Higher Education IT Strategic Leadership Summit 2026

The Higher Education IT Strategic Leadership Council Summit is an invitation-only gathering of CIOs and senior technology leaders hosted by the Center for Digital Education. This closed-door, peer-to-peer forum brings together institutional and industry executives to exchange ideas, compare strategies, and shape the future of digital leadership in higher education.

The summit begins with a networking dinner, followed by a full day of focused, candid discussions. Topics reflect the core responsibilities and strategic priorities on every higher education CIO’s desk today, including:

• Enterprise architecture, modernization road mapping, and lifecycle management
• Cybersecurity resilience, risk governance, and incident readiness
• Data strategy, analytics maturity, and AI-enabled student and administrative services
• Budget optimization, sustainable funding models, and aligning IT investments with institutional mission
• Organizational structure, talent development, and workforce retention in a changing IT landscape
• Digital experience and service delivery improvements for students, faculty, and staff

This is a working session—not a conference. Attendees leave with practical insights, meaningful connections, and strategies to lead complex institutions through ongoing technological and organizational transformation.