UPCEA has the knowledge and resources colleges and universities need to serve the nontraditional market.
The growth of the adult market and online learning is transforming higher education. Are you ready to lead the transformation at your college or university? Is your institution poised to capitalize on the opportunities these challenges present? Are you ready to join the only organization in North America focusing on professional, continuing and online education programs?
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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…
Read MoreAI Companies Roll out Educational Tools
Fall semesters are just beginning and the companies offering three leading AI models: Gemini by Google, Claude by Anthropic and…
Read MoreAI Payoff vs. the Web: What It Means for Higher Ed
When the New York Times ran a piece in August pointing out that companies are throwing billions into AI with…
Read MoreJustice Department Threatens College Funding Over DEI Policies; Administration Requests Detailed Admissions Data | Policy Matters (August 2025)
Major Updates Justice Department Threatens College Funding Over DEI Policies; Administration Requests Detailed Admissions Data The U.S. Department of Justice…
Read MoreExpanding Institutional Capacity for Credential Innovation through Business and Community Partnerships
Higher education is rapidly changing. The 2025-26 academic year will be the first in which the number of fully online…
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2025 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education | September 29 – October 1, 2025 | Washington, DC
Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education explores emerging trends and institutional models in the evolving field of alternative credentials. This unique event brings together professionals from diverse backgrounds to connect, exchange ideas, and spark innovation. Through thought-provoking general sessions, interactive...
Professional development is a strategic advantage.
As institutions navigate shifting priorities and growing demands, investing in your team’s skills ensures you stay ahead — enhancing performance, boosting innovation, and building long-term institutional strength. Equip your team with access to high-quality professional development at significant savings.
2025 MEMS: Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success Conference | December 2-4, 2025 | Boston, MA
MEMS is the premier event for leaders and practitioners responsible for online and professional continuing education marketing and enrollment management at colleges and universities around the world. For over 30 years, MEMS has drawn professionals from institutions of all sizes...
2026 Digital Teaching & Learning Conference (DT&L) | February 4-5, 2026 | Virtual
Free for UPCEA Members | Our theme this year, "Designing the Future," reflects our shared commitment to exploring innovation, fostering community, and advancing digital learning across postsecondary education. #DTL26 represents a bold new chapter for UPCEA—a fully virtual, reimagined, and...
2026 Annual Conference | April 15-17, 2026 | New Orleans, LA
The 2026 Annual Conference promises to be an invaluable opportunity for practitioners of online and professional education to come together as a community, share insights, and collaboratively address the pressing issues facing our schools and the broader landscape of higher...
PCO Professional Certificate Program
Advance your career in higher education with UPCEA's flexible Professional, Continuing, and Online (PCO) Professional Certificate program. Tailor your learning by selecting five courses from our diverse offerings, all designed to enhance your expertise in the field. Complete the courses...
Leaning Forward: Innovating Through Disruption | South Region Salon | September 9, 2025 | 1-4 PM ET
Join us for an insightful half-day virtual event with colleagues across the South region for interactive sessions, expert-led discussions, and peer learning focused on the latest trends, challenges, and innovation in the online, professional and continuing education landscape.
Chowda, Change and ChatGPT: AI on New England Campuses | New England Region Salon | August 7, 2025 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Join us for an insightful half-day virtual learning salon to connect with colleagues from across the New England region and discuss key challenges facing online and professional continuing education. The Salon will feature guest speakers, Q&A breakout sessions, and opportunities...
PCO Leader Certificate — Get started today
Explore leadership within higher education at a new level by focusing on how to responsibly manage people, data, and ideas with UPCEA PCO Leader Certificate. The UPCEA PCO Leader Certificate courses are perfect for current higher ed leaders as well...
The 2025 UPlift Mentorship Experience Starts in March
A very important goal for UPCEA is establishing equity in the field of higher education by providing unique member experiences and support to help our members navigate their careers. This six-month program begins in March and runs through August of...
New! Professional Development Certificates
Elevate your career with UPCEA’s new online Professional Development programs! Taught by leading experts in the field of professional, continuing, and online education, these programs offer high-value content for practitioners at all levels. Study and learn from the location of ...
2022 SOLA+R – Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable
Orlando, FL | April 11-12, 2022 SOLA+R (Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable) is the leading event focused on the online enterprise – from both strategic and operational perspectives. Online learning is integral in the delivery of innovative ...
2022 UPCEA Annual Conference
Orlando, FL | April 11-14, 2022 The UPCEA Annual Conference is the most significant assembly of thought leaders and practitioners today in the field of professional, continuing, and online education. Join us April 11-14, 2022 for engaging keynote speakers, high-energy concurrent sessions, ...
2021 Issue of UNBOUND: Second Installment
UNBOUND’s 2021 issue is being released in smaller, digestible installments. In the second installment, we explore how lifelong learners are adapting to an online world, and more.
UPCEA Hallmarks in Credential Innovation
These Hallmarks of Excellence are intended to be both aspirational and a practical toolkit to think systematically and concretely about the nature of credentials at your institution as well as the strategy and logistical components of supporting learners throughout their ...
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Alternative Credentialing articles from Unbound
- Perspective: Leading in the world’s new education landscapeIt is 2,325 miles from Heidi’s home in North Carolina to the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis. That’s the distance she traveled in June to receive her diploma for the bachelor’s degree she earned online. It was Heidi’s first visit to Oregon State, but her roots in the university community run deep. For the […]
- ‘Building a Broad Idea of What Leadership Means’: UPCEA Professional Development Programs in the SpotlightWhen Oregon State University’s Ecampus decided to create an online student advisory council, Executive Director Jessica DuPont knew exactly whom to turn to for guidance: her own classmates. DuPont and 12 other higher education leaders from across the nation recently completed UPCEA’s inaugural Professional Continuing and Online Leader Certificate program. “They’re my instant network,” she […]
- Prior Learning Assessment: Necessary Burden or Future-Proofing Strategy?In less than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the world of work look dramatically different. Millions of jobs have been erased, automation has accelerated, and several sectors have contracted while others are booming. Millions of laid-off workers will need additional education and training to land new jobs, and they need it to be […]
- Credentials UnboundFor more than a millennium, universities have awarded degrees to their graduates in much the same form as America’s academic institutions do today. Through their durability and credibility, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees have been remarkably resilient in their relevance and power to convey academic accomplishment. Universities have long prepared students for the workforce and […]
- Preface to Special Topic Section: Recent Perspectives on Credentialing InnovationWithin higher education—and beyond—there is tremendous and growing interest in innovation in educational credentialing. In the job market, educational credentials are more valuable than ever, and new microcredential offerings are diversifying a landscape long dominated by traditional degrees. Online education is the fastest growing segment of the higher education market, with more learners pursuing online […]
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