eDesign Collaborative Blog

The eDesign Collaborative (eDC) Blog is a dedicated resource to announcements, updates, upcoming events, surveys, and other items for the eDC community. 

Spring Cleaning: Three Tips for Redesigning Your Course

January 22, 2019

It’s that time again. Courses are showing up in dashboard, and faculty are beginning to think about what changes they plan to make in their course design. As we near the start of the semester I’d offer these three tips for instructors who look to clean up and streamline their courses. Consider What’s Essential – Fewer Resources A…

Announcing: 2019 eDC ThinkTank Roadshow

October 30, 2018

After successfully piloting virtual ThinkTanks in 2018 with Utah State University and Oregon State University, we’re happy to announce the 2019 eDC ThinkTank Roadshow schedule. We’ve tweaked things a bit and the 2019 eDC ThinkTanks will now be free and open to all members of UPCEA! Non-members will be charged a nominal registration fee. We…

UPCEA eDesign Collaborative ThinkTank Roadshow: Oregon State University (Sept. 21)

September 4, 2018

Multimedia Dev In effort to widen the scope and learn more about several campus instructional design units, we will be engaging in virtual ThinkTanks. These will be two hour events where we get to know a new university team and have a working session together. Oregon State University Ecampus provides full service instructional design for…

Thought Piece: Resources for New (and Accidental) Instructional Designers

May 17, 2018

Introduction I am an accidental instructional designer. After finishing an MFA in Writing, I took a student employee position at another university as I worked on a second master’s degree, unsure of what to do next. I was an ELearning Content Developer, converting documents into full-fledged course sites. In the next few months, an amazing…

May eDesign Exchange: Mother Knows Best?

May 17, 2018

Date/Time: Thursday, May 24th from 2:30-3 p.m. ET Topic: Mother Knows Best? Sharing best resources for keeping on the pulse of latest ID trends and news Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/upceas-edesign-exchange-may-2018-tickets-45906623948 The eDesign Exchange is an ongoing series of informal, online meetups where members of the eDesign Collaborative can dialogue and brainstorm about a wide variety of relative topics,…

April eDesign Exchange: Fool’s Errand

April 24, 2018

It’s that time again! The eDesign Exchange is coming, and this month we have a guest facilitator. Ms. Kristlin Dalton of Loyola Chicago will be tag-teaming the discussion with us. Please come and meet her, and share ideas with our peers. Date: Thursday, April 26 Time: 2:30 – 3PM ET Title: Fool’s Errand Topic: Designing by Assumption What pitfalls are out…

February eDesign Exchange: Where’s the Love?

February 13, 2018

Date/Time: Thursday, February 22nd from 2:30-3 p.m. ET Topic: Where’s the Love? Love/hate relationships of design vs compliance Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/upceas-edesign-exchange-tickets-42542871875 The eDesign Exchange is an ongoing series of informal, online meetups where members of the eDesign Collaborative can dialogue and brainstorm about a wide variety of relative topics, build connections with other members of the community,…

January eDesign Exchange: What’s an eDC ThinkTank?

December 13, 2017

Date/Time: Thursday, January 25 from 2-2:30 p.m. ET Topic: What’s an eDC ThinkTank? Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/s/8187994674 In January, we will be talking about the idea behind an eDC ThinkTank. What they are, who attends and what we try to accomplish. Our next eDC ThinkTank is in February at Utah State University. We’d like to provide conversation around what…

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More Blogs + Updates from UPCEA

UPCEA Publishes “The Future Is Now: Essential Conversations for Building Tomorrow’s University Today” to Guide Higher Education Leaders into a New Era

Advocacy piece serves as a guide for institutional leaders to navigate challenging times WASHINGTON, D.C., ISSUED OCTOBER 6, 2025…UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today announces the release of its latest advocacy piece, “The Future Is Now: Essential Conversations for Building Tomorrow’s University Today.”  Designed to raise awareness of critical questions every campus leader…

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Trump Administration Gives Harvard 20 Days to Turn Over Admissions Data | Policy Matters (September 2025)

Major Updates Trump Administration Gives Harvard 20 Days to Turn Over Admissions Data The U.S. Department of Education has given Harvard University 20 days to turn over detailed admissions data in connection with an ongoing federal review of selective admissions practices. While focused on one institution, this move signals heightened scrutiny across higher education. Administrators…

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Preparing Four-Year Institutions for Workforce Pell

Institutions must begin preparing now for 2026 implementation.  On July 4, 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a sweeping legislative package that reshapes federal student aid and accountability policy. Among many consequential provisions for higher education is the creation of Workforce Pell, which will extend Pell Grant eligibility to some short-term,…

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How AI Is Rewriting the Playbook for Enrollment Management

Introduction Enrollment managers face a paradox: students demand personalized service, yet resources are shrinking. While AI is exciting, it is also an expensive endeavor for enrollment management divisions already stretched by staffing and resource challenges. Traditional methods—manual file reviews, siloed systems, and lagging indicators—simply can’t keep up. The solution lies in determining how to leverage…

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Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. James P. Pappas

UPCEA joins colleagues, friends, and the broader higher education community in mourning the passing of Dr. James P. Pappas, who dedicated his career to advancing the reach, relevance, and impact of online, professional and continuing education. Dr. Pappas, a former President of UPCEA, was the 1999 Walton S. Bittner Service Citation Award recipient and 2006…

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What Higher Education Leaders Can Learn from NGA’s Intersectional Policy Lab

In late August, I had the opportunity to join the National Governors Association’s Intersectional Policy Lab on Non-Degree Credentials and Skills-Based Practices in Minneapolis. This first in-person gathering of NGA’s Data and Non-Degree Credential Learning Community and Skills in the States Community of Practice brought together state leaders, researchers, foundations, and employers for two days…

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