Microcredentials, Modularity, and Mission: Insights from UPCEA’s Coffee Chat on Innovation in Healthcare Education
In partnership with the HELIX Summit on Continuing Medical Education How are institutions navigating the dynamic intersection of workforce demands, digital learning, and credentialing innovation—especially in healthcare? That’s exactly what we explored in a recent Coffee Chat, where UPCEA leaders from across the higher education landscape gathered for an unrecorded but powerfully candid conversation on…
Accreditation + Skill-Based Learning Addressed in New Executive Orders | Policy Matters (April 2025)
Major Updates Accreditation, Foreign Support, Skill-Based Learning Addressed in New Trump Executive Orders The Trump administration has continued issuing an unprecedented number of executive orders with recent directives directly impacting colleges and universities, addressing topics like accreditation reform, foreign influence, skills-based learning (including alternative credentials), and support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Two…
Online education booms in an era of lifelong learning (WorkingNation)
‘Strictly online institutions tend to serve working-age or older adults requiring flexible schedules constructed around family obligations and work. “Folks arrive at higher ed for a multitude of reasons,” says Julie Uranis, senior vice president of online and strategic initiatives for UPCEA (the Online and Professional Education Association), a resource for online university programs. “Online learning gives them…
UPCEA Announces Retirement of Chief Research Officer Jim Fong, Reinforces Strength of Research and Consulting Division
Washington, D.C. – April 7, 2025 – UPCEA, the leading association for online and professional education, today announced the upcoming retirement of Jim Fong, its founding Chief Research Officer, after years of transformative leadership in the field of higher education research and consulting. Fong first became involved with UPCEA as a volunteer leader while at…
Annual Conference Follow Up: Translating PCOE Innovation into the Future of Higher Education
In an era of heightened urgency, higher education institutions find themselves at a pivotal crossroads—confronting enrollment cliffs, shifting demographics, and growing skepticism about the value of a degree. Further, shifting federal policy and changes at the Department of Education will challenge postsecondary leaders like never before. Amid this turbulence, one area consistently demonstrates adaptability, innovation,…
Which OPM Contract Terms Should Concern Campus Leaders and Why?
UPCEA is pleased to announce the release of a new brief, “Which OPM Contract Terms Should Concern Campus Leaders and Why?,” authored by Jeffrey C. Sun, J.D., Ph.D. and Heather A. Turner, Ph.D., and published jointly by the University of Louisville SKILLS Collaborative, Education Law Association, and UPCEA. When deciding whether to partner with an…
The Online Overhaul (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
“[…] The pressures to embrace online education aren’t equal across institutions, though. Those needing to retain or bulk up enrollment and those serving diverse, high-needs populations — community colleges and regional comprehensives, for example — are likely feeling more urgency to adapt, sources say. (Nearly 42 percent of the online-related jobs posted by public two-year colleges in…
UPCEA Co-Signs Letter with ACE in Response to Department of Ed’s DCL | Policy Matters (February 2025)
UPCEA Co-Signs Letter with ACE and Other Organizations in Response to Department of Education’s Feb. 14, 2025 Dear Colleague Letter (American Council on Education) “The stated purpose of the DCL is to “provide clarity to the public regarding existing legal requirements” for colleges and universities under the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair…
Professional, Continuing, and Online Education Update by UPCEA
- Lighthouse lessons: Four mindsets to make digital transformation stick - Dinu de Kroon, et al; McKinsey
- Why AI companies keep raising the specter of sentience - Chris Stokel-Walker, Wired
- The Future of Education with AI Agents: How Conversational Agents Will Replace Classrooms - Thomas Frey, Futurist Speaker
- Becoming AI Literate This Summer - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed
- 94% of UK employers say micro-credentials strengthen a candidate’s application - Stuart Gentle, OnRec
- Survey: What Online College Students Need - Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Education
- An Inside-Out Approach to Leadership - Drew Erdmann, et al; McKinsey
- Former Google CEO-Backed Startup Builds AI Agents for Science - Scarlett Evans, AI Business
- Want a job at Duolingo? Better know how to use AI - Tech Crunch
- Google’s AI Mode gets expanded access and additional functionality - Aisha Malik, Tech Crunch
Get Involved with UPCEA
Professional development isn't just about attending sessions. Get involved with UPCEA to meet members from other institutions, share the great work your institution is doing, and hone your own skills. From submitting a session proposal for a conference or an article for a publication to serving as a volunteer on a conference planning committee, there are as many ways to engage with us!
