data governance, stewardship and operational practices before tools can be trusted and scaled. The near‑term strategy at many colleges will combine credentialing experiments, employer-aligned curriculum, and investment in data infrastructure to support AI‑enabled services for advising, assessment and operations. Clarification: 'Short‑term credentials' refers to certificates, microcredentials and non‑degree programs designed to develop specific job skills in months rather than years.