AI in higher education: What leaders got out of Vineyard 2026

300 higher ed leaders came to Vineyard 2026 to compare notes on AI, and attendees shared what stuck with them.

"My favorite part is the solutions, because it's almost like the art of possibilities, but they're not pie in the sky," one attendee said. "These are actual universities presenting things that they've already done." Another described the effect in personal terms: "It's broadened my horizon and I can see how we can embrace it more in advancement services."

What mattered just as much was being able to say the hard part out loud. "To be able to spend that time and say, 'here's my needs and challenges,' was really valuable," one attendee said. "There were immediate things I took away, and I shared them with my provost and my president on my campus this week while I was here."

For others, the value showed up outside the sessions entirely. "Sitting out here having a cup of coffee and meeting three or four people from other places I'd never met before... is stuff I can take back to my organization and say, 'hey, we can get better at this.' And I've got some real examples of how to do it."