Events

Attend or view webinars on your schedule and connect with peers at higher education conferences and professional networking events across the U.S. - especially useful for new or mid-level professionals. Share your lessons learned with colleagues by presenting a session at one of our conferences for higher education and get involved with the association by becoming a volunteer leader. Connect with other high-level leaders through fantastic networking opportunities during the Annual Conference and all our events, which are designed to foster professional development and career growth. Webinars are free for UPCEA Members, and membership also provides discounts to all our conferences and other events, supporting your ongoing professional learning.

Conferences and Seminars

SOLAR 2026 | Summit for Online Leadership and Administration | July 29-31, 2026 | Boston, MA
JULY 29-31, 2026

2026 SOLAR (Summit for Online Leadership and Administration)

Convergence | Credential Innovation in Higher Education | October 13-15, 2026 | Washington, DC | #credovation
OCTOBER 13-15, 2026

2026 Convergence | Credential Innovation in Higher Education

MEMS 2026 | Marketing. Enrollment Management and Student Success Conference | November 30-December 2 | Orlando, FL
NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 2, 2026

MEMS 2026 | Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success Conference

UPCEA Regional Salons | Virtual | Free and open to all UPCEA members
MULTIPLE DATES

2026 Regional Salons: Free to All UPCEA Members

UPCEA 2027 Annual Conference | April 13-15, 2027 | Anaheim, CA | #UPCEA2027
APRIL 13 - 15, 2027

2027 Annual Conference

Webinars & Chats

June 18 2026 | 2:00 PM-3:00 PM ET

Webinar | From Research to Action: Online Flexibility and AI Guidance for Working Adults

Hosted by Risepoint

As higher education leaders navigate shifting enrollment patterns and rising expectations from adult learners, the role of AI in education is quickly moving from experimental to essential. Today’s learners are not only seeking flexibility—they’re looking for guidance on how to navigate and apply AI in their education and careers.
 
This webinar draws on insights from the 2026 Voice of the Online Learner research to explore how institutions can design online programs that align with evolving demand. We’ll examine how adult learners expect institutions to integrate AI into instruction and career pathways. We’ll also share practical, real-world perspectives on embedding AI into program design, scaling learner-centered flexibility, and leading institutional change in a rapidly advancing landscape.
 
Presenters: 
June 25, 2026 | 2:00 PM-2:45 PM ET

Webinar | What AI Is Really Changing in Higher Education - A Conversation with the University of Michigan-Ross

Hosted by Noodle

AI is not simply a new tool arriving on campuses. It is a stress test, one that is surfacing structural questions in curriculum design, assessment, faculty workflows, and learner expectations that many institutions have deferred for years.

The conversation has moved past "is AI a threat?" Most leaders are now asking what to do and in what order, often without a clear framework for deciding.

This 45-minute webinar uses business education as a concrete, well-developed example to help leaders across verticals think more clearly about what is changing, what is not, and where to act now. 

The pressure Michigan Ross faculty are navigating (how to prepare graduates for industries already shaped by AI, not just informed by it) is the same pressure facing programs in health, law, engineering, and public policy, arriving at different speeds but pointing toward the same underlying challenge.

This is not a survey of tools. It is a conversation about what to prioritize, where the real risks are, and how to move with intention.

What We'll Cover

  • Why AI is exposing structural problems in curriculum design, assessment, and faculty workflows that institutions have deferred for years, and what to do about them now
  • How learner expectations are shifting, and where community, signaling, and applied learning still hold their value
  • What business education reveals about the path ahead for health, law, engineering, and public policy programs
  • Where leaders should move with intention, and where to resist overreaction
  • You'll leave with a short set of questions to bring back to your institution and pressure-test curriculum, assessment, and faculty workflows against what's actually changing.

Presenters:

S. Sriram, University of Michigan-Ross
Lindsey Gallo, University of Michigan-Ross
Elissa Lappenga, Noodle

July 16, 2026 | 4:00 PM-5:00 PM ET

Coffee Chat | Know Before You Go: Navigating the SOLAR Conference

Hosted by UPCEA

Whether you’re a newcomer or a pro, join us for an informal opportunity to connect with other SOLAR Conference attendees. This fast-paced coffee chat will get you up to speed, give you an opportunity to ask questions and start thinking about planning your conference adventure. We’ll cover what you can expect to LEARN, how to get to KNOW attendees and what else you might DO in town.

Click here to access the room at 4PM on July 16 or download our calendar invite below.


Coffee Chats are informal, unrecorded, live opportunities to connect with UPCEA peers. Typically an hour or less, they provide time to discuss topics of interest, share ideas and connect with others in a casual setting.

August 6, 2026 | 3:00 PM-4:00 PM ET

Coffee Chat | Accessibility Deadline Delayed: Don’t Take Your Foot Off the Gas

Hosted by the Online Administration Network

The DOJ accessibility rule has created new urgency across higher education, but many institutions have been building accessibility programs for years. Join colleagues for an informal conversation about maintaining momentum, sharing lessons learned, and preparing for what's ahead.

Click here to access the room at 3PM on August 6 or download our calendar invite below.


Coffee Chats are informal, unrecorded, live opportunities to connect with UPCEA peers. Typically an hour or less, they provide time to discuss topics of interest, share ideas and connect with others in a casual setting.

August 20, 2026 | 3:00 PM-4:00 PM ET

Coffee Chat | Shorter Degrees, Bigger Questions

Hosted by the Engagement & Opportunity Committee

As institutions explore new approaches to serving working adults and other nontraditional learners, proposals for 90-credit bachelor's degrees are gaining attention. Advocates argue that shorter pathways can reduce time to completion, lower costs, and better align with the realities facing today's learners. At the same time, institutions must carefully consider whether these models are truly fit for purpose and designed around learner needs rather than market pressures or emerging trends. Similar questions are being explored in higher education systems around the world, offering additional perspectives on degree length, learning outcomes, and workforce preparation.

Join colleagues for an informal coffee chat exploring the opportunities and challenges associated with 90-credit degree programs. Participants can expect to discuss characteristics, goals, and circumstances of learners who may be attracted to these pathways, as well as key considerations related to program design, transferability, workforce outcomes, employer perceptions, student support, and institutional strategy. The conversation will also invite participants to examine international models and experiences with shorter degree pathways, considering what lessons and cautions may be relevant in the U.S. context. Bring your questions, experiences, and perspectives as we examine what it takes to design shorter degree pathways that genuinely expand access and support learner success.

Click here to access the room at 3PM on August 20 or download our calendar invite below.


Coffee Chats are informal, unrecorded, live opportunities to connect with UPCEA peers. Typically an hour or less, they provide time to discuss topics of interest, share ideas and connect with others in a casual setting.

November 19, 2026 | 3:00 PM-4:00 PM ET

Coffee Chat | Degrees, Designations, and Debt: The Cost of Being "Non-Professional"

Hosted by the Engagement & Opportunity Committee

Federal financial aid policies shape who can access higher education and how institutions design programs. This informal coffee chat will explore the consequences of the federal "professional degree" designation and how its narrow definition affects learners, institutions, and critical workforce sectors.

Participants can expect to discuss the challenges faced by students enrolled in programs that do not qualify as professional degrees for federal aid purposes, often requiring reliance on private loans despite preparing graduates for high-demand occupations. For example, the creation of associate degrees in teacher education raises questions about workforce shortages, credential pathways, and the evolving professional status of educators. Participants will also be encouraged to consider how other countries define, credential, and finance preparation for professions, and what lessons those models may offer for U.S. policy and practice.

Attendees will explore the characteristics and needs of learners in these programs, consider financial aid implications during program planning, and share institutional strategies for supporting students navigating these complex funding environments. Together, participants will examine both perspectives on professional preparation, access, affordability, and workforce development. Together we will create space for a candid conversation about how policy definitions shape educational opportunity and the engagement of learners.

Click here to access the room at 3PM on November 19 or download our calendar invite below.


Coffee Chats are informal, unrecorded, live opportunities to connect with UPCEA peers. Typically an hour or less, they provide time to discuss topics of interest, share ideas and connect with others in a casual setting.

February 18, 2026 | 3:00 PM-4:00 PM ET

Coffee Chat | Ready or Not? Accessibility, RSI, and the New Compliance Reality

Hosted by the Engagement & Opportunity Committee

Accessibility and Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) continue to be areas of significant focus for institutions offering online, professional, and continuing education programs. While the recent one-year extension of compliance deadlines for Title II web and mobile accessibility requirements provides some additional time, many institutions are still assessing the scope of work required to meet evolving expectations. At the same time, renewed attention to RSI—particularly within competency-based education (CBE) and other innovative learning models—is prompting institutions to revisit how they design and document meaningful instructor-initiated engagement.

Join colleagues for an informal coffee chat focused on sharing experiences, challenges, and emerging practices related to accessibility and RSI. Participants will discuss strategies for planning and prioritizing accessibility efforts, supporting faculty and instructional teams, documenting compliance, and balancing regulatory requirements with learner-centered design. Bring your questions, lessons learned, and ideas as we explore how institutions are preparing for the next phase of accessibility and online learning oversight.

Click here to access the room at 3PM on February 18 or download our calendar invite below.


Coffee Chats are informal, unrecorded, live opportunities to connect with UPCEA peers. Typically an hour or less, they provide time to discuss topics of interest, share ideas and connect with others in a casual setting.

Past Events

UPCEA 2026 Annual Conference | April 15-17, 2026 | New Orleans, LA
APRIL 15-17, 2026

2026 UPCEA Annual Conference

2026 UPCEA Digital Teaching & Learning Conference (DT&L) | Virtual | February 4-5, 2026
FEBRUARY 4-5, 2026

2026 Digital Teaching & Learning (DT&L) Conference

Virtual

Free to All UPCEA Members

MEMS 2025 | Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success Conference | December 2-4, 2025 | Boston, MA | #MEMS2025
December 2-4, 2025

2025 MEMS: Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success Conference

2025 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education | Sept 29 - Oct 1, 2025 | Washington, DC #credovation
September 29-October 1, 2025

2025 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education

Washington, DC

SOLAR 2025: Summit for Online Leadership and Administration | July 22-24, 2025 | Portland, OR
July 22-24 2025

2025 SOLAR: Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable

2025 UPCEA Annual Conference | March 24-26, 2025 | Denver, CO | #UPCEA2025
MARCH 24-26, 2025

2025 UPCEA Annual Conference

2024 MEMS | Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success Conference | December 3-5, 2024 | Philadelphia, PA
DECEMBER 3-5, 2024

2024 UPCEA MEMS | Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success Conference

Philadelphia, PA

Convergence Credential Innovation in Higher Education | Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2024 | New Orleans, LA
SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 2, 2024

2024 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education

Presented by UPCEA and AACRAO

New Orleans, LA

2024 DT&L and SOLA+R Conference | July 22-24, 2024 | Minneapolis, MN
JULY 22-24, 2024

2024 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R) and Distance Teaching & Learning Conference (DT&L)

Minneapolis, MN

2024 UPCEA Annual Conference
MARCH 26-28, 2024

2024 UPCEA Annual Conference

UPCEA 2023 MEMS | Marketing. Enrollment Management. Student Success. | Portland, OR | November 29 - December 1, 2023
NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 1, 2023

2023 UPCEA MEMS | Marketing | Enrollment Management | Student Success