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Embodied AI

We may be just months away from an influx of embodied AI robots (EAI). Those are, in many cases, humanoid bots powered by autonomous AI. Generative AI (GenAI) continues to advance with reasoning power, competing with Ph.D.-level knowledge in math and several of the science fields. We are beginning to see autonomous agents that can…

New Survey Explores Intersection of AI and Credentialing in Higher Ed

UPCEA and Instructure recently released the results of a survey on whether institutions are utilizing AI to enhance learner outcomes and records, and if so, how? Most survey respondents are heavily involved in developing learner experiences and tracking outcomes, though nearly half report that their institutions have yet to adopt AI-driven tools for these purposes.…

Half of Higher Ed Institutions Now Use AI for Outcomes Tracking, But Most Lag in Implementing Comprehensive Learner Records

Survey conducted by Instructure and UPCEA explores the intersection of AI and credentialing in Higher Education SALT LAKE CITY — October 22, 2024 — Instructure, the leading learning ecosystem and UPCEA, the online and professional education association, announced the results of a survey on whether institutions are leveraging AI to improve learner outcomes and manage…

UPCEA and Instructure Leveraging AI to Improve Learner Outcomes and Records (Landing Page)

Leveraging AI to Improve Learner Outcomes and Learner Records The implementation of AI-driven tools in higher education is still in its early phases. It’s clear that institutional staff either are still learning how to incorporate the tools into the learning process or are encountering obstacles in optimizing their use. This study revealed that interest in…

Stopped-out students are confident in their academic skills — but financial concerns remain (Higher Ed Dive)

“Facing the rapidly approaching demographic cliff — an expected dropoff in high school graduates starting around 2025 — many colleges are pivoting to reengaging students who attended college but left before earning a credential. Officials see significant enrollment potential among this group, as the nationwide pool of stopped-out students is large and growing. By July 2022,…

UPCEA and StraighterLine Some College No Credential Learners (Landing Page)

Some College, No Credential Learners: Measuring Enrollment Readiness As higher education institutions grapple with declining enrollment, many are looking at ways to re-engage the more than 41.9 million Americans in the SCNC population. This study of over 1,000 adult learners revealed financial barriers, shifting perceptions of degree value, and institutional trust are key factors…

A Near Future Vision of AI in Higher Ed

The state-of-art of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is changing at lightning speed. Advances come by the hour, not just by the day. How might this play out in higher ed? As Senior Fellow at UPCEA, the online and professional education association, and Professor Emeritus from the University of Illinois Springfield, I am fortunate to…

AI is Already Advancing Higher Education

The potential for Generative AI (GenAI) to further advance, enhance, and expand higher education in the future is enormous. Meanwhile, few realize how AI already is improving what we do today in a myriad of ways. Let me begin by noting that I have used GenAI tools to assist in ideation and the search for…

Upskilling, Reskilling, or Retiring: Responding to the Advent of AI

The anticipated replacement of human workers with Generative AI (GenAI) apps has begun. Earlier this year IBM announced about 8,000 layoffs amid an AI-powered initiative. As reported by Byte magazine, Cisco is among a group of other tech companies that most recently announced layoffs: “Despite tech conglomerate Cisco posting $10.3 billion in profits last year,…

Water Sustains Life – Data Sustains Institutions

Earth. Where we live. Often referred to as The Blue Planet. The reason? About 70% of its surface is covered by water, a blue sphere when viewed from space. And liquid water is necessary for the survival of all known living things. For this reason, astrobiologists, when searching for other bodies in our solar system…

AI in a Lingering Age of Loneliness Among Students

The COVID-19 Pandemic brought about greater awareness of an even larger epidemic, one of loneliness in America. In higher education, it is incumbent on us to help our learners with overcoming the pain and other ill-effects of this condition. The World Health Organization has staggering reports on mental health around the world: In 2019, 1…

Our Responsibility to Teach AI to our Students

Put aside any concerns you may have about student use of GenAI in your classes. It is our urgent responsibility to teach our students now how to use the technology in their discipline; their careers depend on us. It is not the academic integrity issue that looms the largest in higher education use of Generative…

Majority of Grads Wish They’d Been Taught AI in College (Inside Higher Ed)

A majority of college graduates believe generative artificial intelligence tools should be incorporated into college classrooms, with more than half saying they felt unprepared for the workforce, according to a new survey from Cengage Group, an education-technology company. The survey, released today, found that 70 percent of graduates believe basic generative AI training should be integrated…

Your marketing team knows AI is the new jackpot. What hinders its growth? (University Business)

Many higher education marketing and enrollment management teams are on board with integrating AI into their everyday job functions, but timid leadership and a lack of resources are inhibiting widespread adoption and experimentation, a new report from UPCEA and EducationDynamics declares. The organizations surveyed over 120 professionals, finding respondents were optimistic about integrating emerging technologies, with 80% citing…

How will the rise of AI in the workplace impact liberal arts education? (Higher Ed Dive)

Demand for liberal arts education has declined in recent years as students increasingly eye college programs that directly prepare them for jobs. But according to many tech and college experts, as businesses launch advanced AI tools or integrate such technology into their operations, liberal arts majors will become more coveted. That’s because employers will need…

AI Reshapes Higher Ed and Society at Large by 2035

There are important steps to be taken in higher education as we prepare for the deep society-wide changes that will take place in the next five to ten years. In general, these columns have focused on the incremental actions that should be taken to benefit higher education institutions and their constituencies as they adapt to…

Higher Education Has Not Been Forgotten by Generative AI

The Generative AI (GenAI) revolution has not ignored higher education, a whole host of tools are available now and more revolutionary tools are on the way. Beginning with concern over the potential for plagiarism and cheating by way of the use of GenAI chatbots, higher education has paid attention to the development of this technology.…

How and When Might the Great AI Job Replacement Take Place?

While there are isolated examples of wholesale layoffs among a few individual companies, the broad scale loss of jobs has not yet materialized. So far, the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on the general workforce has been to enhance productivity rather than to reduce the overall number of jobs. Of course, we are barely into…

The AI-Augmented Non-Teaching Academic in Higher Ed

Generative AI (GenAI) will bring innovations, efficiencies, creativity, and effectiveness to most all people who work at our colleges and universities in the coming year. In the previous edition of Online: Trending Now, we looked at the AI tools and activities of the AI-augmented professor. Yet there are more staff members who support the learning…

The AI-Augmented Professor of 2024

It is early August 2024. I am about to begin the fall term of teaching, research, administrative tasks and advising with the help of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools and assistants. My syllabus was already submitted a couple of months ago so it is available online to all who may want to register. I did…

Apply today for the 2024 cohort of the Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars program

UPCEA is proud to once again be offering UPCEA members the Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars Program. Representative and diverse leadership is a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. The goal of the Diversity Scholars program is to equip diverse professionals at any stage of their career with the skills…

Generative AI Update for 2024 (The European Business Review)

Read Ray Schroeder and Katherine Kerpan’s perspective on where artificial intelligence is going in 2024. While the first full year of operation of ChatGPT, 2023, gave a foretaste of the enormous impact that AI is going to have on us all, 2024 shows every sign of boggling the mind even more. Here are some things…

Preparing for Our New AI Workforce in Higher Education

The recent rapid development of Generative AI (GenAI) has opened the possibility of far more efficient and cost-effective use of technology to assume the roles that are currently performed by humans. The World Economic Forum has estimated that artificial intelligence will replace some 85 million jobs by 2025. That’s only eight months away! A study…

Neg Reg on State Authorization, Distance Ed, Accreditation and Other Topics Fails to Reach Consensus, ED to Write Significant Changes | Policy Matters (March 2024)

Major Updates Negotiated Rulemaking Does Not Reach Consensus on Distance Education, State Authorization, Accreditation, and Other Topics The recent session of negotiated rulemaking at the Department of Education on Program Integrity and Institutional Quality concluded without reaching a consensus on several pivotal Issue Papers. The discussions were marred by considerable disagreement on key topics such…

Online Continuing Ed Programs See Improved Staffing but Problems Remain (Inside Higher Ed)

Online continuing education programs saw improved staffing and increased support from institutional leadership in the last year, but still face many challenges, according to a new report released Tuesday. The “State of Continuing Education 2024” from UPCEA, the organization previously known as the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, found that 45 percent of respondents said they have…

AI Digital Agents: Sending Advanced Computer Agents on Personal Tasks

This is not science fiction, rather it is science fact that we increasingly are sending Artificial Intelligent (AI) agents on our personal and professional tasks. We have discussed much about the development of AI capabilities in this column. We have reached the point of near-vertical expansion of AI speed, capacity and scope of knowledge. Elon…

Like a Good Student, AI Is Getting Smarter

The Generative AI (GenAI) tools we know as ChatGPT-4, Gemini-Advanced and their competition in 2024 are all getting many more features than the versions we used just a year ago. Speaking at the World Government Summit earlier this month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said GPT-5 will be ‘smarter’ and perhaps faster and more multimodal than…

Prompting Progress: Advancing Your AI Skills

Generative artificial intelligence has the potential to greatly enhance your creativity, efficiency, productivity and relevance in nearly every role in higher education. The pathway to success in using generative AI is to become proficient in composing the initial prompts and follow-ups that fully, precisely and unambiguously communicate your needs to the tool. It is a…

Employers Partnering to Provide Microcredential and Training Programs on the Rise, New Study From UPCEA and Collegis Education Reveals

Opportunities are growing, but higher ed institutions are losing ground to private providers WASHINGTON, DC (January 23, 2024) — Companies partnering externally to provide training or professional development to employees increased by 26 percent (nearly 15 percentage points) between 2022 and 2023, according to a new study released today by Collegis Education and UPCEA, the…

Integrating GenAI into Daily Work and Personal Life

Using Generative AI (GenAI) should become as much of a part of your daily routine as checking the weather or taking a coffee/tea break. We have now reached the point that GenAI is refined enough to assist with a high percentage of our daily work and life chores. From creating the grocery list to creating…

How Will AI in Higher Education Disrupt in 2024?

2023 was the year that Generative AI (GenAI) infused higher education. What can we expect in this new year? From student use in assignments (both formally cited and unattributed), to faculty use (grading, syllabi creation and research), to administrative use (budget balancing, staffing assignments, and marketing guidance); it was GenAI that made headlines and seeded…

The Secret to Success with Rapidly-Advancing Generative AI

It’s a head-spinning race to create the best in Generative AI (GenAI) with the Google Gemini release and OpenAI GPT 5 expected to come out soon. Over the past year and a half, the advances in GenAI have been astounding. The impact on the way we conduct research, teach classes and develop new learning materials…

Anxiety, Anticipation, and Preparation for AI in Higher Ed

In the whirlwind of developments regarding AI, we must move from anxiety to anticipation and preparation for what the future portends. OpenAI was much in the news this past Thanksgiving week. Centered on the firing and re-hiring of the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, the world watched and considered the future of artificial intelligence in our…

Preparing for the Unanticipated: AI Applications in Higher Education

Generative AI (GenAI) has emerged and is developing far more rapidly than expected. How should universities prepare for the impact and changes that may not even be anticipated? ChatGPT launched just one year ago on November 30, 2022. Since that date, with the infusion of tens of billions of dollars, tech companies around the world…

Generative AI: Your Assistant as an Administrator or Faculty Member

GenAI is quickly becoming a daily fixture in the lives of administrators and faculty. It enhances productivity, creativity and perspectives. In writing this article, I sought the advice of Google Bard, Perplexity and Claude 2. In all of my research using GenAI, I use at least three of the established apps. This enables me to…

Aligning the Curriculum to Reality in AI-Accelerated Times

Curricula are reassessed as rarely as every five years. AI demands we do a deep review right now and repeat it often! Is your curriculum relevant today? Will it still be relevant at the end of the decade when many of today’s entering students complete that curriculum? A degree takes an average of five to…

Gainful Employment and Financial Value Transparency Final Regulations Released – Effective July 1, 2024 | Policy Matters (September 2023)

Major Updates New Gainful Employment and Financial Value Transparency Final Regulations Released – Effective July 1, 2024 The US Department of Education has released final Gainful Employment and “Financial Value Transparency” regulations. The Gainful Employment (GE) regulations include new and higher bars for career programs and connecting outcomes to programs offered by private for-profit…

Advisory Boards Aid in Alleviating AI Anxiety (Inside Higher Ed)

When it comes to artificial intelligence and higher ed, the excitement and hype are matched by the uncertainties and need for guidance. One solution: creating an AI advisory board that brings together students, faculty and staff for open conversations about the new technology. That was a key idea presented at the University of Central Florida’s…

How Rising Professionals Can Obtain Coveted Expertise in Emerging Tech

At a time when enterprises are racing to experiment with fast-growing artificial intelligence capabilities, cloud computing is increasingly relied upon for organizations to operate efficiently and connected devices are proliferating at a staggering pace, harnessing emerging technology is becoming a leading priority for companies in all sectors and geographies. That means companies are on the…

Preparing Students for the AI-Enhanced Workforce

Our graduating and certificate-completing students need documented generative AI skills, and they need them now. The common adage repeated again and again is that AI will not take your job; a person with AI skills will replace you. The learners we are teaching this fall who will be entering, re-entering or seeking advancement in the…

Supporting the Faculty Member Fearing GenAI

The advent of Generative AI has hit higher education with the force of an earthquake, deeply shaking many faculty members who have serious concerns for their careers. IBM reports that 40% of the workforce will require reskilling due to the advent of genAI. And, that is just in the next three years! Imagine reading reports…

Generative AI in College and Departmental Administration

Generative AI can be an important assistant in promoting excellence in the role of Dean, Associate Dean, Department Chair or Department Head. In recent weeks, we have been identifying ways that we can use generative AI to help with engaging students in classes. In particular, we have been motivated by the urgent need to give…

Productively and Painlessly Integrating Gen AI into Your Fall Classes

It is important that we give our learners experience in using generative AI to prepare them for job interviews, career advancement and efficient practices in the workplace. One might ask why should we bend to the latest fad in our field? Let me be clear that AI is not a fad. It will not fade…

Paid Search & SEO in Higher Ed: Are Our Search Marketing Priorities Right?

Key Insights The majority of Professional, Continuing, and Online Education units prioritize paid search advertising. This shows that institutions view search as an important part of a prospect’s journey — but a much smaller portion invest in SEO. Search engine optimization is worthy of ongoing investment. However, university marketing units and outsourced marketing providers don’t…

This Fall, How Will You Integrate Gen AI into Your University Work?

We are already halfway through the summer. Now is the time to put into action your resolution to apply the power of AI at work! Generative AI has been around for a few years, but it hit the higher ed scene in a big way in 2022 with GPT 3.5. All of a sudden, it…

ED Releases Proposed Gainful Employment, Certification Procedures, HEERF, and Second Chance Pell; Public Comments Open With Multiple Deadlines | Policy Matters (May 2023)

Major Updates Department of Education Releases Proposed Gainful Employment, Financial Responsibility, Administrative Capability, Certification Procedures, and Ability-to-Benefit Regulations – Public Comment Due June 20 The Department of Education has released the long-anticipated retooling of the Gainful Employment (GE) rule following work during the 2021-2022 Negotiated Rulemaking. Current law requires that certificate programs at all institutions…

Steps to Take While AI Chatbots Mature

Too many of us are making snap judgments about AI Chatbots based on reading one or two reviews, or by taking only five minutes to test out the current version. Truth be told, vendors are rushing chatbots out to the market, many of them in beta version, in order to meet their competition and secure…

Apply today for the 2023 cohort of the Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars program

The Path Ahead for Generative AI

The role of generative AI is rapidly evolving in education and in creating a vision of the society of the future. Early in 2019, GPT-2 was announced by OpenAI, the non-profit, private company that now includes $11 billion in investments from Microsoft Corporation. Compared to what was to follow, the development was relatively quiet. Claudia…

How Education Leaders Think Generative AI Will Impact Classroom Learning (CB&A)

With the recent launch of ChatGPT, generative artificial intelligence entered the chat (pun intended) in a big way, and commentators immediately expressed concern about plagiarism and other forms of cheating in the classroom. Since those early days, the conversation about how these new generative AI tools will disrupt classroom teaching and learning has broadened. Bigger…

Generative AI Is Only as Good as the Prompt You Give It

It is ironic that much of the early conversation about ChatGPT had to do with the demise of writing skills when, in fact, the very success of generative AI searches is determined by the quality of precisely-written prompts. Let’s begin with the term “generative AI.” McKinsey Explainers concisely describes it this way: “Generative artificial intelligence…

A Few Hidden Gems among AI Apps

In the flurry of launches of generative AI apps this year, there are some that I find are gems that don’t get enough attention. These are ones that I think colleagues in higher ed might use every day. First, let me note that I have no investment in, have received no compensation from, or stand…

Where Will Generative AI Lead?

I just returned from the largest-ever UPCEA Annual conference in Washington DC. More than 1,000 leaders in professional, continuing and online education gathered to learn, share and prepare for the future. I had the privilege to greet hundreds of those as they registered for the conference on Wednesday. Many of those attending were excited about…

AI is Impacting Education, But the Best is Yet to Come!

When generative AI came rolling out of development lab obscurity last year, most of us were surprised – even shocked. AI has always been a path to streamline production and distribution. In the past, it had come to replace blue collar jobs. When I first tried it out in August, I wrote in this column, “Higher…

In the Coming Weeks, How to Respond to Generative AI

Many were taken by surprise by the emergence of highly-sophisticated large language models. Notice was taken last year with OpenAI GPT-3. I was amazed last August, when I first asked GPT-3 to write a sample article about the impact of GPT on higher education. It responded with an accurate, cogent 700-word piece in just seconds.…

Remaining Relevant in a Changing Higher Ed

How can you remain relevant in higher education in 2023? In a field that has remained relatively unchanged over the decades, higher education is overdue for a major makeover to adjust to the changes over the decades in our society. We have lost affordability and relevance to many prospective students and employers. As a result,…

AI Transforming Education

Artificial Intelligence has begun impacting education, but the best is yet to come! The era of AI management of big data is upon us. Even in the slow-moving field of education, big data is making a difference. Identifying trends that never before had been uncovered and using predictive analytics to generate models of the future…

Biden Administration Announces Long-Awaited Student Debt Forgiveness, Signals End of Student Loan Payment Pause | Policy Matters (August 2022)

Major Updates Biden Administration Announces Long-Awaited Student Debt Forgiveness, Signals End of Student Loan Payment Pause After years of anticipation, the Biden Administration rolled out its student debt forgiveness and repayment package. While the $10,000 in forgiveness for any individual making less than $125k per year (or $250k jointly) which was included in the final…

“One-Stop Shop”: First-Gen, Low-Income Students Advocate for Basic Needs Center On Campus (The Cornell Daily Sun)

“While a Basic Needs Center is a novel idea for Cornell, it is based on a model seen at numerous universities across the country, including University of California Berkeley, University of California Davis, Stanford University, Oregon State University and City University of New York Lehman College. At these universities and many others across the country, students can access an array of resources…

Conference Committee Nixes Short-Term Job Training Pell Grants from Final Compromise Computer Chip Bill | Policy Matters (July 2022)

Major Updates Conference Committee Nixes Short-Term Job Training Pell Grants from Final Compromise Computer Chip Bill After months of internal negotiations between a conference committee working out differences between the House and Senate passed legislation focusing on competitiveness with China, a much narrower compromise bill has come forth. Smaller than the House of Representatives’ original…

Google’s low-cost certificate program aims to help jumpstart tech careers (The College Fix)

Google is making headway with a less expensive and self-paced option to earn digital certifications amid a decline in college enrollment. Google advertises the certification programs as a low-cost option to an expensive and time-consuming four-year higher education pathway. According to the tech giant, a certificate can be earned in three to six months applying…

The Failing Links in Higher Ed

Higher education is suffering from the failure of a couple of essential linkages, resulting in mega-declines in enrollments—down three million over the past decade. I think of higher education as a long chain of processes, services and functionalities that are broadly designed to improve society as a whole. These include such links in the chain…

US Government Accountability Office Releases Long-Awaited Report on OPMs | Policy Matters (May 2022)

Major Updates US Government Accountability Office Releases Long-Awaited Report on OPMs The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a highly anticipated report following a multi-year review of the relationships between Online Program Managers (OPMs) and universities. In their report, they recommended some changes around how the Department of Education deals with universities and…

Apply today for the 2022 cohort of the Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars program

Credential Train Is Leaving the Station—Get on Board

In 1997, Sylvia Manning, then VPAA of the University of Illinois system, later president of the Higher Learning Commission, declared, “The online learning train is leaving the station—get on board or be left behind!” That prescient message by one of higher education’s most astute leaders of the past quarter century certainly proved to be true.…

Forecasting, Budgeting, and Managing Money in an Environment of Uncertainty and Risk

Starts May 31 | Register by May 27 | How do those in PCO education analyze opportunities, project revenue and expenses, identify prudent ways to manage resources, monitor cash flow, and mitigate financial disaster? Learn more.

Bill with Short-Term Job Training Pell Passes House; Excludes Online Programs | Policy Matters (February 2022)

Major Updates Bill with Short-Term Job Training Pell Passes House; Excludes Online Programs The COMPETES Act passed the House of Representatives in early February. An amendment to the bill establishes a new short-term job training Pell grant program. Unfortunately, this provision excluded any online-only programs. UPCEA has long advocated for short-term job training Pell programs,…

How AI and Associated Technologies Change the Role of Higher Ed

As artificial intelligence and associated technologies extend their influence in our society, the role of higher education must change. We can no longer prepare learners for static careers in unchanging fields. We are in the midst of profound change in the nature of employment worldwide. Fueled most recently by the pandemic, the nature of work,…

AI Is Leading a Revolution in Roles, ROI and Opportunities

The world is in the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, which is what the World Economic Forum describes as a new era that extends the impact of digitization in new and unanticipated ways. The fourth industrial revolution has shown up first and most prominently in the high-tech fields. Unsurprisingly, they are the ones leading…

Could a quantum leap someday aid ethical AI? (Pew Research Center)

As they considered the potential evolution of ethical AI design, the people responding to this canvassing were given the opportunity to speculate as to whether quantum computing (QC), which is still in its early days of development, might somehow be employed in the future in support of the development of ethical AI systems. […] Ray Schroeder, associate vice…

From Badging to Blockchain: Documenting Skills Learned

Employers are seeking graduates with both hard and soft skills that enable them to be effective employees on day one. Are we documenting those skills for our grads? Increasingly, higher education is placed in the position of updating and upgrading the curriculum to assure that students are prepared for the careers of today — not…

Vaccinate Against Cheating With Authentic Assessment

University faculty members are discovering that students are using the internet to cheat on exams. Online sites sell test questions, answer keys, term papers and other assessments to students. There is a cure for this. It’s not news that students cheat to pass classes, though this has recently been in the news with the discovery…

Online Learning to the Rescue: Again

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Asia in late 2002 and 2003 and the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005, online learning came to the rescue of scores of colleges and universities and tens of thousands of students. SARS was a serious cousin of the current virus. It spread quickly across Asia and…

In Memoriam: Keith Bailey

Long-time UPCEA member and colleague Keith Bailey (1970-2020) passed away in early December 2020. Dr. Bailey served as Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning and Dean of WVU Online at West Virginia University. In this role, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of both WVU Online and the University’s Teaching and Learning Commons. Dr. Bailey previously…

Embedding Industry Certifications into Bachelor’s Degrees: New Framework Now Available

Report Provides Guidance to Universities and Certification Bodies to Explore Certification-Degree Pathways December 1, 2020 – A new framework to support the development and scaling of certification-degree pathways has been published today by Workcred – an affiliate of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) – in partnership with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU),…

How Blockchain Can Streamline Recordkeeping at Universities (OnlineEducation)

“What we see coming out of the pandemic is that the world is entering an environment for business and industry called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is a digitizing work. What that opens up for is that our delivery of documentation will change and will be delivered on the blockchain.” – Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow…

What Does the Blockchain Mean for University Partnerships? (Helix Education)

COVID has accelerated the evolution and adoption of a lot of new technologies across higher ed. What has the pandemic done to the blockchain movement specifically? Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor of online learning at University of Illinois Springfield, and senior fellow at UPCEA, returns to the Enrollment Growth University show to remark on the acceleration…

The Blockchain Future of Higher Ed

The pressure is on to provide a mechanism to enable students to control their own record of lifelong learning that recognizes both in-class and real-world experiences. As higher education slowly adapts to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), spurred by the COVID crisis, students and industry are recognizing the need for a technologically supported way to…

Application Now Open: The Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars program

In an effort to professionalize and elevate the field of Professional, Continuing, and Online Education (PCO), UPCEA is launching a series of Online Professional Development programs. As we examined the unique challenges of the profession, the importance of representative and diverse leadership—a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence—came to the forefront. To…

Experts Predict More Digital Innovation by 2030 Aimed at Enhancing Democracy (Pew Research Center Internet & Technology)

“Americans and many around the world are not terribly satisfied with the state of democracy and the institutions that undergird it. Experts who were canvassed about the relationship between people’s technology use and democracy also expressed serious concerns about how things will unfold in the next decade. […] Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor of online learning at the University…

Marketing and Enrollment Management in a Time of Uncertainty

Institutions of higher education are faced with major challenges and have leaned toward many of their professional, continuing and online (PCO) education units to not only assist with bringing traditional teaching faculty into a more aggressive world of online learning, but to also supplement lost revenue and enrollments due to students not returning to campus…

UPCEA Asks Congress for Additional Funding, Online Student Support, Waiver Authority

Today UPCEA has sent a letter to Capitol Hill congressional leadership regarding the need for additional funding, waiver authority, and online student support in future funding calculations. Once on the periphery of institutions of higher education, today our members are front and center as all postsecondary learning has rapidly shifted to a remote format. Over…

Gen Z Takeover: Could online colleges gain traction with young students? (Education Dive)

Four-year universities have long encouraged students coming straight from high school to enroll in their campus-based programs while guiding older learners to their online divisions, creating a divide between the two groups. But Generation Z, whose members were born in 1997 or later, may prove to be the force that can break down those barriers.…

2020s — the Decade of AI and Quantum

We are entering the decade of AI and quantum environments that will reshape higher education.  Too often, we look ahead assuming that the technologies and structures of today will be in place for years to come. Yet a look back confirms that change has moved at a dramatic pace in higher education. Three decades ago,…

A Fresh Look at Blockchain in Higher Ed

Blockchain is advancing in higher education, as it is in all of society, with some interesting new applications and ramifications. Blockchain is the technology that first gained recognition as the backbone for Bitcoin. It is best described as a distributed ledger system. Each entry is a block that is time-stamped, encrypted and replicated at all…

Policy Matters | California-based Distance Ed Students from Out-Of-State Schools Ineligible for Financial Aid

Major Updates State Authorization Rule Goes into Effect, Causing Thousands of California-based Distance Ed Students from Out-Of-State Schools to be Ineligible for Financial Aid. The US Dept. of Ed released a formal response regarding a recent court ruling which blocked their ability to change an Obama-era rule on state authorization, thus making that rule effective May…

Emergence of Blockchain

Blockchain is evolving into a robust platform that may shake many aspects of higher ed. We all have heard much about the potential for blockchain, particularly how it might serve as a distribution, validation and secure ledger of transcripts and associated certifications. MIT did the early work on this. Two years ago they began offering the distribution…

VR, AR, AI Worldwide Perspectives

U.S.-China conference highlights similarities among innovators in ed tech around the world. How should colleges react? In mid-March of this year, some 250 higher education faculty, administrators, programmers and others involved in the educational technology policy and development areas gathered for the fourth annual U.S.-China Smart Education conference at the University of North Texas. It was a…

The Rise of a New Entertainment Category: Esports

As I deepen my liberal arts side by reading Ernest Cline’s novel Ready Player One, it caused me to flashback to my 70s and 80s childhood of videogaming and skateboarding. It also piqued my interest in exploring the impact of today’s esports world and trends in the gaming community. In professional, continuing, and online (PCO)…

Extend financial aid to cover more alternative education programs, groups say (edscoop)

Despite a surge of regulations in the 1980s designed to prevent fraudulent use of financial aid funds for online courses, the Department of Education still struggles to balance consumer protections with a growing need for short-term and distance education to offer student aid, according to a report released Wednesday by higher education policy advocates. The report — authored…

The Building Blocks of Higher Education’s Future: Blockchain

Are you reading the blogs on technology by Ray Schroeder, Director of UPCEA’s National Council for Online Education? When he’s not talking about augmented reality or robotics, he’s talking about blockchain. Are you at an awkward mixer and everyone is talking about blockchain? You’re not alone. It’s a simple, but challenging concept that is coming. …

Policy Briefs – Regular and Substantive Interaction, State Authorization, Competency-Based Education, Financial Aid for the 21st Century Learner

2019 Policy Briefs Briefs Authored by UPCEA, OLC, and WCET Cover Competency-Based Education, Financial Aid, Regular and Substantive Interaction, and State Authorization Click the buttons below to access each of the policy briefs: Competency-Based Education, Direct Assessment, and Financial Aid Financial Aid and the 21st Century Learner Regular and Substantive Interaction State Authorization Across State…

The Promise of Personalized Learning, Enabled by AI

A centuries-old challenge for teachers has been how to adapt learning materials and presentations to meet the varied backgrounds and abilities of students. Emerging technologies, Ray Schroeder writes, can help meet students where they are and customize learning for them. From introductory gen-ed classes to advanced graduate seminars, wherever classes online or on campus include…

Blockchain Securing the Future

Online: Trending Now #141 Securing networking, empowering dissemination of credentials by students; blockchain opens the doors to large-scale change in higher education. Much has been made of blockchain since it first enabled Bitcoin. Blockchain is a distributed ledger platform that has facilitated anonymous transfer of funds and much more. There are public and private blockchains…

Letter to Dept of ED on Gainful Employment

UPCEA, along with ACE and 20 other higher education groups sent comments to the Department of Education (ED) on the department’s proposal to rescind existing Gainful Employment regulations. We oppose the Department’s proposal to rescind, instead of revise, the existing gainful employment regulations, and do not believe that simply replacing them with additional disclosures on…

ED Announces Plan to End Gainful Employment Rule

The Department of Education through Secretary Betsy DeVos plans to end the regulations which required for-profit and vocational schools to provide “gainful employment” to the students that move through their programs. The regulation was one of the defining for-profit student consumer safeguards put into place by the Obama administration. The rules would cut off federal…

How Much Are UPCEA Leaders Paid?

Over the past four years, the higher education landscape has changed significantly as many institutions either added to their online degree portfolios in the form of professional master’s degrees or joined the movement to bring their traditionally campus-based programs online. Some have extended their already online expertise by developing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) or…

UPCEA/Emsi Report: The Race is on for Blockchain Talent – How Higher Education Can Respond

UPCEA/Emsi Report – The Race is on for Blockchain Talent: How Higher Education Can Respond New economies and ecosystems are moving at a rapid pace. Outside of a handful of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees, one could argue that higher education isn’t keeping up with the needs of a fast-moving economy. For some…

UPCEA/Emsi Report – The Race is on for Blockchain Talent: How Higher Education Can Respond

New economies and ecosystems are moving at a rapid pace. Outside of a handful of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees, one could argue that higher education isn’t keeping up with the needs of a fast-moving economy. For some institutions, their response has been moving campus-based master’s degrees online or developing new online professional master’s degrees.…

Tax Reform – UPCEA signs Letter Against Higher Education Cuts

UPCEA joined with ACE and 44 other higher education associations to send this letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) on the higher education provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). The groups write that this legislation, taken in its entirety, would…

How can colleges amend unsustainable business models? (EducationDIVE)

Current economic trends may lead to more socioeconomic divisions, according to Lynn Pasquerella, the president of the Association of American Colleges & Universities. In “Future Forward: The Next 20 Years of Higher Education,” most respondents said the preponderance of online education options had been the most seismic development in higher education during the previous two…

US Department of Education Delays Gainful Employment Rule to 2018

On the eve of the proposed date of implementation, the US Department of Education has delayed the Gainful Employment regulations until July 1, 2018, stating this is part of a fulfillment on their promise of reducing burdensome regulation. A federal register notice was issued announcing the delay. This delay will allow for institutions to have…

UPCEA and Higher Education Groups Urge Congress to Continue Support for Student Aid, Research

UPCEA today co-signed a letter led by ACE and 32 other higher education associations to the leaders of the House and Senate budget and appropriations committees, asking them to maintain Congress’s “historic commitment” to student financial aid and scientific research as they begin work on funding the federal government for FY 2018, which begins Oct. 1. As…

The Future of Jobs and Jobs Training (Pew Research Center)

The Future of Jobs and Jobs Training (Pew Research Center) May 3, 2017 Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor for online learning at the University of Illinois, Springfield, commented, “It is projected that those entering the workforce today will pursue four or five different careers (not just jobs) over their lifetime. These career changes will…

Government Affairs

Government Affairs UPCEA helps provide colleges and universities in the online and professional continuing education field with advocacy and information on regulation and legislation. UPCEA builds greater awareness of the vital link between contemporary learners and public policy issues. Policy Matters Primers and Insights Helping you navigate policy frameworks critical to higher education in the…

I waited until I was 30 to go to college. Best decision ever. (The Washington Post)

Technically, being a nontraditional student isn’t all that nontraditional. The National Center for Education Statistics has delineated seven characteristics of nontraditional students, including delayed enrollment, full-time employment and supporting a dependent; NCES posits that 75 percent of all students have at least one of these characteristics. In 2011, 40 percent of American college students were…

UPCEA Announces 2025 Association Award Recipients

8 Individuals and 7 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, November 4, 2024 – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced the recipients of the 2025 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its members’ outstanding…

UPCEA PCO Leader Certificate Program | Starts February 17, 2025 | You're just five short courses away from earning your PCO Leader Certificate.

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 as professionals on the cusp of a significant leadership role: Deans, Associate Deans, Directors of…

Department of Education Warns Institutions on Misleading Representations, Urges Compliance | Policy Matters (October 2024)

Major Updates Department of Education Warns Institutions on Misleading Representations, Urges Compliance The US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) recently released an announcement bulletin that highlights activities that could indicate institutions are engaging in substantial misrepresentations—such as misleading claims about program costs, job placement, or licensure—and as such, face serious penalties. The bulletin…

UPCEA Launches Virtual Week to Celebrate Membership and Expand Connections

Higher Education Institutions Invited to Join the Leading Association in Online and Professional Education Washington, D.C. (October 30, 2024) – UPCEA, the association for online and professional education, proudly announces its upcoming week-long virtual event celebrating the impact of membership and invites higher education institutions to become members. Taking place from Wednesday, November 13 through…

Marketing Considerations Through the Lens of Regulations, Policies and Compliance

Policy Matters: Primers and Insights Marketing Considerations Through the Lens of Regulations, Policies and Compliance Introductions and Strategies to Navigating Federal Regulations for Marketing in Online and Professional Higher Education Last Updated: October 29, 2024 Overview Why it Matters Marketing professionals in the field of online and professional continuing education have many skills and a…

A map of the United States with pins showing 33 of the most populous US cities, with a counter indicating a total combined population of 40.8 million

Beyond Degrees: How Credential Innovation is Closing the Gap for 42 Million Learners

A Movement, Not Just a Community Convergence is emerging as the place where the credential innovation community for higher ed comes together. But more than a community, it’s a movement. Not a movement to make degrees less valuable, let alone obsolete. Rather, it’s a movement to complement degrees by meeting the needs of those for…

Lessons Learned from Star Trek

I am part of Generation X. I was born in 1965 and which makes me one of the cohort’s older members. Although I am a part of Generation X, I at times align with the “Next Generation” … the Boomers. Growing up around Boomers and being an older Gen X’er meant watching I Dream of…

UPCEA Announces Selection of Peer Learning Leaders to Drive Innovation in Skills-Based Credentialing

Six individuals selected for grant-funded work helping advance University-to-Business credential innovation strategies WASHINGTON (October 23, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is thrilled to announce the selection of six individuals to be Peer Learning Leaders for the association’s grant-funded “Expanding Institutional Capacity for Employer Engagement in Credential Innovation” project. The project will…

Convergence 2024: All Learning Matters

The recent Convergence Conference in New Orleans brought together thought leaders from across the higher education spectrum, offering profound insights on how institutions can evolve to better meet the needs of learners in an era of rapid change. This was our fourth UPCEA-hosted event and the second time at Convergence, but my first time attending.…

Beyond “Thank You for Your Service”: A Higher Ed Guide to Supporting Student Veterans this Veterans Day

As Veterans Day approaches, universities and colleges nationwide often reflect on how to honor student veterans on their campuses. Instagram posts may already be scheduled with some version of “Thank You for Your Service” typed across a proudly waiving American flag. While expressions of gratitude are a step in the right direction, going beyond annual…

Motivating Students Who Have Some College but No Credential (Inside Higher Ed)

“A survey of roughly 1,000 learners with some college credits but no credential found that many of these former students distrust higher ed and question the value of a degree. The study, highlighted in a new white paper released Tuesday, was conducted by StraighterLine, an online course provider, and UPCEA, the online and professional education association.…

New Study Reveals Keys to Re-Engaging the 41.9 Million Americans with Some College, but No Credential

Students’ Perception of the Value of a Degree Drops 50% After Stopping Out WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 15, 2024) — StraighterLine, the leading provider of flexible, affordable post-secondary online courses and industry credentials, and UPCEA (the online and professional education association) released findings from a new study examining the motivations, challenges, and readiness of individuals with…

ChatGPT-4o Shows ‘Friendly’ Behavior

The app initiates personalized conversations and offers responses without a prompt. This signals a shift toward agentic AI, where models act more like colleagues. Perhaps this was merely a move to increase engagement with the OpenAI GPT-4o app. Or perhaps this model of AI is getting a boost in using contextual knowledge. Then again, OpenAI reported…

How Higher Education Marketing Metrics Help You Boost Enrollment

As the higher education sector faces a demographic cliff and shrinking demand for undergraduate degrees, institutions are searching for new ways to secure long-term growth. According to a new report from the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 100 colleges have closed their doors over the past two years, and the sector has shrunk…

Collaborating for the Future: Employer Partnerships and Credential Innovation

UPCEA members are often the advocates and aggregators for credential innovation on their campuses, as those flexible learning opportunities are often noncredit or certificate-centric, and usually online, avenues pioneered by our online and professional community. To help institutions better advocate for the resources needed for a successful, holistic micro-credentialing strategy, UPCEA engaged in a grant-funded…

2024 UPCEA MEMS Award Recipients Announced

40 Recipients Chosen For Three Award Categories WASHINGTON, D.C., September 27, 2024 — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced the recipients of the 2024 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, the Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award, and the Excellence in Marketing Award. All three awards…

Reporting Deadline on GE and FVT Pushed to 2025 | Policy Matters (September 2024)

Major Updates Reporting Deadline on GE and FVT Pushed to 2025 The Department of Education (ED) has announced a further delay in the reporting deadline for Gainful Employment (GE) and Financial Value Transparency (FVT) until early 2025. Initially extended to October 1, 2024, the deadline has now been pushed to January 15, 2025. This follows…

Jobs of the Future…and the Present: What Will Happen in Accounting?

The accounting profession is undergoing transformation as technology rapidly reshapes the field. The job outlook for accountants over the next decade remains generally positive but varies based on the profession’s ability to adapt to these advancements. While automation may reduce some traditional roles, there will continue to be strong demand for accountants with advanced skills…

New Resource – Digital Accessibility Requirements For Online Learning | Policy Matters (August 2024)

Major Updates Digital Accessibility Requirements For Online Learning | UPCEA Primers + Insights – NEW How Disability Anti-Discrimination Laws Impact Online Courses and Programs Across UPCEA’s membership and higher education more broadly, every individual plays an important role in fostering inclusive environments. Digital accessibility is not just a regulatory requirement but a cornerstone of inclusive…

How higher-ed is accelerating the growth of credential innovation (eCampus News)

“A new higher-ed playbook aims to accelerate the development and delivery of non-credit, short-term credentials that are effectively directed at the workplace. Building Capacity, Expanding Pathways: Accelerating the Growth of Credential Innovation in Higher Education, from online and professional education association UPCEA and supported by a grant from Walmart, features lessons learned and promising practices…

These 10 schools found their footing creating quality alternative credentials (University Business)

Senior leadership is beginning to view alternative credentials as a fundamental aspect of their enrollment strategy—and accreditors are listening. But costs, opaque data and unfruitful corporate outreach efforts have prevented colleges and universities from implementing the programs at scale, to name a few barriers. Institutions looking to solidify their non-degree micro-credential and digital badge strategy can model solutions from…

Jobs of the Future…and the Present: What Will Happen in Marketing?

The marketing industry is experiencing significant changes, driven by the increasing integration of technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. As the field evolves, marketers are required to adapt to new roles, tools, and strategies that emphasize strategic thinking, customer experience, and specialized skills. As of August 2024, the U.S. marketing sector is poised to grow…

Transforming Prospective Student Engagement through Data-Driven Insights

A Funny Thing About Humans Information gathering is a universal behavior. Living creatures of all varieties gather information about their environment in order to thrive within it. But we humans take information gathering to a new level. Curiosity. We seek to learn, not just to survive, but to understand. This thirst for knowledge has led…

Digital Accessibility Requirements for Online Learning

Policy Matters: Primers and Insights Digital Accessibility Requirements for Online Learning How Disability Anti-Discrimination Laws Impact Online Courses and Programs Last Updated: August 22, 2024 Overview Across UPCEA’s membership and higher education more broadly, every individual plays an important role in fostering inclusive environments. As we increasingly rely on digital technologies to enhance learning and…

UPCEA Announces 2024 Diversity in Leadership Scholars

UPCEA is pleased to announce the 2024 cohort of Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars. Representative and diverse leadership is a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. The goal of the Diversity Scholars program is to equip diverse professionals at any stage of their career with the skills and knowledge needed…

LER Accelerator and Learn & Work Ecosystem Library Announce Partnership to Develop Comprehensive LER Resource Collection

Innovative new resource hub aims to support the adoption and implementation of Learning and Employment Records (LERs) in postsecondary education WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 14, 2024) – The LER Accelerator, in partnership with the Learn & Work Ecosystem Library, is thrilled to announce the development of a new Special Collection dedicated to supporting the adoption and…

How to Measure the Impact of Your Higher Education Programs

These days, students and prospective students are becoming increasingly critical of higher education programs—especially as the cost of higher learning continues to rise. Understandably, students want to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth before enrolling in (and committing to) a program. In other words, they want to know that the program they’re considering is effective and proven to…

UPCEA Releases Higher Ed Playbook for Accelerating Growth of Credential Innovation

Grant-funded project delivers promising practices to help institutions engage their local business community in the development of noncredit microcredentials WASHINGTON (Aug. 12, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today published a new higher education playbook, supported by a grant from Walmart, and aimed at accelerating the development and delivery of noncredit, short-term…

Universities and Extended Credentials

Traditional higher ed has largely forgone the growing lifelong learning market. In its place, the space has been filled by providers who describe their programs as alternative credentials. But alternative is a misnomer. Certificate programs are not an alternative to degree programs; the great majority of people earning them already have their bachelor’s degrees. What…

OPMs: Partners in Online Education

The Online Program Management (OPM) market is undergoing significant change. The Department of Education has stated that they would engage in negotiated rulemaking on Third-Party Servicers, and individual states, such as Minnesota, are taking action to ban revenue share agreements ahead of any federal direction. This has sparked concern about the future of OPM partnerships…

How to Use Technology to Enhance Leadership and Workforce Development

There’s no denying that the landscape of leadership and workforce development has evolved significantly over the past several years. As time progresses, it becomes apparent that technology has an increasingly present role in enhancing the quality and scope of higher education programs. If your institution is seeking practical ways to improve leadership development and educational…

New Distance Education Regulations Proposed by ED Includes Required Attendance-Taking, Additional Reporting – Public Comment Open Until August 23 | Policy Matters (July 2024)

Major Updates New Distance Education Regulations Proposed by ED Includes Required Attendance-Taking, Additional Reporting – Public Comment Open Until August 23 UPCEA Members Take Note, and Make a Comment! The US Department of Education recently released the proposed regulations for Distance Education, Return to Title IV, and TRIO. In another major announcement, they signaled in…

How the Education Department Wants to Police Online Education (Inside Higher Ed)

The Education Department wants to collect much more information about distance education courses and the students enrolled in them as part of a broader effort to increase oversight of online programs. The department’s proposal would require colleges and universities to take attendance in distance education classes, which include those offered online or via correspondence. Institutions…

Higher Ed Marketing Metrics Research Study: What Gets Measured Gets Managed report cover

Major Gaps in Tracking of Higher Ed Marketing Metrics: New Report

Search Influence and UPCEA Establish Higher Ed Marketing Cost Benchmarks in Joint Industry Report NEW ORLEANS, LA., July 30, 2024 — Search Influence, a leading higher education digital marketing agency, and UPCEA, the online and professional education association, announced their co-authored Higher Ed Marketing Metrics Research Report. The study establishes industry-first benchmarks for marketing cost…

Developing Organizational Leaders in the Online, Continuing, and Professional Education Landscape

These days, educational institutions and organizations face a number of challenges when it comes to developing effective leaders—particularly in the online, continuing, and professional education realms. From difficulties catering to diverse learners to struggles adapting to emerging technologies, being able to navigate these challenges is crucial. Fortunately, with the right organizational leadership in place, it is possible…

UPCEA Receives Grant from Walmart to Scale Engagement Between Employers and Higher Ed

Significant second grant will drive adoption of new models for engaging employers in credential innovation WASHINGTON (July 24, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is honored to receive a $600,000 grant from Walmart to drive innovation in skills-based credentialing with a project titled, “Expanding Institutional Capacity for Employer Engagement in Credential Innovation.” …

“What? Like It’s Hard?” The Legal Profession’s Great Makeover

When Elle Woods strutted into Harvard Law School, clad head to toe in pink, she broke the mold for what an aspiring law student should look like. And, if market data is to be believed, the legal profession itself may be headed for a similarly unexpected makeover. The 2023 Future Ready Lawyer Survey revealed that…

The Synthetic Professor

We have reached a point in the development of Generative AI (GenAI) that synthetic AI professors are poised to enter academe. We have been following the rapid development of knowledge and abilities of GenAI over the past couple of years. OpenAI Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Mira Murati recently gave some additional clarity on its capabilities.…

Three Steps to Help Enrollment Managers Lead in a Challenging Environment

Many institutions are facing significant financial hurdles and enrollment managers are called upon now more than ever to solve the multiple challenges related to enrollment issues including low numbers, diversification of learners to include the growing number and importance of adult learners, international enrollments, and tension between undergraduate and graduate program enrollments. Changing our current…

An Online Pivot That Continues to Pay Off (Inside Higher Ed)

Unity Environmental University has celebrated explosive enrollment growth since it transitioned to a predominantly online institution beginning in 2016. And at a time when many small colleges are struggling with stagnant enrollment and financial challenges, Unity’s strategic pivot to digital learning continues to pay off. […] Online higher education experts applaud the choices Unity administrators have…

UPCEA’s Finance Department Grows, Welcomes Tanya Smith

UPCEA proudly welcomes Tanya Smith as the association’s new Controller. Tanya is a Certified Public Accountant with an extensive background in higher education. Prior to joining UPCEA’s Finance and Accounting team, she dedicated 25 years to the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), where she most recently served as the Director of Accounting and Financial…

Universities Investing in Microcredential Leadership (Inside Higher Ed)

Amy Heitzman noticed a new trend when UPCEA, an online and professional education association, put out calls last year to institutions looking to bulk up microcredential programs. “Five of the 40 [applicants] said, ‘We’re going to hire someone to head this up,’” said Heitzman, UPCEA’s deputy CEO and chief learning officer. “And it was like,…

Drive Success: Using Recruitment SEO to Fill Higher Education Seats

Higher education marketing teams face a critical challenge: adapting to how learners now discover and explore educational programs. From the first touchpoint to application completion, marketers must ensure a seamless experience for prospective students and maintain their presence throughout the enrollment funnel. This makes recruitment SEO more important now than ever before. With fewer…

Future-Focused: Laying the Groundwork for Student Success with an Effective Orientation

Butler University has long been recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality education and fostering the development of well-rounded professionals. The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program has been a cornerstone of the university’s academic offerings for decades. Through a continuous commitment to improvement, Butler has embraced innovative approaches to ensure its offerings remain relevant and…

ED Sends Distance Ed, R2T4, TRIO Rules for Final Administrative Review | Policy Matters (June 2024)

Major Updates ED Sends Distance Ed, R2T4, TRIO Rules to OIRA for Final Review Before Release and Public Comment The US Department of Education has advanced a set of proposed regulations to the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review. This submission marks the final procedural step before…

What Do Students Want from Their Online Programs?

Knowing what our potential students want is critical in a time of greater competition for students who will enroll in our programs.  Things have dramatically changed since the early 2000s when almost any online program was successful by almost any measure. Demand for online education was growing, while the supply of online programs could not…

5 Strategies for Online Growth: New Insights from a Survey of Students

In a new national study of the preferences and expectations of online students, RNL has identified five interconnected strategies that institutions must have in place at the core of their growth strategy. The data are drawn from a survey of 1,500 prospective and current online students administered just two months ago. The survey asked students…

Crime in the Future: Lessons Learned from Hollywood

Although the timelines are rarely ever accurate, Hollywood has often expanded our minds to see what the future could bring us, ranging from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey predicting a future with artificial intelligence and Star Wars with robotics being commonplace, to The Simpsons predicting certain presidents. Back to the Future, The Jetsons, Blade…

Advocating for FAFSA Fixes and State Authorization Reciprocity | Policy Matters (May 2024)

Major Updates UPCEA Co-Signs Request to Congress on FAFSA Fix Proposal In a letter led by the American Council on Education (ACE), UPCEA joined with other organizations to seek legislation for crucial adjustments to the FAFSA process to enhance its efficiency and fairness. Key proposals include ensuring institutions are not held liable for discrepancies in…

From Degrees to Microcredentials: Higher Education Must Evolve to Embrace the Modern Economy

America’s appetite for four-year, 120-credit bachelor’s degrees has been declining for well over a decade. In addition, the National Student Clearinghouse recently released a report showing that undergraduate degree completion fell yet again. Bachelor’s degree graduates declined to their lowest level since 2015-16, with Associate’s degree graduates at their lowest level in ten years. The same National Student Clearinghouse report showed that earning…

New guide offers colleges a playbook for building an in-house student coaching program

Fuel student support services on your campus — and sustain the impact for years to come The challenges facing higher ed today are both daunting and well-known: declining enrollment, student retention and staff burnout. The solutions, however, are harder to come by. With resources already stretched thin, how can colleges and universities build capacity for the…

Who’s in the Driver’s Seat?

The saying “who’s in the driver’s seat” commonly refers to driving a car and the decision of whether one person should lead or if input is necessary. Similarly, the term “backseat driver” describes someone not in control attempting to influence or take charge. Both phrases suggest notions of control and ego. One could argue that…

DIYing an OPM: Build, outsource, or blend?

Learner preference for digital experiences continues to rise as questions about the OPM model mount from regulatory bodies and OPM customers. UPCEA’s recent snap poll found that 61% of higher ed leaders anticipate making changes to their OPM partnerships in the next 1–2 years. As colleges and universities contemplate developing internal capacity and expertise for…

Take Action on Proposed State Authorization Reciprocity Regulations | Policy Matters (April 2024)

Major Updates Urgent: Take Action on Proposed State Authorization Reciprocity Regulations The Department of Education is set to introduce new regulations that could significantly alter state authorization reciprocity agreements, critically affecting online education and our students’ futures. Following the lack of consensus in recent negotiated rulemaking sessions, the forthcoming rules are expected to impose…

Higher Education and the Four Industrial Revolutions

This is not the first time that western civilization and American higher education has encountered a massive change impacting the mission, technologies and vision of higher learning. We would be wise to take a moment to reflect on the ways in which higher education has adapted to radical change in society, technology and culture in…

Bringing an Insider-Outsider Perspective to UPCEA’s Members

Shortly after pivoting twelve years ago from a deanship to a faculty position, I realized the only job better than being a dean was now being able to help other university leaders. A highlight of this career change has been visiting campuses as part of a consulting or accreditation team and conducting numerous solo consulting…

How to Market Your Higher Education Programs to Prospective Students

As the college admissions landscape continues undergoing seismic shifts, higher education administrators and marketing teams must be able to come up with innovative, future-forward marketing strategies designed to increase interest, boost admission rates, and target student populations that may not otherwise have considered attending college. By developing a marketing strategy for student recruitment, you can promote your higher…

UPCEA Recognizes the 2024 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable and Distance Teaching & Learning Conference Award Recipients

7 Individuals Receive Honors WASHINGTON (April 18, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to recognize the recipients of this year’s online and distance education awards. Award recipients will be honored at the 2024 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R) and Distance Teaching & Learning Conference (DT&L), July…

UPCEA Announces 2024-2025 Leadership Teams for Council for Chief Online Learning Officers and Council for Credential Innovation

UPCEA, the online and professional education association, announced today the 2024-2025 leadership teams for the Council for Chief Online Learning Officers and Council for Credential Innovation. The association extends its gratitude to the 37 member volunteers serving in leadership roles for these two bodies. The Council for Chief Online Learning Officers (C-COLO) and its members…

National Coalition Launched to Accelerate Adoption of Learning and Employment Records (LERs) in Post-Secondary Education

A coalition of national associations that represent stakeholders on college campuses have come together to address a common challenge post-secondary institutions face in adapting learning and preparing learners for employment: slow adoption of digital credentials. Too many institutions are not yet poised to respond to the increasing demand for micro-credentials, badges, and other digital credentials…

How to Measure the Impact of Your Leadership Development Programs

No matter the size of your school or educational institution, it’s no secret that strong leadership is crucial to long-term success. Implementing leadership development programs is among the most effective ways to train aspiring educational leaders and ensure their goals and mission are aligned with that of the institution. At the same time, it’s not always simple…

New Report Reveals 61% of Higher Education Leaders Believe Continuing Education Units are Undervalued Compared to Traditional Departments

The 2024 State of Continuing Education study focused on institutions’ online and professional continuing education units program offerings, institutional support and capabilities, institutional integration and innovation, and continuing education collaboration and integration within the larger institution. Despite their role in shaping the modern learner’s journey, a staggering 61% of higher education leaders feel their professional,…

UPCEA and Search Influence Higher Ed Marketing Metrics Research Report: What Gets Measured Gets Managed

With the beginning of the “demographic cliff” upon higher education, college and university leaders need to rethink their institutional strategies. For institutions to survive or thrive in a new economy driven by automation and artificial intelligence, college and university leaders need to reassess their programs, promotion, pricing, and packaging (stackability), as well as their processes…

Benefits of Becoming a UPCEA Member

UPCEA, the online and professional education association, works to support its members by offering professional development, networking, and mentorship opportunities. As a collaborative and entrepreneurial community, we are proud of the fact that our members are thought leaders in the higher education administration field who continuously strive to improve educational access and outcomes for all students. Why UPCEA? The…

UPCEA Brand Evolution in an Era of Change

The pandemic upheaval forced rapid adaptation across campuses, accelerating the digital transformation that had been underway for decades. Online and professional education is at the forefront of this transformation, addressing strategic questions about business models and learner needs. In this ever-evolving landscape of higher education, adaptation isn’t just an option; it’s a necessity. UPCEA recognized…

Migrating the Headwinds of Higher Education: How UPCEA-Partnered Research Helps Guide the Way

Higher education has been in a state of flux for the past five years, trying to maintain the strengths of its business model while adapting to new market conditions. For many institutions, they are choosing to transform, acknowledging the beginning of the demographic cliff and an automated economy. Recent data from the National Student Clearinghousei…

Navigating the Wonderland of Higher Education: The Importance of Transparent Pathways

In the classic Disney movie Alice in Wonderland, one scene captivated me as a child: Alice, lost and bewildered in Tulgey Wood, desperately seeking direction amid nonsensical arrows and signposts. It is here that she first encounters the Cheshire Cat who, in his feeble attempt to provide guidance, leaves her even more confused than before. …

2024 Association Award Recipients

2024 Association Award Recipients At the 1953 Annual Conference of the National University Extension Association (NUEA), which was the forerunner of UPCEA, Robert Browne of the University of Illinois gave a speech honoring Tom Shelby, retiring Dean of the Division of Extension at the University of Texas. Browne conferred on Shelby the FX Key in…

How to Choose a Microcredential (U.S. News & World Report)

Microcredentials – sometimes referred to as non-degree or short-term credentials – have grown in popularity, raising many questions about their worth. In the U.S., the public has more familiarity with degrees than short-term credentials, says Marni Baker Stein, chief content officer at Coursera, an open online course provider. “There’s a lot of information about short-form…

Online Education Truly Coming of Age

When I was just beginning my career in higher education, after a couple of relatively short stints rebuilding television systems at two community colleges in Massachusetts, I landed the job of chief television engineer for the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The operation I worked within was then called the…

Uncharted Territory: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Higher Education

Imagine, if you will, a time in the not-too-distant future in which AGI is firmly established in society and higher education faces the pressing need to re-configure and reinvent itself. It is becoming increasingly clear that the advent of AGI is upon us. OpenAI includes in its mission that it “aims to maximize the positive…

The Risk of Being Too Good at Something: Bananas and the Degree

A friend once told me that the everyday banana in the U.S. has such strong qualities, such as taste, appearance, nutritional value, cost, manageable perishability, growth predictability, disease resistance and relative ease of growing, that few other genetic variations are sold worldwide. This banana strain, the Cavendish, is so popular that few other variations are…

State Authorization and Distance Education Negotiated Rulemaking Continues | Policy Matters (February 2024)

Major Updates Negotiated Rulemaking on State Authorization, Distance Education, Accreditation and Other Topics Continues In early February a session was held in continuation of the US Department of Education’s crucial Negotiated Rulemaking on Program Integrity and Institutional Quality, with the second of three sessions running from February 5-8, and the third and final session scheduled…

Higher Ed Marketing: A Corporate Approach for Institutional Success

By Kevin Phang, VP, Partnership Development, Marketing & Enrollment, Noodle Marketing plays a key role in shaping a company’s success, and in higher education it’s no different. Colleges, universities, and other institutions face more competition every year, and with market demands and trends in constant flux, the need for strategic, impactful marketing that delivers has…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

21 of Top 25 Ranked Institutions are UPCEA Members WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 20, 2024) — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include more than 1,750 online programs, covering bachelor’s and…

A Look in the Mirror – Using Inquirers Perspectives to Understand Enrollment Funnels

Eleven months ago, my wife and I were on vacation in Tucson, Arizona. In a past life, I’d briefly worked in Saguaro National Park removing invasive species, so I was eager to get back and bask in the unique qualities of the Sonoran Desert and the Old Pueblo of Tucson. On a Sunday afternoon, we…

Current Faculty

Current Faculty UPCEA’s Professional Development programs in online and professional continuing education are created and facilitated by leading experts with real-world experience in the field. The online courses in UPCEA’s Learning Center cover a wide variety of topics and skillsets, and afford you the opportunity to network with your peers. Put our flexible curricula to…

Three common challenges adult learners face — and how holistic coaching can help

As innovators and changemakers in the adult learner space, you’re always looking for the best ways to support the students you serve and help them overcome obstacles on their educational journey. Through coaching, you can provide adult learners with a personalized approach tailored to each individual, ultimately giving them the tools and techniques they need…

The Fastest-Growing Job Skills for Universities to Prioritize in 2024

In an ever-evolving job market, higher education plays a crucial role in preparing students for strong career outcomes. I’m excited to share that Coursera’s third annual Job Skills Report is here to guide higher ed leaders as they navigate this landscape by highlighting the essential skills and credentials that are shaping the workforce. The Job…

UPCEA Announces 2024 Association Award Recipients

8 Individuals and 8 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, February 2, 2024 – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced the recipients of the 2024 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its members’ outstanding…

The Edge: Missed opportunities in nondegree credentials (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

The untapped possibilities of nondegree credentials Employers have a strong interest in partnering with colleges to design and deliver nondegree programs. Yet more than 45 percent of employers in a recent survey said colleges had never approached them to do so. That’s one finding from a new report by UPCEA, the online and professional education association,…

Lifelong Learning with Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

What will it mean to higher education when AI systems carry out tasks at an intelligence level that matches or exceeds humans? Recently, both OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made somewhat surprising announcements regarding Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). In an interview with Bill Gates, Altman said AGI could come in the…

Distance Education and State Authorization Negotiated Rulemaking Begins | Policy Matters (January 2024)

Major Updates Negotiated Rulemaking Session on Program Integrity and Institutional Quality Begins The U.S. Department of Education has started a Negotiated Rulemaking Session focused on Program Integrity and Institutional Quality. The first session took place January 8–11. The second session will occur from February 5–8, and the final session is scheduled for March 4–7. These…

Blurring the Lines for Faculty Development

In December 2020, my staff at the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching sent a survey to about 500 faculty and other instructors who had completed the online course design institute we offered the previous summer. The OCDI, as we called it, was a two-week faculty development program aimed at helping our university’s instructors prepare to…

How institutions are leaving money on the table with their alternative credential offerings (University Business)

Alternative non-degree credentials are slowly becoming higher education’s hottest learning modality. Enrollment is strong and employer buy-in is promising. However, two reports from UPCEA demonstrate that despite institutions’ increased infrastructure to provide these academic programs, challenges persist—and they’re leaving money on the table as a result. In a December 2023 report that studied nearly 100 UPCEA members representing institutions focused…

Microcredentials on the Rise, but Not at Colleges (Inside Higher Ed)

As the pool of traditional-age students shrinks, colleges are increasingly turning to nondegree credentials to expand the appeal of their academic offerings to working adults. At the same time, an increasing number of employers want their employees to be able to upskill and reskill through microcredential programs. But four-year institutions are lagging behind third-party providers, such as LinkedIn…

Policy Matters: Primers and Insights

Policy Matters: Primers and Insights Helping you navigate policy frameworks critical to higher education in the United States As institutions of higher education continue to innovate with online courses and professional continuing education programs, having a general understanding of the regulatory landscape that such initiatives are subject to is critical to their long-term success. These…

An Introduction to Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education

Policy Matters: Primers and Insights An Introduction to Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education How stakeholders come together with the federal government to influence, and provide expertise on, the implementation and execution of regulations. Last Updated: January 22, 2024 Overview Negotiated Rulemaking (Neg Reg) for higher education is the U.S. Department of Education (“the Department”) process…

The Symbiotic Relationship Between Academia and Stackable Credentials

As the next generation enters secondary education and the workforce, traditional university experiences are no longer enough to prepare students for their professional lives. Even generations who have been in the workforce for years are making career transitions, meaning that they are trying to learn applicable skillsets and earn relevant credentials to bolster their portfolios.…

Introduction to the Online Learning Regulatory Landscape

Policy Matters: Primers and Insights Introduction to the Online Learning Regulatory Landscape How the “Regulatory Triad” Applies to Online and Interstate Learning Experiences Last Updated: January 22, 2024 Overview As institutions of higher education continue to innovate with online courses and programs, having a general understanding of the regulatory landscape that such initiatives are subject…

From the Ground Up: Attracting Working Adults as a New Student Market

Like many colleges and universities today, Spelman College was faced with the challenge of generating more revenue and also expanding beyond their core student population of women of color. Ultimately, the college made the decision to target working adults and professional learners who have been in the workforce for 10–15 years, a promising and relatively…

Short-Term Credentials Are Booming in Texas. Are Employers Hiring? (Work Shift)

In Texas, money is flowing for short-term credentials. The state’s new funding formula, signed by the governor in June, is allocating dollars to community colleges in part based on how many credentials of value they award. It would appear that there is no better time to invest in alternative credentials. Interest rates on student loans…

Report: Microcredentials Not a Strategic Priority for Many Colleges (Inside Higher Ed)

While the majority of colleges focused on online, professional and continuing education have embraced alternative credentials, a significant number of those institutions haven’t made them a strategic priority. That’s one of the key takeaways from a new study released Monday by UPCEA, the online and professional education association. “While a lot of institutions want this, they…

Credential Maturity Index

UPCEA Credential Maturity Index UPCEA has identified eight pillars that define what it means to lead credential innovation in higher education, distilled as the UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation. These pillars, or best practices, are a collection of aspirational markers that can help guide institutions as they integrate their universities with the needs…

Boiling the Ocean of Microcredentials

As we start the New Year, I’ve been reflecting on the milestones and trends in 2023 and what stood out for me was the Convergence conference, based on both the high levels of interest (the inaugural event sold-out!), and the incredible buzz among attendees. There were so many conversations happening and great presentations by institutions…

Graphic of a business person working on a laptop, with an overlay of illustrated documents.

Alignment for the Long Term: How CE Can Drive Institution-Wide Credential Innovation

Higher education institutions across the United States and Canada are in their “credential innovation era”—exploring new ways to serve new demographics of learners and awarding new kinds of credentials to recognize their learning. Except… this isn’t really new, is it? Not in the Continuing, Professional and Workforce Education sector anyways. Offering certificates, microcredentials and badges…

New Research: UPCEA Reveals Key Findings on Alternative Credentials

UPCEA shares business and program model insights in grant-funded study WASHINGTON (January 8, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is proud to share findings and takeaways from a new research study, Alternative Credentials: Business and Program Models. The research, supported by a grant from Walmart, is part of UPCEA’s “Building Capacity, Expanding…

Momentum for Microcredentials on the Learning Landscape

As the dynamic technology landscape recalibrates business models and calls for employees’ skills sets to be frequently refreshed, traditional paths for students to launch their careers are, in many cases, no longer sufficient. University degree programs have difficulty keeping pace with the latest skills enterprises require, especially in IT fields and related disciplines in which…

Bipartisan Bills on Workforce Pell and WIOA Retooling Introduced in US House of Representatives | Policy Matters (December 2023)

Major Updates Bipartisan Bills on Workforce Pell and WIOA Retooling Introduced in US House of Representatives A bipartisan group of the U.S. House of Representatives has released the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, a bill to expand eligibility of Pell Grants for shorter-term programs; and separately, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, a bill making significant…

4 Types of Adult Learners and How to Reach Them

by Tracy Chapman, PhD, Chief Academic Officer at Collegis Education Much of the adult learner population is focused on career advancement, on earning the next credential to support their career goals. However, ask anyone in higher education to picture an adult learner, and they are likely to describe an academic-focused learner pursuing a master’s or…

UPCEA Welcomes New Board and Committee Members

WASHINGTON, December 7, 2023 – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to announce the election of new officers and new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected in November, these individuals will assume their roles at the conclusion of the 2024 UPCEA Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts on March…

Our Elusive Common Denominator

About fifteen years ago, I hosted a pre-conference dean’s workshop at UPCEA’s Annual Conference. I opened the session by asking participants to compare their units with those of the person next to them. Not surprisingly, they highlighted their dissimilarities. Were this a meeting of, say, law school deans, they might have commiserated over mutual challenges…

UPCEA Releases 2024 Predictions for Online & Professional Education

The maturation of online learning, the explosion of AI, the continuing declines in enrollment, and the rise in the importance of ROI, for students and institutions – these are among the converging factors that are shaking up the status quo in higher education. In this environment, online and professional continuing education is poised to play…

UPCEA Unveils Top Predictions for Online and Professional Education in 2024

UPCEA’s experts explore the explosion of AI, maturation of online learning, enrollment declines and other factors impacting the future of higher ed. WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 4, 2023) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today released its Predictions 2024: Insights for Online and Professional Education. In this report, UPCEA’s experts provide insights that bring…

The Power of Virtual Peers: How to Foster Connectedness Among Online Learners

Online learning provides a convenient way for students to achieve their academic goals from a distance. At the same time, it presents a unique set of challenges that can impact student belonging, connectedness, and ultimately, retention. Post-pandemic, hybrid course design has become the standard for many universities and colleges. 30% of degree-seekers study exclusively online.1…

Distance Ed, Online Student Reporting, State Authorization and Other Topics Announced for Early 2024 Neg Reg | Policy Matters (November 2023)

Major Updates Distance Education, Online Student Reporting, State Authorization and Other Topics Announced for Early 2024 Negotiated Rulemaking The US Department of Education has announced a negotiated rulemaking session covering topics important to the UPCEA community including distance education, reporting for fully online students, as well as state authorization, among other topics. The announced sessions…

UPCEA Predictions: Insights for Online & Professional Education (Landing Page)

Predictions 2024 Insights for Online & Professional Education The maturation of online learning, the explosion of AI, the continuing declines in enrollment, and the rise in the importance of ROI, for students and institutions – these are among the converging factors that are shaking up the status quo in higher education. Wait-and-see is no longer…

UPCEA Brand Guidelines FAQ

UPCEA Brand Frequently Asked Questions What is UPCEA’s new brand? Expand Our brand is comprised of a few elements including: Our Name: UPCEA Our Tagline: The Online and Professional Education Association Our Positioning Statement: UPCEA is the online and professional education association. Our members are continuously reinventing higher education, positively impacting millions of lives. We…

Buying Continuing Education Registration Software? Watch Out for These Red Flags

If you are trying to pick a new registration system for your Continuing and Professional Education unit, I promise this article will be worth your time. I’ve led a number of organizations through this process (three as a decisionmaker and dozens of others in advisory roles) and I can assure you it’s not an overstatement…

Can Microcredentials Bring Stop-Outs Back to College? (Inside Higher Ed)

A recent survey of students who stopped out of college suggests that giving them the opportunity to earn microcredentials and academic credit for prior learning could lure them back to higher ed. The survey of roughly 1,100 former students ages 18 to 64 was conducted in June by StraighterLine, an online course provider, and UPCEA, an…

New Survey Suggests Three Strategies To Re-Enroll Adults Who’ve Dropped Out Of College (Forbes)

A new survey of adults who’ve dropped out of college finds that 57% have completed about half or more of the credits needed to complete a degree program. Of this group, the majority indicated they wanted to return to college to finish their degrees. Those are two of the main finding from a survey conducted…

Survey: More than 50 Percent of College Stop-Outs Were at Least Halfway to Finishing at the Time of Withdrawal

New survey commissioned by StraighterLine and UPCEA delves into barriers to re-enrollment; opportunities for institutions seeking to re-engage adults with some college, but no degree WASHINGTON, (OCTOBER 31, 2023) — UPCEA , the online and professional education association, and StraighterLine today released the findings of a new survey focusing on the complex barriers and opportunities…

Final Licensure and Certification Regulations Released; Online Student Location Determinations Updated | Policy Matters (October 2023)

Major Updates The Department of Education (ED) has released final rules on Ability to Benefit, Administrative Capability, Certification Procedures, and Financial Responsibility. These rules, part of negotiated rulemaking in early 2022, provide new requirements for programmatic accreditation, state licensure, and conforming with state laws when dealing with closure in the context of distance education. The…

2023 UPCEA MEMS Award Recipients Announced

21 Recipients Chosen For Three Award Categories WASHINGTON, D.C., October 20, 2023 — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced the recipients of the 2023 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, the Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award, and the Excellence in Marketing Award. All three awards…

What’s in a Name? Why Higher Education Needs to Standardize Nomenclature to Enable Programmatic Adoption

My wife and I were lucky enough to recently welcome our first child into the world. In the months and days leading up to his birth, we regularly discussed potential names for our new family addition. We kept a shared list of ideas that we frequently revisited. A name would be added based on family…

While We Were Watching ChatGPT, Something Else Astounding Emerged

The acceleration of digital innovation continues in multiple formats. Astoundingly so! I must admit that I have been closely following the developments in Generative Artificial Intelligence. So much has developed on a daily basis that is changing the way in which we teach, research, study, and work, that I think many of us find it…

UPCEA Announces Selection of Credential Innovation Consortium Members

10 institutions selected for grant-funded pilot consortium WASHINGTON (October 11, 2023) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is thrilled to announce the selection of ten institutions to be part of a small pilot consortium fueled by UPCEA’s “Building Capacity, Expanding Pathways: Accelerating the Growth of Credential Innovation in Higher Education” project. The project…

2023 MEMS Award Recipients

2023 MEMS Award Recipients UPCEA sponsors annual competitions for recognizing the best in marketing, enrollment management, and student success and will honor this year’s award recipients at the 2023 MEMS conference. The recognition of the top award recipients will be shared with conference attendees in an interactive panel. The panel allows each of us to…

IT Certification: A Powerful Career Catalyst

Do I need to earn a certification? Professionals in IT, cybersecurity, privacy, risk, audit and related digital trust fields have wrestled with this question for years. Do certifications actually help with competitive job applications, increasing earning potential, and staying up to date with the latest IT trends? Or are they just acronyms on a resume…

Forming Strategic Partnerships To Increase Equity in Access to Education

Addressing the Digital Divide in the Age of Cybersecurity As technology and the internet continue to reshape modern education, the question of equitable access to these resources becomes more pressing. Educational institutions, governments, and private organizations are working diligently to bridge this digital divide, with cybersecurity emerging as a key concern. Strategic partnerships can play…

The Innovation Continuum: Planning for What Is Next

It is human nature to experience a new technology and think that’s the ultimate version of such technologies. We too often fail to recognize that the latest iteration of a development is only one station along the continuum of developments. We focus on the current hype, which may be accurate for today, but we miss…

University of Texas System Bets Big on Microcredentials (Inside Higher Ed)

As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas. And now going big applies to microcredentials. The University of Texas System, spanning nine academic campuses with roughly 240,000 students, is expanding its partnership with microcredential provider Coursera. The initiative announced last month is Coursera’s largest, aiming to reach 30,000 students with 35 courses by 2025.…

UPCEA’s Research and Consulting Group Grows, Welcomes Stacy Chiaramonte, and Offers Exciting Career Opportunity

UPCEA Research and Consulting is Growing: As a leader in Professional, Continuing, and Online (PCO) education, UPCEA’s Research and Consulting group continues to expand, aligning with the evolving needs of higher education institutions. Our industry experts bring years of experience to provide unparalleled value in the industry. Welcome Stacy Chiaramonte: UPCEA proudly welcomes Stacy Chiaramonte…

Tracking the Right Higher Education SEO Metrics for Marketing Success

Key Insights Looking at SEO success metrics helps you evaluate your SEO strategy’s performance, while analyzing SEO health metrics lets you inform your SEO strategy. Institutional leaders want reporting on SEO metrics, but most don’t receive regular updates. From deans to marketing leaders to SEO analysts, various audiences need to receive and review different levels…

Intentional Teaching Podcast

Intentional Teaching Podcast Hosted by Derek Bruff | Sponsored by UPCEA The Intentional Teaching podcast is aimed at college and university educators to help them develop foundational teaching skills and explore new ideas in teaching. The name Intentional Teaching is a spin on Derek Bruff’s 2019 book, Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of…

2024 UPCEA Annual Conference – Sold Out

March 26-28, 2024 | Boston, MA We are thrilled to invite you to the 2024 Annual UPCEA Conference hosted in Boston, MA, on March 26 – 28, 2024. Post-pandemic, our units have been presented with numerous opportunities to highlight the work we do, while being tapped to help our institutions to remain strong. The record…

Biden Administration Issues Resources in Response to Race-Based Admissions Decision | Policy Matters (August 2023)

Major Updates Supreme Court Race-Based Admissions Updates + Webinar Recording Biden Administration Issues Guidance and Resources in Response to Race-Based Admissions Decision The Biden Administration released resources to assist institutions understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision on race-based admissions. These resources will help colleges and universities as they work to lawfully pursue efforts to achieve…

Listen to Derek Bruff’s Intentional Teaching podcast, now sponsored by UPCEA!

UPCEA is excited to announce that we are now sponsoring the Intentional Teaching podcast hosted by Derek Bruff. Derek is an educator, author, and higher ed consultant. He directed the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching for more than a decade, where he helped faculty and other instructors develop foundational teaching skills and explore new ideas…

UPCEA Announces 2023 Diversity in Leadership Scholars

UPCEA is pleased to announce the 2023 cohort of Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars. Representative and diverse leadership is a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. The goal of the Diversity Scholars program is to equip diverse professionals at any stage of their career with the skills and knowledge needed…

Corporate Learning Partnerships Part 2: Higher Ed Strategies for B2B Sales

Higher education institutions aiming to develop successful corporate learning partnerships must be willing to acknowledge that marketing to and engaging businesses is different from marketing to and engaging students. In the first part of this series on higher ed corporate learning, we discussed how schools can position themselves to effectively market to businesses. Once that…

UPCEA Receives Grant from Walmart to Accelerate Growth of Credential Innovation in Higher Education

Significant grant will build capacity in higher ed for industry and learning ecosystem WASHINGTON (August 21, 2023) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is honored to receive a $395,000 grant from Walmart to accelerate work in the alternative credentials space with a project titled, “Building Capacity, Expanding Pathways: Accelerating the Growth of Credential…

The Servant Leader in Higher Education

One of the greatest leaders in the history of the United States commonly closed his correspondence with “Your obedient servant, A. Lincoln.” There is much we in higher education can learn from Lincoln, not the least of which is his approach to leadership. He led with courage, conviction, and a vision of service that encompassed…

Highlights from The Distance Teaching & Learning (DT&L) conference and Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R)

The Distance Teaching & Learning (DT&L) conference and Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R) held July 25-27, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin was a great success, with more than 400 onsite attendees and nearly 200 virtual attendees. In case you missed it, we wanted to share some of the highlights from the conference: On…

US Department of Education Seeks Input on How to Reduce Reporting Burdens | Policy Matters (July 2023)

Major Updates US Department of Education Seeks Input on How to Reduce Reporting Burdens Comment Deadline: August 14 “The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is seeking comments from the public on how it can reduce the burden associated with its information collection requests (ICRs) on State, local, territorial, and Tribal governments, educational institutions, nonprofits, and…

UPCEA Recognizes the 2023 Distance Teaching & Learning Conference and Summit for Online Leadership and Administration Award Recipients

6 Individuals Receive Honors MADISON, WI (July 26, 2023) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to recognize the recipients of this year’s awards, presented at the Distance Teaching & Learning (DT&L) Conference and Summit for Online Leadership and Administration (SOLA+R). Award recipients were honored today at the DT&L and SOLA+R conference…

Corporate Learning Partnerships Part 1: Position Your School to Market to Businesses Effectively

How to establish successful corporate partnerships Corporate learning partnerships are effective revenue generators for many higher education institutions. These partnerships can also help schools better serve their missions by expanding access to higher education for adult learners. But developing successful higher education marketing initiatives to establish relationships with corporate partners can be challenging. At MindMax,…

UPCEA Volunteer Leadership Roles Call for Nominations 2024

Volunteer Leadership Roles Call for Nominations 2024 Nominations 2024 The UPCEA Governance and Nominations Committee seeks nominations annually, and in accordance with UPCEA’s Bylaws (2023), for various leadership positions within the association. With this call for nominations, we strive to identify individuals who are willing to serve as strategic, fiscally-responsible, and inclusive leaders for the…

New Research from UPCEA, AACRAO, and Modern Campus Shows Barriers Affecting Effective Collaboration between Academic Registrars and PCE Units

Benchmark Survey Addresses Challenges and Opportunities Faced by Professional and Continuing Education Units and Traditional Academic Programs Washington, DC (July 24, 2023) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), and Modern Campus recently partnered on a survey of their respective undergraduate-serving institutional members in…

Pruning Programs to Help a Portfolio Bloom

On a recent soggy summer day, I sauntered into my yard with a pair of loppers in one hand and my trusty instructor, my phone, in the other. For the first time, I was going to prune our rose bushes. Like many millennials, I consulted the internet prior to embarking on this task to better…

Affirmative Action and Student Debt Forgiveness Program Blocked by Supreme Court | Policy Matters (June 2023)

Major Updates Supreme Court Strikes Down Race-Based Admissions for Colleges and Universities On Thursday, June 29th, the Supreme Court rejected the constitutionality of race-based admissions within two cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Stating that the affirmative action admissions practices are unlawful, the Court has decided that these sorts of targeted…

How to Quantify Higher Education SEO ROI — “Show Me the Money,” Says the Dean

For higher education marketing strategies, SEO ROI is tricky to define. What is the return? What is the investment? Whose numbers do we even use? And how long do we have to wait to see that return on SEO investment? Higher education websites house tremendous “unseen treasure,” which adds value for SEO. ROI is the…

Building the New Model for Teaching and Learning

OpenAI, assisted by Khan Academy, is building a new model for teaching and learning, to be called OpenAI Academy. At the center of the model is generative AI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says he is committed to leveraging generative AI to support education. He often speaks about his concern for higher education and student debt.…

Turning the Tables: Three Game-Changing Business Strategies for Thriving in Today’s Higher Education Landscape

Institutions of higher education are encountering significant threats: The demographic cliff looms, the value perception of a four-year degree is declining along with traditional student enrollments; and the competitive credential-granting landscape is expanding to include business-based learning from entities such as Google and skill and experience-validating credentials from organizations such as The Project Management Institute.…

Fast Track to AGI: So, What’s the Big Deal?

Artificial general intelligence is a term that elicits fear in some experts, who cite far-ranging human consequences and eager anticipation among those who see the potential for human progress. The rapid development and deployment of ChatGPT is one station along the timeline of reaching artificial general intelligence. On Feb. 1, Reuters reported that the app had…

Supply and Demand and the Demographic Cliff

Last month, Inside HigherEd and Hanover Research released their survey of over 400 college and university presidents, and the results were confusing. The study showed that eight out of 10 presidents agree (and three of the eight strongly agree) that their institutions will be financially stable in the next decade.[1] However, the report acknowledges that…

UPCEA Congratulates Senior Fellow Ray Schroeder on his Honorary Doctorate from the University of Illinois Springfield

Schroeder has been a leader in online learning since 1997 Ray Schroeder, UPCEA Senior Fellow and Professor Emeritus and former Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning at the University of Illinois Springfield, received an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the UIS commencement on May 13. Schroeder has been engaged in online learning since 1997…

ED to Delay and Clarify Third-Party Servicer Guidance | Policy Matters (April 2023)

Major Updates ED Announces Intent to Rework Third-Party Servicer Guidance, Clarify Scope, Remove International Ban and Delay Deadline In a blog post the Undersecretary of Postsecondary Education, James Kvaal, provided updates on the recent Third-Party Servicer guidance. While they are still reviewing the more than 1,000 public comments, Undersecretary Kvaal writes the Department will update…

Media Registration for UPCEA Conferences

Media Registration for UPCEA Conferences Qualified members of the media are encouraged to register for complimentary press passes to UPCEA events. Every press pass application is evaluated independently for each event, regardless of prior event attendance. Press credentials are not transferable. Eligibility Complimentary registration is available to credentialed journalists (e.g., professional reporters, editors, writers, news photographers,…

The UPCEA Community: Advancing Online and Professional Education

The UPCEA community is a lot of things – innovative and collaborative, fearless and forward-looking. It’s a community of colleagues who share innovative solutions to vexing challenges. A community of entrepreneurs, working together to expand the frontiers of learning. It’s a community made up of all of us. This community is part of a great…

Getting the Attention of Employers to Scale Your Microcredential Program

We read almost daily about the need for upskilling and reskilling the workforce and the opportunity for higher education institutions to provide training through microcredential programs. While a recent survey by Collegis Education and UPCEA confirms this need, the fact is many colleges and universities who offer microcredentials have realized only meager enrollments. For microcredential…

US Department of Education Announces Hearings on Higher Education Rulemaking; Secret Shopping of Institutions | Policy Matters (March 2023)

Major Updates Deadline March 30: Public Comment on Third Party Servicers – Institutional Members Encouraged to Weigh In The Department has updated Third-Party Servicer guidance to clarify when a servicer is considered as such, and would be privy to additional data and regulation with compliance for federal rules and regulations. The definitions have been…

Colleges want to expand continuing education but don’t devote resources, survey says (Higher Ed Dive)

Dive Brief: Continuing and online education programs offered by traditional brick-and-mortar colleges endure staffing issues, high administrative workloads and challenges accessing real-time student data. That’s according to an annual survey from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, and Modern Campus, a higher ed software provider. Among surveyed college employees, 71% said their institutions’ senior leaders supported…

Continuing-education leaders need more data and better tech, says report (EdScoop)

The continuing education arms of colleges and universities are poorly integrated into institutional systems and resources, according to survey findings published Wednesday by the software firm Modern Campus. Non-degree credentials and certificates are an important revenue stream for universities and colleges, but many continuing education leaders said they don’t have enough staff, systems or investment,…

Greeting the Student of the Future on their Terms at the Digital Storefront

We are emerging from the pandemic and the higher education landscape is daunting. The battle for funding and student loan debt relief is tied up in the court system. New statements have been released from the Department of Education regarding bundled services and third-party providers. Politics are at play regarding college systems in Florida and…

Scholarships

UPCEA Scholarships. UPCEA Scholars. Learn more about UPCEA’s scholarship offerings, what is included, and how to apply. Bea Gonzalez Diversity in Leadership Greg Milton Memorial About the Scholarship Equip diverse professionals at any stage of their career with the skills and knowledge needed to move into leadership positions on campus, in the field of professional,…

Is Your Enrollment Management Function Set Up for Success?

If your school is investing heavily in creating brand awareness and generating leads at the top of the funnel (TOFU) but getting lackluster results, enrollment management issues lower in the funnel may be to blame. To achieve enrollment goals, you need a strong enrollment management foundation—a system for guiding prospective students beyond the initial awareness…

2023 Association Award Recipients

2023 Association Award Recipients At the 1953 Annual Conference of the National University Extension Association (NUEA), which was the forerunner of UPCEA, Robert Browne of the University of Illinois gave a speech honoring Tom Shelby, retiring Dean of the Division of Extension at the University of Texas. Browne conferred on Shelby the FX Key in…

Creating Noncredit to Credit Pathways

Alternative credential experts identify the conditions necessary to design and deliver noncredit to credit pathways at postsecondary institutions. Over the course of 2022, the Typology, Terminology, and Standards Subcommittee[1] of the Council for Credential Innovation discussed the conditions necessary to create noncredit to credit pathways at postsecondary institutions. Their deliberations eventually narrowed to noncredit learning…

As Colleges Focus on Quality in Online Learning, Advocates Ask: What About In-Person Courses? (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

As colleges’ online catalogs grow, so too has the push to develop standards of quality for those courses. But are in-person classes getting the same attention? If you ask many online-education advocates, the answer is “no.” While decades of research and the pandemic-spurred expansion of online learning have helped demystify it and build confidence in…

Microcredentials Confuse Employers, Colleges and Learners (Inside Higher Ed)

Reskilling. Upskilling. Certificates. Certifications. Badges. Licenses. Microcredentials. Alternative credentials. Digital credentials. So many terms. So little agreement on what they mean, least of all in higher ed. “Employers say, ‘It’s great that this individual has these skills, but we’ll ask our own questions to verify the learner’s knowledge,’” Kyle Albert, assistant research professor at the…

The Emerging New Task and Partner for Higher Education

We have a new partner in higher education to assist with fulfilling our primary mission. What is our primary mission? I turned to our new partner to briefly articulate that, “The primary mission of higher education is to provide advanced learning opportunities beyond the high school level, with the aim of developing a highly skilled…

How Supporting Student Veterans Benefits Your Institution

Student veterans make up approximately six percent of undergraduate college students and seven percent of graduate students (US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics). While generally referred to as student veterans, this overarching title includes active-duty service members and those in the National Guard or Reserves. Precise information on the military-connected student population,…

Survey Reveals Employers’ Views on Microcredential Benefits, Concerns (Campus Technology)

These days, the majority of employers are aware of microcredentials and other non-degree credentials, according to a new study from Collegis Education and UPCEA, the association for higher education professionals in online and continuing education. Out of 510 organizational leaders surveyed, 95% reported being at least somewhat familiar with microcredentials, and more than two-thirds (69%) said they were…

UPCEA Resources: UPCEA Subject-Matter Experts Presentations

UPCEA Resources: Subject-Matter Experts Presentations Members Get More. Join Us! UPCEA subject-matter experts are often called upon to present their research findings and insights to our community. Their expertise and knowledge in online and professional, continuing education is a valued resource for leaders and administrators in higher education. UPCEA members can access these resources…

Employers value microcredentials but don’t know how to assess their quality (Higher Ed Dive)

Dive Brief: Although a majority of surveyed employers say they value alternative credentials, many also harbor concerns over assessing the quality of education and understanding the skills and competencies they represent. That’s according to a recent survey of 510 employers from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, also known as UPCEA, and Collegis Education,…

Why higher ed needs to get on board with micro-credentials (University Business)

A new study focusing on employers’ perspectives on micro-credentials reveals that while a strong majority of them believe it boosts a prospective hire’s value, not enough colleges and universities are capitalizing on it. More than 70% of respondents agreed that job applicants with non-degree or alternative credentials have increased the past two years and those hires…

Employers Are All In on Microcredentials, Survey Shows (Inside Higher Ed)

Ninety-five percent of employers see benefits in their employees accruing microcredentials, according to a new survey from Collegis Education and UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in online and professional continuing education. Among the leaders surveyed from 500 organizations, 76 percent said pursuing microcredentials demonstrates an employee’s willingness to develop their skills, 63 percent said it…

Employer Demand for Microcredentials On the Rise, New Study From UPCEA and Collegis Education Reveals

Nearly 100 percent of organizational leaders see benefits from employees having microcredentials WASHINGTON (February 22, 2023) — Employer demand for microcredentials is on the rise, according to a new study released today by UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in online and professional continuing education, and Collegis Education. The report, “The Effect of…

IMPORTANT UPDATES – Third-Party Servicer and Recruitment Compensation Updates from US Department of Education | Policy Matters (February 2023)

Major Updates NOTE: This post has been updated since its original publishing to include extended deadlines provided by the Department of Education. Some substantial items for UPCEA members to review from the US Department of Education were announced last week. The long-expected Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) on Third-Party Servicers (TPS) and public comment periods on…

UPCEA Resources: Collaborations

UPCEA Resources: Collaborations & Connections Members Get More. Join Us! Collaborations: These deep-dive reports are co-produced by UPCEA and other key organizations with expertise in online and professional continuing education, including WCET, Non Credit Research Network (NCRN), Lumina Foundation and others. Connections: UPCEA is an integral part of key alliances focusing on the strategic initiatives…

Definition Update: Chief Online Learning Officer (COLO)

By Julie Uranis, Senior Vice President of Online and Strategic Initiatives, UPCEA From its earliest days in 1915, UPCEA members have led the charge in making postsecondary education available to distant learners. From the correspondence movement to today, distance learning, now online learning, has been led by practitioners that sit at the intersection of curriculum,…

Do Stranded Academic Credits Lead To Stranded Students? How Transfer Of Credit Policies Impact College Completion (Forbes)

[…] Late last year, the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), the largest association of adult and continuing education divisions at higher education institutions, and StraighterLine, a provider of low-cost, flexible online courses, found that the most significant barrier that students encounter when transferring between institutions is getting earned academic credit to count at…

Scaling the Demographic Cliff

By Jim Fong, UPCEA’s Chief Research Officer, and Bruce Etter, UPCEA’s Senior Director of Research and Consulting When hikers are faced with an obstacle like a cliff, they have several options. One is to go around it but with some mixture of uncertainty and consequences, such as lost time or having to use additional resources.…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

29 of Top 30 Ranked Institutions are UPCEA Members WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 10, 2023) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in online and professional continuing education, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include more…

UPCEA Resources: UPCEA Conference Session Resources

UPCEA Resources: Conference Session Resources Members Get More. Join Us! UPCEA conferences bring together the most significant assembly of thought leaders and practitioners today in the field of professional, continuing, and online education. You’ll find a wealth of knowledge, information and insights in these expert presentations curated from UPCEA conferences. These presentations span the…

UPCEA Announces 2023 Association Award Recipients

8 Individuals and 8 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, February 1, 2023 – UPCEA, the leader in online and professional continuing education, has announced the recipients of the 2023 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized…

Innovation and Creation in Ever-Advancing Artificial Intelligence (The European Business Review)

Read Ray Schroeder’s perspective on what artificial intelligence means for the future. We understand that artificial intelligence (AI) resulted in the loss of many blue-collar jobs as smart robots took over the manufacturing process. However, we now know that this generation of AI will have even greater impact in truly creative fields, including art and…

ED Announces Negotiated Rulemaking with Distance Education, State Authorization, Among Others | Volunteers Sought – Policy Matters (January 2023)

Major Updates Department of Education Announces Intent to Rewrite of State Authorization, Distance Education, Third-Party Servicers Among Others The Biden Administration announced in the first days of 2023 their intent to rework this year eight different areas of higher education regulations via negotiated rulemaking. The topics include many in which the UPCEA community has…

Discover 12 Current Online Learning Trends (US News & World Report)

While hastily planned remote instruction differs from fully planned online college programs, education experts say a shift during the coronavirus pandemic accelerated the growth of online learning. Colleges are now poised to offer more choices in distance learning, but it takes time, expertise and resources to develop quality online degree programs, says Lisa Templeton, associate…

UPCEA Resources: Research & Benchmarking Studies

UPCEA Resources: Research & Benchmarking Studies Members Get More. Join Us! Trusted by the nation’s top colleges and universities, UPCEA Research & Consulting provides the best value in the industry today. UPCEA’s industry experts have years of experience in online and professional continuing education. Stay up to date with these research studies, focused on…

GPT in Higher Education

ChatGPT has caught our attention in higher education. What will it mean in 2023? First, let’s do a quick review on the technology. GPT has become the internet’s best-known language processing AI model. The initials stand for Generative Pretrained Transformer. That’s not a very descriptive title to the non-AI person. OpenAI developed the hot new…

The Impact of the New Adult Learner – Trends in Higher Education in 2023

A decade ago, the buzz phrase was the Internet of Things or IoT. Cell phones had limited power and apps were just starting to bridge the internet with mobile devices. Uber had only recently launched (2010). Online banking was in its early stages of acceptance and electric cars were almost non-existent. Facebook was a third…

Does Higher Ed’s Value Proposition Resonate with Adult Learners?

Recent higher education trends have made it clear that now more than ever, colleges and universities must have successful strategies for engaging adult learners. The US birth rate has declined steadily over the past decade, leading to an inevitable reduction in traditional college enrollees aged 18 to 24. There is also an increasing number of…

A Dozen Years of Decline

For 150 years dating back to the 1800s, college enrollment in the U.S. experienced annual growth in enrollments with only a handful of short-term drops during wars and other major societal events. That record of steady increases was disrupted a dozen years ago, by the recession of 2007 to 2009 and has never recovered. Of course, the…

MEMBERSHIP – Offer Landing Page

Join UPCEA Now, Enjoy Extra Months Sign up for the 2024-2025 membership year and enjoy membership through June 2025 Learn how to get started today! Membership > Offer Landing Page Fill out the form below to receive more information about how to become an UPCEA member. "*" indicates required fields Name* First Last Institution* Title*…

Congressional Members Request Information from Department on OPM Revenue Sharing | Policy Matters (December 2022)

Major Updates Congressional Members Request Information from Department on OPM Revenue Sharing Following previous congressional outreach on the matter, a new letter to Secretary Cardona from Senators Murray, Warren, Smith, and House members Scott and DeLauro as been issued. It highlighted again the increased pressure from congress since the Government Accountability Office (GAO) earlier this…

UPCEA 2022 Research Wrap-Up | Top 10 Must-See Research Reports from the Last Year

For 2022, many saw and felt it to be a year of uncertainty. It was the first real full-year of return to campus-based operations after the start of the COVID pandemic, with most staff and students going back to in-person work and learning. However, like many industries, higher education retirements increased and given inflationary factors,…

UPCEA Welcomes New Board and DEI Committee Members

WASHINGTON, December 15, 2022 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce the election of new officers and new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected in November, these individuals will assume their roles at the conclusion of the…

Deconstructing ChatGPT on the Future of Continuing Education

The future has arrived in continuing education, however many have yet to realize the arrival. Released on November 30, ChatGPT and GPT-3.5 were publicly unveiled by OpenAI – a leader in generative artificial intelligence. I wondered what this release might mean for the future of continuing higher education. Of course, nothing had yet been written about the…

Open the Title IV Door (Inside Higher Ed)

Student debt forgiveness—if ultimately allowed by the Supreme Court to go into effect—will not be enough to address the crisis of college affordability. For too many learners, higher education is just too costly—and risky—of an investment. Any amount of debt cancellation will mean very little without structural reforms that ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the…

UPlift – UPCEA Mentorship Experience

UPlift: UPCEA Mentorship Experience Mentorship Has Powerful Benefits 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. Connecting UPCEA members with leaders in the higher education community helps develop professional relationships for personal growth and…

Making the Case: Marketing to Adult Learners with Data

With enrollments declining and as a tight labor market reaches record-low unemployment,, marketers and recruiters in higher education now face the difficult task of finding new students in a uniquely challenging time for colleges and universities. One potential source of those new students? Adult learners. Moving Up and Moving Forward, a new research report from Lightcast, uses analysis…

Time to Consider Your Social Media Options

As higher ed professionals, this is a good time to re-think our social platforms. As of this writing, the future of Twitter is unclear. Elon Musk has taken over the helm with policies and practices that are prompting massive layoffs and resignations that have threatened the regular operation of the social media tool. Some experts…

UPCEA and AACRAO Announce 2023 Conference to Examine the Emergent Field of Alternative Credentials in Higher Education

‘Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education’ will gather credential innovation stakeholders, Nov. 1-3, 2023, in Washington, DC WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 17, 2022) – The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) announced today they will jointly present a new conference in 2023 focused on…

Universities Looking Beyond the Traditional For-Credit Semester Experiences

A survey shows that nearly half of said they chose their college on the basis of potential career prospects, only 11% felt prepared to enter the workforce. Salesforce’s third annual Connected Student Report, released last month, identifies some serious shortcomings perceived by college and university students. While nearly half of the 1,300 students surveyed said they chose…

Survey: 3 in 10 Students Lose Significant Academic Credits Transferring Between Colleges

A new study from UPCEA and StraighterLine examines barriers and motivations for transfer students with implications for institutions, finds 30% of students lose at least a quarter of existing academic credit WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 17, 2022) – UPCEA (University Professional and Continuing Education Association), the largest association of adult and continuing education units at colleges…

Book – Using ROI for Strategic Planning of Online Education

New Book Turns Lens on Online Education’s ROI Imperative Using ROI for Strategic Planning of Online Education A Process for Institutional Transformation Edited by Kathleen S. Ives and Deborah M. Seymour Foreword by Paul LeBlanc Published by Routledge in association with UPCEA Buy Now UPCEA members get a 20% discount and free shipping! Contact us…

College Debt Isn’t Personal: Our Economic Security Is At Stake (Forbes)

President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which would erase up to $20,000 of debt for millions of Americans, has been both hailed as much-needed relief and derided as unfair. The argument against it frames the issue of college debt as a matter of personal choice: students opted to go to college—fully understanding the cost and…

Department of Education Releases Final Rules on 90/10 Rule, Incarcerated Individuals, Borrower Defense, Debt Relief Programs, Among Others | Policy Matters (October 2022)

Major Updates Submission Form for Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Opens; Accepting Applications Through End of 2023 The application for federal student loan forgiveness for up to $20,000 for eligible individuals opened earlier this month. Though the deadline to submit for forgiveness is December 31, 2023, student loan borrowers are encouraged to submit prior to November…

UPCEA Announces Retirement of Chief Membership Officer Kimberly Zaski, New Staff Additions

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 28, 2022 – UPCEA, the association for leaders in online and professional continuing education, has announced a number of key staff changes. Chief Membership Officer and Vice President, Corporate Partnerships Kimberly Zaski is retiring at the end of the calendar year. She will be replaced by Kathleen Ives, formerly CEO of the…

SEO & Digital Advertising: Jet Fuel for Your Higher Education Marketing Strategy

If you were asked what digital channels facilitate your most qualified prospects’ journey to inquiry or application, would you know the answer? It’s no secret that in the last three years, demand for online education has skyrocketed, while the demographics of Professional, Continuing and Online (PCO) education units’ students have evolved. Facilitated by the Great…

New Book Turns Lens on Online Education’s ROI Imperative

‘Using ROI for Strategic Planning of Online Education’ explores process for shifting to an ROI mindset amid pressure for higher ed to prove value and relevance WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 25, 2022 — Higher education has rarely employed return on investment (ROI) methodology in strategic planning for online education. This may be about to…

New Study: Third-Party Providers and PCO Units

UPCEA recently collaborated with ed2go on research related to professional, continuing, and online (PCO) education units’ relationships with third-party providers. This study, Perceptions of Third-Party Providers as a Result of the Pandemic, found that PCO units often sought assistance from third-party providers to help expand bandwidth to support existing students, diversify their portfolios, and continually…

2022 UPCEA MEMS Award Recipients Announced

15 Recipients Chosen For Three Award Categories WASHINGTON, D.C., October 20, 2022 — UPCEA, the leader in online and professional continuing education, has announced the recipients of the 2022 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award, and the new Excellence in Marketing Award. All…

When to Outsource Online Learning, and When Not To (Inside Higher Ed)

Like a lot of professors whose field of study is higher education, Jeffrey C. Sun frequently gets asked by administrators at his institution to weigh in on thorny issues they’re debating. When his bosses at the University of Louisville were considering how best to expand their online learning offerings, they asked Sun, a Distinguished University…

Higher Ed Curricula – the Short Game

It is time that we prepare for adding a more relevant, more responsive, student-centered, technology-delivered curriculum. Rick Seltzer reports in Higher Ed Dive that a recent Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded study of 18-to-30-year-olds without a college degree, found: “Respondents prioritized their own emotional, mental and financial health more frequently than a college education.…

UPlift – UPCEA Mentorship Pilot

In-House or Outsource? UPCEA/University of Louisville study explores factors at play in deciding to work with an OPM

New Research Offers Insights into the Criteria and Contractual Agreements Chief Online Learning Officers (COLOs) Consider When Deciding to Work With an OPM LOUISVILLE, KY and WASHINGTON, DC (October 6, 2022) — With the explosive growth of online learning and the accompanying rise of online program managers (OPMs), Chief Online Learning Officers (COLOs) at higher…

Faculty Teaching the Way They Were Taught

Whether you consider teaching an art, craft, science, or profession, it is clear that K-12 teachers are more fully prepared than many of us who teach in higher ed. Teacher education programs leading to elementary and secondary certification often require significantly more than the traditional 120 credit hours for the baccalaureate degree. With required teaching history,…

Building the University of Tomorrow

In the recent opinion piece, “Imagine We Are Starting a University Now,” UPCEA Senior Fellow Ray Schroeder reflects on what will be necessary to prepare higher education institutions for the future through an engaging thought exercise of starting a higher education institution from scratch in 2022. Where would you begin? Central to the thought exercise…

National Student Parent Month Declared September 2022 | Policy Matters

Major Updates Public Comment Open on WIOA Indicator of Performance: Effectiveness in Serving Employers The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) legislation denotes that the programs that are part of the bill be measured by six primary indicators of performance. Current regulations define only five of the six indicators. Previously, the Department of Labor…

K-State Global Campus Goes Remote: What a Difference a Year Makes

By Karen Pedersen and Jennifer Thornburg In June of 2021, the lease for the 20,000+ sq foot building housing the Kansas State University Global Campus was up for renewal. Ten months before that, while in the middle of a global pandemic, the Global Campus leadership team began discussions about the possibility of going permanently remote.…

UPCEA Announces 2022 Regional Award Recipients

20 Individuals and 14 Programs Honored Across 5 Regions WASHINGTON, September 22, 2022 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2022 Regional Awards. Each of UPCEA’s five Regions recognizes both individual and institutional achievement of the UPCEA members within the Region. Award recipients will be honored…

Imagine We Are Starting a University Now

In so very many ways, we in higher education have fallen behind business, industry, governments, and society as a whole. We are offering programs and products that may have been relevant 50 or a hundred years ago but are not in touch with the society of the fourth industrial revolution. Learners currently are given few forward-thinking,…

Longevity Declining Among Higher Ed Employees: What is There to Lose?

More than half of college employees say they are likely to leave their jobs in the next year as reported in a new survey by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, CUPA-HR. The most common reasons listed for seeking new employment were the prospect of higher pay, an opportunity to work remotely,…

UPCEA Event Behavior Policy

UPCEA Event Behavior Policy UPCEA is dedicated to ensuring that its events and activities provide a safe, respectful, and inclusive experience for all attendees, including UPCEA staff, members and their representatives, volunteers, sponsors, partners, and exhibitors (“Participants”). With that goal in mind, UPCEA expects that those who attend and participate in a UPCEA event, whether…

UPCEA Announces 2022 Diversity in Leadership Scholars

UPCEA is pleased to announce the 2022 cohort of Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars. Representative and diverse leadership is a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. The goal of the Diversity Scholars program is to equip diverse professionals at any stage of their career with the skills and knowledge needed…

New Portal Login Security Verification Step

In order to improving the security and functionality of our member login, we would like to inform you about an email verification step you will see soon. Starting on Friday September 9th, when you log in to your user profile on the UPCEA member portal, you will receive an email from: Sender: MemberSuite Support <[email protected]>…

Higher Ed – Meet GPT-3: We Will Never Be the Same!

We have read for years that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will make us more efficient and effective. Certainly, we are seeing the impact today in gathering big data; identifying and predicting trends; and in providing quick answers to the run-of-the-mill questions from students and others about calendars, processes, and services. We are seeing chatbots supporting those in…

Online Learning Impacting the Carbon Footprint

Climate change is heating up — perhaps online learning is part of the solution. Around the world, new record high temperatures are soaring. These changes are stressing the health, budgets, productivity and tempers of many of those living in non-polar regions. Scientists tell us the cumulative effects of eons of anthropogenic pollution production coupled with natural…

Online Learning, From the Margins to the Center

Online learning has evolved over the past 25 years from a niche position on the margins of higher ed to the leading driver of growth in enrollment and innovation. Research collaboration, information sharing and informal instruction has roots deep in the development of the internet and analogous networking such as the PLATO system prior to even the…

UPCEA/MindEdge study finds mature adult learners have complex views about education

One size doesn’t fit all — Differences among Boomer learners, retirees, and the mature adult learner BOSTON, MA and WASHINGTON, DC (July 29, 2022) – Driven by Baby Boomer retirements and the Great Resignation, a new wave of mature learners is looking at options in continuing education – but not necessarily to learn new job skills,…

Peer-to-Peer Consulting

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Peer-to-Peer Consulting Looking to tackle a more specific issue in your online and continuing education unit? For customized consulting projects, UPCEA can assemble a team of leaders from its pool of experts and consultants who have expertise in a wide variety of topics critical to today’s continuing and online education…

Feasibility Analysis

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Feasibility Analysis Do you need to determine the long-term feasibility of a new or existing program? A feasibility analysis goes beyond a surface-level review of labor and competitive data and provides real-world perspectives from employers, potential students, inquirers, or alumni to enrich data and better inform decision making. A feasibility…

Occupational Mapping Analysis (OMA)

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Occupational Mapping Analysis (OMA) Higher education in the future will change. Our economy has changed, and the learner has changed. The learner has more choices, but less money and thus values higher education differently. What can your college or university do to prepare? Are you meeting the needs of professionals…

Environmental Scan

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Environmental Scan Are you considering adding new programs or in the early stages of program development? Do you need a snapshot of the competitive and forecasted labor markets to determine potential program viability? Environmental scanning is a cost-efficient and insightful exploratory research method regarding program assessment, design, and delivery –…

Online Asset Assessment (OAA)

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Online Asset Assessment (OAA) The online environment is now the front door to an institution. Because of this, it is imperative that PCO units have an established online presence. The Online Asset Assessment (OAA) was designed to help PCO units better understand and accurately measure the presence and quality of…

Custom Consulting

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Custom Consulting Does your institution need guidance on organizational structure, portfolio strategy, or other pressing issues? Are internal politics influencing operations, organizational structure and decisions? UPCEA can draw upon an unparalleled bench of professional, continuing, and online education leaders to provide clear direction and insight for your unique situation. Get…

Custom Benchmarking

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Custom Benchmarking PCO unit portfolios are just as diverse and unique as institutions themselves, yet they often share similar processes and operations. Lacking best practices in operational areas that rarely see the light of day, you may wonder, “how are others doing X?” with X being any number of things…

The Metaverse and Web 3.0: Embedding Ourselves into the Internet (The European Business Review)

Read Ray Schroeder’s perspective on the metaverse and augmented reality. We are embarking on an online environment transformation that is every bit as revolutionary as the inception of the Web browser in 1992. The Metaverse will supplant the browser for many of our activities. We will immerse ourselves through avatars to engage in commerce, education, and social…

Innovating Off the Degree Backbone

The National Student Clearinghouse continues to report sobering statistics on higher education enrollments[i]. Their Spring 2022 report shows that undergraduate enrollment fell by 662,698, as compared to the prior year. In addition, spring graduate enrollments were relatively flat, but still falling by 22,337. With the predicted demographic cliff looming nearby, a decade of tuition increases…

Announcing a new direction for UPCEA’s Regions

UPCEA is excited to share the new strategic direction for the association’s five Regions. The Regions are an integral component of UPCEA’s access mission, and are key to both UPCEA’s legacy and future success. Over UPCEA’s 107 year history, the Regions have undergone changes like geographic boundaries, to the more recent Regional conference pilot events…

Enrollment Process Review

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Enrollment Process Review How effective is your enrollment funnel? How does it compare to your peers? Do you know where you are converting or losing your leads and why? UPCEA can help you engage your leads at the right time with the right information. Let’s say you’ve developed strong programs…

Estimated Market Size Analysis

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Estimated Market Size Analysis Do you need to determine the viability of new or existing programs based on enrollment potential? Has your institution set realistic (and achievable) enrollment goals? UPCEA can leverage data and demographics to isolate and identify estimated market sizes. The estimated market size analysis produces estimates on…

Unbundling Analysis/Occupational Mapping

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Unbundling Analysis/Occupational Mapping Are you preparing your portfolio for the modern learner through a stackable approach? Based on your existing programs, are there smaller and more stackable elements that would serve as an on-ramp to degrees or are there standalone credential opportunities? Explore programming areas in which you could develop…

Occupational Opportunity Model (OOM)

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Occupational Opportunity Model (OOM) What are the occupational trends in your market area? Is your portfolio competitive enough? Are you aware of what market needs are not being met in your region? Do you have a way to rank order occupational priorities based on your institution’s ability to develop programs?…

Portfolio Decision-Making Model (PDMM)

UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting Portfolio Decision-Making Model (PDMM) Have you assessed your program portfolio for the new economy? Are they in line with employer/consumer demand? Perhaps you have legacy programs that may no longer be relevant. UPCEA can help make sure your programs meet the needs of the changing marketplace. The Portfolio Decision-Making Model…

Excellence in Alternative Credentials (Landing Page)

Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation Report For more than a millennium, universities have awarded degrees to their graduates in much the same form as higher education institutions do today. Through their durability and credibility, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees have stood the test of time, sustaining their relevance and their power to convey academic…

UPCEA Studies & Collaborations

UPCEA Studies & Collaborations Members Get More. Join Us! Description of UPCEA studies and collaborations… Resources marked with * are open and available to everyone. All other resources are available to UPCEA members only. Embedding Certifications Into Bachelor’s Degrees – Certification-Degree Pathways Project Emergency Remote Instruction is Not High Quality Online Learning – National Council…

UPCEA Resources: SNAP Poll Results

UPCEA Resources: Snap Poll Results Members Get More. Join Us! Learn what your colleagues are saying about specific topics that affect us all! UPCEA’s Snap Polls are monthly surveys for the benefit of all UPCEA members! These anonymous surveys typically have five questions or less and take less than two minutes to complete. Snap…

U.S. Department of Education Announces Regulatory Agenda; Pushes Some Rulemaking Issues to Next Federal Calendar | Policy Matters (June 2022)

Major Updates U.S. Department of Education Announces Regulatory Agenda; Pushes Some Rulemaking Issues to Next Federal Calendar The Department of Education released their Spring 2022 Agenda and Regulatory Plan, providing timelines and intended regulations they will release this year, and which they will push until the next yearly cycle. The Department broke apart the recent…

UPCEA Resources: Hallmarks of Excellence

UPCEA Resources: Hallmarks of Excellence Members Get More. Join Us! The UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence are intended to be both aspirational and a practical toolkit to assist those in online and professional continuing education to think systematically and concretely about the nature of credentials at their institution as well as the strategy and logistical components…

A Guide to UPCEA Resources

A Guide to UPCEA Resources Members Get More. Join Us! Stay ahead of the rapidly changing and pressing issues in our field with timely and topical publications and resources. UPCEA’s industry-leading benchmarking and research studies, snap poll results, conference presentations, industry expert blogs and more comprise a wealth of knowledge and first-hand expertise to help…

Marketing in a Post-Pandemic World

Marketing budgets and staffing have significantly increased from pre-pandemic levels I once heard that when faced with trauma or chaos, humans consider a number of options … fight, flight (or flee) or freeze. Institutions and their leadership make similar choices when faced with economic adversity. Based on the 2022 UPCEA Marketing Survey, institutions of higher…

The Future of Higher Ed Immersed in Web 3.0

Not everyone agrees about what Web 3.0 will be, let alone how it will impact higher education, but the time to begin preparing is now. It’s not at all surprising that a definitive vision for the future internet has not yet been shared, because there is no agreement on what the next iteration of the…

UPCEA Research & Consulting

Benchmarking Research & Consulting Top Colleges & Universities Consult with UPCEA VIEW LIST Trusted by the nation’s top colleges and universities, UPCEA Benchmarking Research & Consulting provides the best value in the industry today. UPCEA’s industry experts have years of experience in Professional, Continuing and Online (PCO) education – put them to work for you! The UPCEA…

Online Administration Network Member Spotlight – Shaun Moore

At what institution do you work, and what is your role? I’m the Director of e-Learning and Instructional Support (e-LIS) at Oakland University, in Michigan. I’ve been here since 2001, starting as a student employee doing help calls for our one online class at the time, then getting hired on full time in 2005, and moving…

Credentials: Closing the Relevancy Loop

One of higher ed’s challenges is to close the loop on relevancy for every student in every module of every class. Too often in our classes we present history, equations, assorted facts, data and retrospective analyses without supplying the current and future context of application of all of those components. The applicability of the class…

Dr. Anthony Carnevale on the Changing Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood

Historical and cultural moments that impacted the evolution of the American education system In a new episode of the MindMaxing podcast series, “Adolescence to Adulthood,” Dr. Anthony Carnevale outlines the political, economic, and social shifts that have made obtaining a college education a necessity—and a challenge—for many students, especially those from lower-income families. As research…

The Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars Program | Applications due July 1

2022 Diversity in Leadership Scholars Program Application Open

Apply by July 1 | UPCEA is proud to once again be offering UPCEA members the Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars Program. Representative and diverse leadership is a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence.

Problem Solved. Flexible, Future-Facing, Non-Degree Education Supporting Degreed Education

Beyond the health and social implications of the pandemic, the economic dominos that fell for higher education included The Great Resignation followed by The Great Interruption. The economy in the U.S. and other parts of the world continues to be impacted by the former, as many jobs remain unfilled or where a constant churn of…

Program Development During and After the Pandemic

Prior to the pandemic, for the UPCEA Center for Research and Strategy it was business as usual – conducting feasibility studies, environmental scans and an occasional review of a professional, continuing and online education unit’s portfolio. During the pandemic, this flip-flopped as our unit did more portfolio reviews, market needs studies and marketing and enrollment…

Communicating the Realities of Higher Ed in 2022

This is a challenging time to lead, as a provost, dean, director or department chair at a college or university. That is not to say that there are not successes and rewards to be achieved, but they come harder than in decades past. One can say that every era in our field has brought challenges.…

Four practices to advance equity in online student support

Taking a holistic approach to updating DEI practices When you provide a coaching program to online learners across the country, the populations you support are extremely diverse. Different backgrounds. Different cultures. Different ages, socio-economic situations, and life experiences. That’s why, as student supporters in online communities, it’s critical to implement equitable support techniques that serve…

Biden Administration Extends Student Loan Pause Through August 31; Signals Debt Cancellation | Policy Matters (April 2022)

Major Updates Biden Administration Extends Student Loan Pause Through August 31; Signals Debt Cancellation Citing the ongoing COVID pandemic and the economic consequences of it, Federal Student Aid (FSA) has extended the federal student loan relief to borrowers which began in March 2020 through August 31, 2022. All student loans that are federally held will…

A Tale of 2 Communities (of Learners)

This is a rather dark Dickensian time in higher education, caught in the storm of societal and economic sea change. Yet, there is hope for those institutions who recognize and respond to the changes that are upon us. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of…

Report: Limited Resources Hinder Continuing Education (Government Technology)

[…] Jim Fong, founding director of UPCEA’s Center for Research and Strategy, said the study found neither adequate staffing nor resources focused on continuing education at these institutions. He said that the systems for the typical two- and four-year enrollment process and the continuing-ed systems aren’t necessarily tied together, adding that many institutions are using…

UPCEA Welcomes 13 New Board Members

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2022 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce the election of four new officers and nine new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected in November 2021, these individuals assumed their roles at the conclusion…

Engaging Learners for Relevancy and Retention

Too often we assess our own learning by how pleasant the learning experience is, rather than assessing retention as well as how authentically relevantly and meaningfully those experiences and outcomes apply to real-life situations. For nearly half of my faculty career, I taught mostly through a face-to-face lecture mode. Yes, I dabbled in simulations and…

Universities’ continuing ed teams need more data, resources (EdScoop)

Universities are building out continuing education teams to meet demand, but workers say they lack easy access to real-time metrics like enrollment, according to a survey released Monday by the edtech company Modern Campus and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. According to the report, continuing and professional education professionals see lack of resources…

Thank you, 2021-22 Volunteer Leaders!

Thank you, 2021-22 Volunteer Leaders! Board of Directors Nancy Coleman BOARD PRESIDENT Harvard [email protected] Lisa Templeton PRESIDENT-ELECT Oregon State [email protected] Rovy Branon IMMEDIATE PAST BOARD PRESIDENT University of [email protected] Dave Cillay SECRETARY/TREASURER Washington State [email protected] Asim Ali DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Auburn [email protected] Robert Bruce DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Rice [email protected]…

Looking at the New Learner

Recent Center for Research and Strategy studies have explored different facets of today’s new learner. Explore these studies for details on how your institution can best meet new learners’ needs. The Six Personas of the New Learner: Changing Motivations and Situations of the New Learner Landscape (with Thinking Cap) As we move into the future,…

Significant Changes on Distance Education Regulations Considered as Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Concludes | Policy Matters (March 2022)

Major Updates Significant Changes on Distance Education Regulations Considered as Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Concludes | Consensus on Only Two of Seven Issue Papers Reached The Institutional and Programmatic Eligibility Committee’s final session at the US Department of Education concluded this month, resulting in consensus on language around two issues: Ability To Benefit, and the 90/10…

Breaking the Boundaries of Time and Space

An artifact of centuries of schooling history in agrarian cultures, our universities have been bound by semesters, quarters, terms and other rigid predefined calendar schedules. Likewise, we have been fenced in by regulations of states, campuses and other locational limitations. For good reason, it is time that these boundaries are broken! Learning should be defined…

Student Coaching and Best Practices

Student coaching is a critical role to supporting a student’s wellbeing and growth during the time they are enrolled in an academic program. Today’s students are no longer fresh out of high school kids. They hold a variety of titles like first generation college student, active military service member, veterans, working professionals, and everything in…

Overlooked and Excluded: PCO learner data and learner records

Co-authored with Julie Uranis, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Online and Strategic Initiatives, UPCEA Comprehensive Learner Records (CLRs) and Learning and Employment Records (LERs) could dramatically change the landscape of postsecondary learning. CLRs and LERs detail an individual’s educational achievements, inclusive of credit-bearing courses, programs and co-curricular activities; noncredit learning; and other training. They are more…

Google Career Certificates: Heralding the Future

Postsecondary education is broken. The signs are obvious and pervasive. Although not perfect and not a universal solution, Google has launched an alternative approach that illuminates the way to address many of the shortcomings that plague our current system. While the problems with education beyond high school are deep and many, three towering issues loom…

You, Your Human Digital Twin and the Higher Ed Metaverse

The concept of a higher ed metaverse is less about replicating the brick-and-mortar university and more about creating a unique reality immersing learners in experiences, creativity sandboxes and assessments that enable learning. The emergence of the metaverse in education has been in development for some two decades. Progress has been slow, in part because of…

Thank You

REQUEST MORE INFO Thank You! We have received your information and will be reaching out shortly! UPCEA is YOUR Community Who Are UPCEA Members? UPCEA members are leaders in online and professional continuing education and include deans, administrators, marketing professionals, program directors, instructional designers, directors, and more from universities and colleges large and small, including…

A Look into the Future through the Lens of the Winter Olympics

The Olympics was created to foster global peace through competition. It has, over the years, adapted to changes in societal interest and needs. While the original Olympics was held nearly 3,000 years ago, the modern games are just over a century old. During this relatively short period of time, the games have changed in many…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

21 of Top 25 Ranked Institutions are UPCEA Members WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 10, 2022) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in online and professional continuing education, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include more…

2022 Association Award Recipients Announced

UPCEA Announces 2022 Association Award Recipients

8 Individuals and 8 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, February 9, 2022 – UPCEA, the leader in online and professional continuing education, has announced the recipients of the 2022 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its…

2022 Annual Conference Onsite & UPCEA Reach Virtual Event

2022 UPCEA Annual Conference 2022 UPCEA Annual Conference REACH (virtual) Which event is right for you? 2022 UPCEA Annual Conference (In-person) April 11-14, 2022 Connections, collaboration, content. The UPCEA Annual Conference is the most significant assembly of thought leaders and practitioners today in the field of online and professional continuing education. Sessions focus on the…

Collaboration Is Key to Successful Alternative Credential Creation

A tsunami of alternative credentials is emerging to meet the shifting learning needs of those in the workforce. Higher education is looking beyond the dwindling market of 18-year-olds to lifelong, professional and continuing ed to sustain enrollments. One million fewer students are enrolled in higher education in the U.S. than before the pandemic began. As Nathan…

Department Begins Regulatory Re-write on Accountability Rules for Institutions, Secretary Cardona Makes Speech on Top Priorities | Policy Matters (January 2022)

Major Updates Biden-Harris Administration Takes Actions including $198M in Grants to Support Students’ Basic Needs and Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19 at Colleges and Universities “The Department announced that it will be inviting applications next week for a $198 million grant opportunity under the Supplemental Support under American Rescue Plan (SSARP) program to support colleges…

UPCEA Announces Leadership Teams for New Council for Credential Innovation and Alternative Credentials Network

UPCEA welcomes 31 leaders in alternative credentials to volunteer roles WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 26, 2022) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in online and professional continuing education, announced today the inaugural leadership team for the Council for Credential Innovation (CCI). The Council for Credential Innovation is composed of senior leaders charged with…

Agile in Higher Ed Marketing

The Agile methodology has been around for more than 20 years, spearheaded and most well-known in software development and tech circles. However, the Agile methodology and various frameworks can be applied to almost any discipline. At NC State Online, embracing Agile has completely transformed our marketing process and allowed us to take on more projects…

Leadership in the Time of the Great Resignation

Much has been written about the Great Resignation; it is a phenomenon of profound significance. As leaders we need to look at ourselves, our own practices and peer/employee relationships, to clearly see the path forward. Month after month, the number of “quits” across industries and fields, including higher ed, continue to set new records. Clearly,…

Outlook for 2022: 10 Trends to Consider for Professional, Continuing and Online (PCO) Education

In 2021, the higher education community was hoping for recovery and a return to some form of normalcy after the upheaval of 2020. That did not happen as the COVID-19 global pandemic continued to rage on throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world, creating uncertainty and instability, affecting both domestic and global markets.…

Council for Credential Innovation

Council for Credential Innovation The Council for Credential Innovation (CCI) is the body for senior leaders charged with driving non-degree credential strategy at the unit or campus level, and key thought leaders from other nonprofit organizations and companies that are actively contributing to the development of the alternative credential space. The Council and its leadership…

UPCEA and the University of Wisconsin–Madison to Partner on Distance Teaching & Learning (DT&L) Conferences

Partnership brings UPCEA’s experience in online leadership and administration to UW–Madison’s highly valued annual DT&L conferences. WASHINGTON, D.C. and MADISON, WI (Jan. 12, 2022) – The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison) announced today they will partner on UW–Madison’s annual Distance Teaching & Learning (DT&L) conferences in 2022…

Marketing and Enrollment Management

Marketing, Enrollment & Student Success Today’s online and professional continuing education leaders need marketing strategies and tactics to compete in a crowded marketplace and attract students seeking professional development, online learning and degree completion. UPCEA offers opportunities for marketing professionals to gain key skills in marketing, enrollment management, and student success (to stay current and…

Reasons Your Website Might Be Preventing Prospective Student Conversions

A lot of time and money are invested in your website and marketing tactics to drive traffic to your site. However, if conversions don’t follow, then you’re left wondering if you’re targeting the wrong audiences or if you need to invest more money. Fortunately, the answer is usually “no” – the real issue is often…

Artificial Intelligence to Assist, Tutor, Teach and Assess in Higher Ed

Higher ed has not been immune to the “Great Resignation.” Many universities have long lists of open positions. We are on the cusp of filling some of those openings and more with cost-efficient, reliable, and effective Artificial Intelligence (AI). Higher education already employs artificial intelligence in a number of effective ways. Course and facilities scheduling;…

Homepage Redesign 2022

Leaders in Professional, Continuing, and Online Education Choose UPCEA The association for the latest in serving adult higher education units at the leading universities and colleges across the field. Learn More Join us at the 2022 Annual Conference Orlando FL | April 11-14, 2022 Join us for engaging keynote speakers, high-energy concurrent sessions, and plentiful…

Growing ‘maze’ of education credentials is confusing consumers, employers (The Washington Post)

[…] There is, in fact, a “maze” of nearly a million unique education credentials in the United States, the nonprofit Credential Engine reports, including not only degrees but also badges, certificates, licenses, apprenticeships and industry certifications. More have popped up during the pandemic as career-switchers seek education and training. The result is confusion among employers…

Infrastructure Bill Passes + Build Back Better Act Gets Blocked | Policy Matters (December 2021)

Major Updates Infrastructure Bill Passes + Build Back Better Act Gets Blocked President Biden signed the Infrastructure Bill into law in the middle of November, with bipartisan support. The bill contained significant investments in broadband infrastructure and affordability, and ways in which institutions of higher education may receive grants for research or execution of climate…

Don’t miss these recent research studies from CRS

The Center for Research and Strategy has recently completed some exciting new research with a few of our corporate partners on different facets of today’s (and tomorrow’s) learners. While each of these efforts provide their own unique benefit, the suite of reports can be leveraged to better inform decision making for institutions moving forward. …

In Memoriam: Gregory Milton

A Program Planning and Implementation Network Tribute to Gregory Milton, Ph.D. It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Greg Milton passed away last week. Greg Milton, Ph.D., was our colleague and friend and PPI’s former Chair (2018). Greg was instrumental to PPI for many years and helped the Network grow…

Google Enters Higher Ed in a Big Way

Two years ago, Google announced that it was launching a career certificate program that would provide all of the essentials to start a new career. The Google Career Certificate programs have exploded on the scene with millions of enrollments and expansion to community colleges. With lightning speed by higher ed standards, Google has conceived and launched a…

The 5 ways colleges can reverse trend of students stopping out (University Business)

Senior administrators ranked persistence and retention as the No. 1 priority in supporting higher education students in a study conducted by American University and the Association of American Colleges and Universities this past spring. They understand well the challenges facing those who attend their institutions, including the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact. But there are a number of other…

The End of the “Traditional Students” as We Know Them

Demographics show that our society will become more diverse. Students in the future will not only be more diverse by nature, but also by situation. This might mean they have to balance work and family with education or that they have previously disengaged with a college. Over the past decade, colleges and universities struggled, yet…

Report: Who Stops Out of College and Why? (Inside Higher Ed)

Students who stop out of college are disproportionately women, low income and working students, according to a new study by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association and StraighterLine, an online education provider. […] Jim Fong, chief research officer and director of the Center for Research and Strategy at UPCEA, said students will be greatly disadvantaged if…

Report: Who Stops Out of College and Why? (Inside Higher Ed)

[…] Jim Fong, chief research officer and director of the Center for Research and Strategy at UPCEA, said students will be greatly disadvantaged if colleges fail to anticipate the hurdles that cause them to leave. “Given the pandemic and the evolution of a new economy, one that relies on automation and information, students will be…

What I Wish I Knew at the Time: Negotiating Agreements

In the summer of 2021, UPCEA surveyed Institutional Representatives (IRs) and Chief Online Learning Officers (COLOs) in order to understand the issues senior leaders were wrestling with at their institutions. One of the topics found in survey responses had to do with working with service providers and vendors. The Council for Chief Online Learning Officers…

Why Do Students Leave College Before Finishing? New Study Looks at Common Scenarios. (EdSurge)

When a student stops out of college before getting a degree, the college should act fast if it wants to get them back. That’s because there’s a correlation between how long a student has been disengaged and the likelihood that they’ll return. “As soon as a student drops out or stops out or disengages, the…

42% of stopped-out young adults cited financial reasons for leaving college, survey finds (Higher Ed Dive)

[…] For college administrators, reenrolling students starts with acknowledging that students are stopping out in the first place, said Jim Fong, founding director of UPCEA’s Center for Research and Strategy. “Colleges often don’t want to admit how many students leave school before graduating,” Fong said. “Institutions don’t want to tell the community, ‘Oh, we lost…

2021 UPCEA MEMS Award Recipients Announced

11 Recipients Chosen For Three Award Categories WASHINGTON, D.C., December 2, 2021 — UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2021 Crisis Management Marketing Award, 2021 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, and the new Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award. …

Tech Trends in Higher Ed: Metaverse, NFT and DAO

The next few years in higher education promise to herald a tech revolution. Delivery modes will be the most visible, but autonomous and related smart tech may be the most impactful. The pandemic has served to accelerate tech changes in higher education. Certainly, remote and the more refined online learning modes have been advanced through…

New Research Answers Question Every College Wants to Know: Why Do Students Leave and How Do We Get Them Back?

BALTIMORE, MD and WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 1, 2021) – UPCEA (University Professional and Continuing Education Association) and StraighterLine conducted a critical empirical research study profiling the disengaged learner to better understand their situations and motivations in relation to higher education. The study focused on individuals who have college credits but are no longer attending college…

UPCEA Welcomes 13 New Board Members

WASHINGTON, November 18, 2021 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce the election of four new officers and nine new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected earlier in November, these individuals will assume their roles at the…

Higher Ed from Static to Dynamic

The numbers paint a clear picture of change in demand for higher education. Still unclear is if colleges will adapt from static schools to dynamic institutions in time to survive and thrive. Businesses are accustomed to changes in the marketplace. The demographics of customers and clients change through time. Products and services are constantly under scrutiny to…

Our commitment to your safety

Dear Colleagues, We are looking forward to gathering with you in-person this spring for UPCEA’s Annual Conference and the Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R), April 11-14, 2022 in Orlando, FL, at Disney’s Coronado Springs. For many of us, the Annual Conference and SOLA+R will be the first in-person events since before…

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for UPCEA Mentorship Experience (UPlift)

UPlift: UPCEA Mentorship Experience FAQs Got questions? We’ve got answers! Back to UPlift Page Who can participate/register for the pilot program? Any UPCEA member. Check to see if your institution is a member. How do I become a mentor/mentee in the UPlift program? After attending the information session or watching the recording, members who are interested…

Apply now for free enrollment in January 2022 PCO Pro courses

I’m pleased to share with you a special offer for UPCEA members: a complimentary opportunity for you and your colleagues to join us for an UPCEA professional development course. Our professional development courses and certificates have been enthusiastically endorsed and highly rated by participants. Students have appreciated the opportunity to learn from leaders in the…

UPlift – UPCEA Mentorship

Professional and Continuing Education

Professional & Continuing Education Since its inception in 1915, UPCEA has focused on the work of professional and continuing education administrators who advance their institution’s mission by providing access and opportunities for students of all ages. Today, that work is more important than ever, with a focus on today’s adult learner and on developing new…

Online Leadership and Administration

Leadership in Online Learning UPCEA is dedicated to advancing quality online learning at postsecondary institutions and is uniquely focused on excellence at the highest levels-leadership, administration, strategy. Learn from the experts as you network with our engaged community from leading universities who steward the online enterprise at their institutions. UPCEA provides resources for online leaders…

Higher Education’s Role in the Era of the Great Resignation

The numbers are startling. In the wake of deadly Covid infections, quarantines, and isolation, nearly three percent of the entire U.S. workforce resigned in the month of August alone. What is higher ed’s role re-shaping careers and lives? Hidden behind the hundreds of thousands of deaths in the U.S., the failure of thousands of businesses, the pervasive…

Build Back Better Act Gets Pared Down | Policy Matters (October 2021)

Major Updates Build Back Better Act Gets Pared Down President Biden and Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending bill has been pared down to $1.75 trillion in light of a lack of full Democratic party support for the larger amount, and no Republican votes expected. The bill retained measures to significantly fund climate change initiatives and other…

In the Eye of the Storm

A common fact about hurricanes is that the greatest disruption and damage is caused when the storm enters an area and then departs it. A subtle calm is experienced as the eye of the hurricane often pauses over an area to sometimes gain strength. Higher education may be experiencing an eye of the hurricane scenario.…

Is the Metaverse Finally Emerging?

The Web is constantly evolving. Emerging now is a more immersive 3D environment that features augmented reality (AU), virtual reality (VR), and persistent connections. It is called the “Metaverse,” and it may transform online learning. Coming out of science fiction is the vision of a three-dimensional Web in which we all are connected virtually, wherever…

No Return to ‘Normal’

The placid ivy-covered walls and calm quad will remain when COVID is vanquished, but the university will never be the same. We are forever changed — by the disease and by the advance of technology and competition in this, the fourth industrial revolution. It has been said that you could walk into a classroom at…

UPCEA Announces 2021 Regional Award Recipients

17 Individuals and 21 Programs Honored Across 5 Regions WASHINGTON, September 29, 2021 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2021 Regional Awards. Each of UPCEA’s five Regions recognizes both individual and institutional achievement of the UPCEA members within the Region. Award recipients will be honored…

UPCEA Launches Alternative Credentials Community to Advance Quality Standards, Policy, Best Practices

Dedicated resources include benchmarking research, peer learnings and networking via new Council for Credential Innovation and Alternative Credentials Network WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 27, 2021 — The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) today launched its Council for Credential Innovation and Alternative Credentials Network, providing dedicated resources to advance quality standards, policy and…

Data Privacy Regulations Set to Impact Higher Education Marketing and Enrollment

For 25 years, the collection and trading of financial, social, personal, and location data via digital means has been a booming, multi-billion-dollar business. Web cookies and other tracking technologies, such as personal identifiable information (PII), have basically followed digital users almost everywhere they went, and they rarely had much control over what was collected and…

UPCEA Seeks Part-Time Data Analyst to Join Center for Research and Strategy Team

UPCEA is currently seeking a part-time Data Analyst for a fully remote position with our Center for Research and Strategy team. The Data Analyst is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and transforming data into actionable insights on various projects for UPCEA. Role responsibilities include identifying, gathering, and analyzing data to produce understandable and insightful figures and…

Higher Ed: Short Term & Long Term

We are witnessing the remaking of higher education. Strategies for mainstream colleges and universities must change from the short term to the long term as large-scale collaboratives and huge corporations enter the field. The pandemic has accelerated trends that were already established in the past decade. Over the prior centuries, universities competed for students with…

Alternative Credentials Network

Alternative Credentials Network The mission of the Alternative Credentials Network is to share best practices and emerging trends related to non-degree or non-credit credentials, sometimes considered alternative credentials by postsecondary leaders. This is done through the exchange of ideas, programs, services, and initiatives that expand member knowledge regarding new, innovative, and entrepreneurial programs to serve…

Innovative and Non-Degree Credentials

Credential Innovation Developing and offering innovative and non-degree credentials (certificates, micro-credentials, digital badges and noncredit programs) has become a new priority in online and professional continuing education. Leaders charged with with entrepreneurial initiatives, stakeholder engagement, faculty and learner experiences, digital technology and more have a professional home in UPCEA. UPCEA is leading the way with…

Homepage Template

Leaders in Professional, Continuing, and Online Education Choose UPCEA The association for the latest in serving adult higher education units at the leading universities and colleges across the field. Learn More Join us at the 2022 Annual Conference Orlando FL | April 11-14, 2022 Learn More Why Join UPCEA? The growth of the adult…

Three Ways to Improve Communication and Increase Student Engagement

It’s no secret that COVID-19 disrupted higher education. Overnight, students and instructors shifted from traditional, face-to-face instruction to a fully-virtual model. Student retention was already top-of-mind for college and university administrators. But this sudden shift made the challenge of keeping students engaged even more difficult. A return to traditional, in-person learning is imminent. But…

Investing in Future Talent: Results of Staffing Needs Snap Poll

With society adapting to a second year of the pandemic, institutions of higher education struggle to find a place of strength in a quickly transforming economy. For obvious reasons, many colleges and universities are banking on a full recovery of demand for undergraduate and graduate degrees and the robustness of the campus experience. Those that…

Infrastructure Package Passes Senate + $3.5 Trillion “New Deal” Budget Passes House of Representatives | Policy Matters (August 2021)

Major Updates Infrastructure Package Passes Senate + “New Deal” Budget Passes House of Representatives The bipartisan infrastructure package passed the Senate, 69-30, providing a major upgrade to American transportation, broadband investment, water systems, and more, totaling $1 trillion. The legislation includes $14 billion to provide financial assistance to eligible households, including students who receive a…

Reflections on trends in student success

While many of our colleagues across the country are in the throes of fall orientation, the first weeks of classes, and maybe even a little bit of college football, those of us on the quarter system have well over a month until our fall courses start. And if I’m being honest, I’m still knee deep…

UPCEA Announces 2021 Diversity in Leadership Scholars

UPCEA is pleased to announce the 2021 cohort of Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars. We look forward to these eight individuals joining our learning community as they pursue the courses in their chosen certificate program. Representative and diverse leadership is a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. The goal of…

Demise of the Baccalaureate Degree

Overpriced, outdated and no longer required by an increasing number of employers; is the baccalaureate in a death spiral? Enrollments at American colleges and universities have been on a decade-long skid. This past year, enrollments dropped by 600,000 or 3.5%. While some of those drops may have been prompted by the pandemic, the trend is clear; fewer…

Alternative credentials in higher education have a champion (EdScoop)

A leading higher education association is setting its sights on alternative credentials, on Tuesday launching two new groups to simplify the process for institutions looking to implement more short-term programs. The University for Professional and Continuing Education Association announced a council, composed of campus leadership drawn from its more than 400 member institutions, to lead…

UPCEA Establishes Hub for Credential Innovation with New Council for Credential Innovation and Alternative Credentials Network

Dedicated community will deliver strategic and practical guidance for postsecondary professionals involved in the design, development, and delivery of alternative credentials, intended to align higher education programming with the needs of learners and the labor market. WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 24, 2021) – Alternative and non-degree credentials continue to gain relevance and traction with students…

Trends in the Near Term and an Emerging Concern for Higher Ed

We have experienced dramatic changes in the past year and a half as Covid disrupted our campuses, classes, research and services. What can we expect in the coming academic year? Turmoil persists as we approach the opening of the fall term. With only a couple of weeks to go, we are experiencing a massive new surge…

UPCEA Seeks Nominations for 2022 Leadership Positions

The UPCEA Governance and Nominations Committee invites nominations for the following positions: Board positions: Board President-Elect 2022-2023, serving as the Board President in 2023-2024 Secretary-Treasurer, 2022-2024 Network Senate Chair, 2022-2024 Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee Co-Chair (2022-2024) Board Director At-Large (7), 2022-2024 Non-Board Positions: Finance Committee members (2), 2022-2023 Diversity & Inclusive Excellence Committee members…

The Dark Shadow of COVID: Mental Health Impact Persists

In recent months, more and more campuses have announced they will reopen, but the dark shadow of mental health issues will extend into the fall semester and beyond. We are now experiencing a rise in COVID cases around the country, but hope persists that science will eventually be successful in quelling this deadly virus. However,…

Falling Gracefully Into Fall Semester

August is fast-approaching. We look in the rearview and wonder, “Where did summer go?”. We start bringing ourselves to terms with the reality that the lofty project list we created at the start of summer is going to end the season with some (and maybe many) boxes left unchecked. This transitionary time from summer to…

Online Leaders Choose UPCEA

Leaders in Online Education Trust UPCEA Join Us UPCEA Membership Benefits Dedicated to advancing quality online and professional continuing education at postsecondary institutions, UPCEA is uniquely focused on excellence at the highest levels – leadership, administration, strategy and vision – applying a macro lens to the online teaching and learning enterprise. Take your seat on…

92% of Higher Education Leaders Say Microcredentials Support Institutional Competitiveness

New study from UPCEA and Modern Campus highlights the opportunity for colleges and universities to improve enrollments and student workforce readiness TORONTO and WASHINGTON, D.C., July 20, 2021 — Higher education leaders across North America are citing the value of alternative and microcredentials to support competitiveness and enrollment growth, according to a survey conducted by…

[Snap Poll Results] Retention and Persistence

It is clear that higher education will face a number of challenges over the next decade as the pandemic has accelerated a number of technological, societal and economic trends. Further complicating the matters for institutions of higher education in the U.S. is the fact that demographic trends show an upcoming decade of declining traditional students.…

Academic Cheating: Are We Asking the Right Questions?

In recent months we have frequently seen reports of cheating among students at colleges, universities and even military academies. Is this entirely the fault of students or are faculty contributing to the problem by emphasizing rote memory of facts, figures and formulas? The popular press seems to attribute an apparent rise in academic cheating to…

Exhibiting at 2021 UPCEA MEMS

Exhibiting and Sponsorship 2021 UPCEA MEMS Marketing. Enrollment Management. Student Success Virtual Exhibit Package $1,500 / $4,500 | Member / Non-Member • Three (3) registered conference attendees are included with a virtual booth – additional registrations can be purchased at the current member/exhibitor rate • Pre- and post-attendee lists included (emails and phone numbers not…

Negotiated Rulemaking Kicks Off | Policy Matters (June 2021)

Major Updates Negotiated Rulemaking Kicks Off “Commenters at the public hearing addressed topics related to federal student aid, including Public Service Loan Forgiveness, widespread debt cancellation and the responsibility of for-profit institutions. The Department of Education began its negotiated rule-making process Monday (June 21) by holding the first of three days of public hearings, with…

[Study Results] Non-Credit to Credit Pathways

Our recent study on non-credit to credit pathways, sponsored by MindEdge, revealed that while institutions recognize the value of these pathways, most colleges and universities have not yet implemented these routes to a degree. These pathways are prescribed avenues that translate non-credit achievements into credit toward a degree. Non-credit to credit pathways ensure that each…

The Benefits of Higher-Order Multiple-Choice Tests (Inside Higher Ed)

In an excellent column, Ray Schroeder, senior fellow for the Association of Leaders in Online and Professional Education, laments the tendency for many instructors to rely on text-specific test banks as source material for student assessment. Not only are these inquiries susceptible to cheating, he says, they assess lower-order, nonlocalized and therefore less relevant knowledge like…

Announcing the Council for Chief Online Learning Officers (C-COLO)! The body for senior leaders charged with driving online strategy at the unit or campus level

UPCEA Announces New Leadership and Name for Chief Online Learning Officer Group

Council for Chief Online Learning Officers (C-COLO) is the body for senior leaders charged with driving online strategy at the unit or campus level WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 23, 2021) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, announced today that its body for chief online learning officers is…

Rising Threat of Ransomware and Other Malware

The major threats to operations in higher education in past years were funding shortfalls, natural disasters and dropping enrollments. Now, criminal cyberactivity has risen to a top concern. This is a red-alert crisis for all of us: students, faculty, staff and institutions as a whole. The rising extortion of money from government and business entities…

Is the Future of Higher Education a Subscription Model? (MarketScale)

Online learning was steadily growing pre-pandemic. Then it reached a considerable acceleration, but universities are taking a new look at their model to continue gaining new students and remaining solvent. The answer could be subscription-based learning. Discussing this topic and more, Voices of eLearning host JW Marshall spoke with Ray Schroeder, Associate Vice-Chancellor, University of…

UPCEA - The Online & Professional Education Association

C-COLO Leadership

C-COLO Leadership The Council for Chief Online Learning Officers (C-COLO) and its members are focused on leveraging the strategic potential of online learning to transform institutions of higher education and society. Each UPCEA member institution has the opportunity to identify a chief online learning officer-the primary leader for an online, digital, or other technology-enhanced postsecondary…

Program Planning and Implementation Network

Program Planning and Implementation Network The Program Planning & Implementation Network (PPI) provides a forum for members to share and explore program management best practices and innovations in credit and non-credit programming. The Network supports the professional development needs of program coordinators, managers, and directors and the similar competencies necessary to be successful professional, continuing,…

Online Administration Network

Online Administration Network The Online Administration Network (OA) serves as a bridge between the administrative functions of online learning (marketing, online student services, program development, etc.) and the design of online learning. Participation in the OA Network provides access to authentic institutional online operational models, best practice trends in online management, professional analysis of learning design…

Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Network

Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Network The Marketing, Enrollment and Student Success Network (MESS) engages members in actively building the competencies, skills, and confidence needed by today’s professionals to successfully attract and retain students in an ever-changing and increasingly competitive adult, professional, continuing, and online education marketplace. The Network focuses both on powerful fundamentals and…

International Network

International Network Local, state and national governments and industries are actively seeking international partners to expand markets and workforces that help address components of the global economy. Educational institutions are embracing the need for global competencies, are incorporating international concepts into the curriculum, are continuing to develop satellite campuses and are actively pursuing international students,…

eDesign Collaborative Network

eDesign Collaborative Network The UPCEA eDesign Collaborative (eDC) Network, serves higher education instructional design teams (instructional designers, multimedia developers and team administrators) in higher education seeking networking and professional development. Participation in the eDesign Collaborative Network provides access to a community of professionals who are interested in best practices for online course creation. The UPCEA…

Community and Economic Engagement Network

Community and Economic Engagement Network The Community and Economic Engagement Network’s (CEE) core mission is to support network members in promoting new and innovative, internal, and external collaborations to help advance local and regional communities and economies and extend the reach of campus communities. The network represents university outreach and engagement, inclusive of community, economic, and workforce…

Exhibiting at 2021 UPCEA Regions Week

Exhibiting and Sponsorship Virtual Exhibit Package Virtual event platform and conference is open October 19-21 $1,500 / $4,500 | Member / Non-Member • UPCEA corporate members may have as many registered conference attendees as needed. Three (3) registered conference attendees are included for non-corporate members • Pre- and post-attendee lists included (emails and phone numbers…

Networking Gets Graduates and Certificate Completers Hired

There is an appropriate emphasis on relevant knowledge and skill development for degree and certificate students — that’s what gets employees retained and promoted. Professional contacts and networking are often what get them hired. It was Jerod Kintz who wrote, “It’s not who you know that matters — it’s who knows you that’s important. Personal branding…

Weigh In: Public Input Sought by US Dept of Education on Multiple Issues | Policy Matters (May 2021)

Major Updates Department of Education Announces Rulemaking and Public Input Period on Multiple Issues The Biden Administration is moving to leave their mark on higher education, and the first round of regulatory items it is looking at has been released. A public comment period will be followed by a negotiated rulemaking period, for which they will…

The Domino Effect: Pandemic Impacts to Higher Education that will Ultimately Reach PCO

For the past 15 months, colleges and universities have had a difficult time looking beyond the everyday issues on their campuses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Past predictions and forecasts are no longer relevant as a result. To financially survive the pandemic, colleges and universities had to quickly embrace and deploy different technologies,…

Copy of MEMBERSHIP V2

UPCEA Membership Leaders in online, professional and continuing education choose UPCEA. Become a Member UPCEA is YOUR Community Experts ♦ Colleagues ♦ Connections As an UPCEA member you will be part of a powerful group of over 10,000 colleagues, thought leaders and friends who truly “get” what it means to work in professional, continuing…

A Second Demographic Cliff Adds to Urgency for Change

The demographic cliff we have been anticipating since the drop in births with the 2008 recession now has a younger sibling — the COVID-19 cliff is coming with another deep drop in recent births. One of the most common annual refrains I have heard in my decades on the faculty and in administration in higher…

MindEdge Learning and UPCEA Study: Academic Institutions See Value in Non-Credit to Credit Pathways

Nontraditional pathways are a big help to adult learners May 20, 2021 — North American colleges and universities are beginning to recognize the value of non-credit to credit pathways, according to new research by UPCEA (the University Professional and Continuing Education Association) in partnership with MindEdge Learning. But most of these institutions have yet to implement these…

73 Percent of Students Prefer Some Courses Be Fully Online Post-Pandemic (Campus Technology)

In a recent survey, nearly three-quarters of students — 73 percent — said they would prefer to take some of their courses fully online post-pandemic. However, only half of faculty (53 percent) felt the same about teaching online. The fourth and final installment of Cengage‘s Digital Learning Pulse Survey, conducted by Bay View Analytics on behalf of the Online Learning…

[Snap Poll Results] Outsourcing and PCO Units

As the U.S. economy shows signs of emerging from the pandemic, colleges and universities are making decisions about the fall. Professional, continuing and online (PCO) education units also need to make decisions about new programs they were planning to launch pre-pandemic, systems they had budgeted for upgrade, and staffing that they may have postponed. It…

What Ed Tech Could Be Today’s Antikythera Mechanism?

The Antikythera mechanism is an astounding device dating to antiquity. It has been hailed as the first mechanical computer, but more precisely it is an educational device. Let me begin by admitting my lifelong inability to sleep through the night. And, while I am at it, I may as well admit that for the past…

UPCEA Recognizes University of Phoenix for Excellence in Online Learning

University of Phoenix receives recognition for a high-quality online education program WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 6, 2021) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, announced today that the University of Phoenix successfully completed the UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program, demonstrating consistent excellence throughout…

Evaluating Online Teaching: Interviewing Instructors with 10+ Years Experience

We have been discussing online learning efficacy since its inception, with conversations and research focusing on factors such as student outcomes, pedagogy, student support, and community building in online courses and programs. All of these areas of focus are important, as they can point to best practices when designing, developing, and implementing online education. However,…

Biden Administration Introduces FY 2022 Discretionary Budget, American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan | Policy Matters (April 2021)

Major Updates Biden Administration Introduces FY 2022 Discretionary Budget, American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan Over the past month, on the heels of passing the American Rescue Plan, we have now been provided with the Biden Administration’s outlay for the second and third stages of its “build back better” vision, in addition to the…

Survey: College Students More Likely than Instructors to Give Pandemic Learning an “A” Grade and Prefer Some Courses be Fully Online Post-Pandemic

The Fourth Digital Learning Pulse Survey, Conducted by Bay View Analytics on Behalf of Cengage and Online Learning Partners, Evaluates How Higher Education is Changing in the Wake of COVID-19 BOSTON—April 28, 2021 —The higher education industry navigated many challenges over the last year, including the transition to online learning. As students, faculty and…

It’s Time for Open Educational Resources

Learning before the 21st century was mostly about accessing and retaining theories, facts and figures; now it is mostly about applying theories, facts and figures in creative and critical ways to solve problems and advance society. Increasingly, higher education is less about memorization and more about problem solving. In years gone by, access to facts…

The future of revenue diversification in higher education: Crucial insights for universities in a post-pandemic world

Financial sustainability is the biggest existential threat facing higher education today. In the United Kingdom, the universities in deficit have almost quintupled in the last five years, from 24 in 2015/16 to 119 in 2018/19. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this challenge, with London Economics predicting that universities will be hit by a $3bn shortfall…

Global Digital Badges Market (2021 to 2026) – Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (Yahoo!Finance)

Dublin, April 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “Digital Badges Market – Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 – 2026)” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. The digital badges market is expected to register a CAGR of 22.5% during the forecast period (2021 – 2026). A Digital Badge signifies the accomplishments or skills for its holder and…

Special for UPCEA members: Free PCO Pro course enrollment

I’m pleased to inform you of a special offer for our institutional members, in thanks for your loyalty and commitment to UPCEA during the pandemic. Our new professional development courses and certificates have been enthusiastically endorsed by participants. Students have appreciated the opportunity to learn from leaders in the profession, network with colleagues across…

Collaborative Online Relationships (CORe)

UPCEA Members Your peer network just got bigger! Connect with over 15,000 of your peers – in real time! Join the Discussion CORe is Your Community Platform A place for knowledge exchange, idea incubation, professional networking, and more! Collaborative Online Relationships (CORe) is a unique community platform where over 15,000 UPCEA members connect with each other for…

The Top 7 Ways to Recruit Professional and Continuing Education Students for Higher Education

Your future continuing education students already exist — researching and searching for your programs right now. So how can you effectively tap into the continuing education market and recruit new students for your programs? Who are your future students? According to research from Thinking Cap Agency, professional certification students are an average of 31 years…

Tune in: MindMax launches podcast on higher education

What has changed for you in the last year? For the team at MindMax, almost everything has. Since March 2020, our company has shifted to an entirely remote workforce, helped our university partners pivot their marketing and enrollment strategies to meet the evolving needs of their current and future students, and overall, we’ve spent…

Nearly Half of Faculty Say Pandemic Changes to Teaching Are Here to Stay (Campus Technology)

In a recent survey, the majority of faculty (71 percent) reported that their teaching in Fall 2020 was “very different” or included a “number of changes” compared to pre-pandemic times. And almost half (47 percent) felt those changes would remain in place post-pandemic. That’s according to Cengage‘s third Digital Learning Pulse Survey, conducted by Bay View Analytics in partnership…

Policy Matters | American Rescue Plan Act Passes – Includes Significant Relief Dollars to Higher Education (March 2021)

Major Updates American Rescue Plan Act Passes – Includes Significant Relief Dollars to Higher Education The most recent COVID relief bill, one of America’s largest in terms of dollars spent ($1.9 trillion), and Joe Biden’s first major legislation as President, provided a marked increase in funding to colleges and universities compared to previous bills. While…

Plan to join us in-person for 2022 events!

I’m pleased to share with you some exciting news: UPCEA’s industry-leading events will be back live and in-person in April 2022! Even better, we are combining the Annual Conference and the Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R), hosting both events in Orlando, FL, at Disney’s Coronado Springs April 11-14, 2022. For the…

Our New Digital Colleagues and Friends

There is an intriguing anthropomorphic trend underway to apply human attributes and attitudes to artificial intelligence-driven chat bots and assorted personal assistant tools. This is not unique in the history of humans. We tend to assign human attributes and names to tools and conveyances. We all have known over the years individuals who given their…

Survey: About Half of Faculty are More Positive About Online Learning Today Than Pre-Pandemic, And Expect to Keep New Teaching Techniques and Digital Materials in Place Post-Pandemic

The Third Digital Learning Pulse Survey, Conducted by Bay View Analytics on Behalf of OLC, WCET, UPCEA, CDLRA and Cengage, Looks at How Higher Education is Changing in the Wake of COVID-19 March 24, 2021—As the pandemic has moved U.S. higher education online, half of faculty (51 percent) are more positive about online learning today…

[Snap Poll Results] In Pandemic Higher Ed, PCO Gets the Playing Time It Deserves

My world before the pandemic included going to sporting events, and trying my hand at fantasy football and baseball leagues. These activities fed my inner stats nerd. During the pandemic, however, I found that what I had previously found so important to me and my mental health may not be as essential as I thought. …

Business & Operations Network

Business & Operations Network The mission of the Business and Operations Network is to share best practices and emerging trends related to the business and operations as well the strategic imperatives of professional, continuing, and online (PCO) units at post-secondary institutions. We do this through the exchange of intellectual resources and expertise specific to work…

Higher Ed’s Future at the Intersection of Learners and Employers

The future of higher education is bridging the gap between the expectations of learners and the needs of employers. Fewer students started or returned to college last fall — numbers were down half a million below 2019. In understanding those numbers, we should remember that enrollments have dropped each of the past 10 years. Prospective students…

UPCEA Announces 2021 Association Award Recipients

7 Individuals Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, March 2, 2021 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2021 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its members’…

Exhibitors at 2021 UPCEA Annual Conference

Exhibitors at 2021 UPCEA Annual Conference 2021 UPCEA Annual Conference April 7 – 9, 2021

Policy Matters – American Rescue Plan Moves Through Congress, Towards President’s Desk (February 2021)

Major Updates American Rescue Plan Moves Through Congress, Towards President’s Desk The fifth major Coronavirus relief bill and the first for President Biden, the American Rescue Plan is moving through Congress. Democrats have decided to use the budget reconciliation process, a parliamentary maneuver with a lower vote threshold for passing bills in the Senate. This…

Time for Reinvention, Not Just Replication or Revision

With enrollments falling, college budgets under strain and employers dissatisfied with the relevance of graduates’ learning, now is a time for more than replication or revision — it is time for reinvention. We are at the confluence of massive economic, technologic and social changes that demand higher education do more than small fixes. We will not…

The Romance of Higher Education

Higher education and romance have a lot in common. Both can be long- or short-term. Short-term relationships may be low risk and could be analogous to earning a badge, watching a training video, or participating in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). It’s a date with an education provider or a content creator. On the…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

23 of 27 Institutions Ranked in Top 25 are UPCEA Members WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 8, 2021) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S.…

[Webinar Recording] Vision21: Key Predictions that Higher Education Can’t Afford to Ignore

Originally held Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 1:00 PM ET In the midst of profound disruption rendered by the 2020 pandemic, agility, creativity, and acumen will serve as key strategic underpinnings for higher education in 2021. Institutions will need to look beyond 2020’s short-term solutions to more proactive approaches stemming from social, technological, curriculum, financial, and…

2021 Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar to be held virtually

Exciting news — the Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar will again be held virtually in 2021. The 2020 Seminar was a great success, with many first-time attendees among the more than 1,250 registrants. We heard clearly from UPCEA members like you that institutional budget and travel restrictions would severely limit access to in-person events for…

Policy Matters | DeVos Resigns Due to Violent Attack on U.S. Capitol; Joe Biden Assumes Presidency, Extends COVID Student Loan Relief Day One (January 2021)

Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos resigned, stating that she believed Donald Trump’s rhetoric led to the violence of that day. Weeks later, thousands of troops are still quartering in the Capitol complex for the first time since the Civil War. Congress and the new…

2021 Regional Conferences to be Virtual, Free for Members

I’m pleased to share with you that UPCEA’s 2021 Regional Conferences this fall will again be completely virtual AND free of charge to our members! I invite you and your teams to connect, network, share and learn with us online in fall 2021. Until then, session recordings, slides, and other materials from the 2020 Regional…

Zoom Fatigue: What We Have Learned

Zoom (and other videoconferencing) fatigue was recognized early in the remote learning efforts of 2020. It is real. We have learned much about the cause and some about how to avoid the symptoms that impair communication and learning. Early in the remote learning efforts of the spring semester last year, we found that many faculty…

Exhibitors at 2021 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R)

Exhibitors at 2021 UPCEA Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R) 2021 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R) February 2 – 4, 2021

Copy of MEMBERSHIP

Membership Leaders in online, professional and continuing education choose UPCEA. Become a Member Membership Types View UPCEA Member List Membership Renewal Already a Member? UPCEA Is YOUR Community As an UPCEA member you will be part of a powerful group of over 10,000 colleagues, thought leaders and friends who truly “get” what it means…

[Webinar Recording] Beyond Self-Care – Mental Health in Times of COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic placed enormous stress on all aspects of the educational system. Technological and human resources were required to adopt at lighting speed in order to maintain continuity of delivery. One aspect that was especially stressed and often overlooked was the mental health and well-being of all participants, administrators, faculty, and students alike. This…

A 2021 Outlook for Professional, Continuing and Online Education

At the turn of the Millennium, institutions of higher education placed all of their chips on red by modernizing dorms, integrating technology into the classroom, digitizing their libraries, building out campus WiFi, and adding amenities such as state-of-the-art fitness centers and progressive dining halls. Many built dorms with greater perks and luxuries. Once the competition…

Policy Matters | New COVID Relief Bill Passes with Higher Education Support; Biden Picks Secretary of Education Nominee (December 2020)

Major Updates New COVID Relief Bill Passes with $23B Emergency Support for Higher Education; Includes Broadband Support, FAFSA Simplification and Federal Aid Eligibility for Incarcerated Students Following months of inaction, Congress has passed a massive COVID relief package, attached to the spending bill which averted a government shutdown. While UPCEA and others have argued that the…

Mental Health Epidemic: Dark Shadow of the COVID Pandemic

As we prepare to launch another semester mostly online, we are facing what may be the most severe mental health crisis in the history of American education. The next three months promise to bring the most dangerous and stressful period in American medicine. Born of chilling student social and physical isolation off campus; faculty and…

Corporate Opportunities with UPCEA

Access. Brand exposure. Collaboration. Helping you build relationships with today’s higher education leaders. At UPCEA we value our corporate members and partners who provide the products, services and solutions that are shaping the future of online and digital education. Your offerings are essential to the success of our members as they grow their online presence…

Exhibiting at 2021 UPCEA Annual Conference

Exhibiting and Sponsorship 2021 UPCEA Annual Conference This year’s Annual Conference is virtual, but the benefits are real. It’s a new experience built on our tradition of value and quality! Join hundreds of UPCEA members and introduce them to your products, services and solutions. Let UPCEA connect you with the top online higher education professionals…

2020 UPCEA Marketing and Enrollment Award Recipients Announced

20 Recipients Chosen For Special 2020 Awards WASHINGTON, D.C., December 7, 2020 — UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award and the 2020 UPCEA Crisis Management Marketing Award. In light of the challenges facing UPCEA members, who are leading their institutions…

Teaching Online in the COVID Crisis: What We Have Learned

As we prepare to launch another semester mostly online, we are better informed than we were in the spring and fall semesters. From experiences with rapidly applied pedagogies to better understanding of how our students’ radically altered lives impact their learning, we must adapt. This past spring semester marked a heroic response to the coronavirus…

The Lego™ Generation, Stackable Credentials and the New Economy

With Covid-19 vaccines on the horizon and lockdowns and more preventive measures emerging, the world has hope despite a rising number of cases in the U.S. and in other countries. What is clear is that global economies will never be the same. Until the pandemic and the virus are controlled, economies are not likely to…

Policy Matters | Joe Biden is President Elect – What Does that Mean for Higher Education Policy? (November 2020)

Major Updates Joe Biden is President Elect – What Does that Mean for Higher Education Policy? President-Elect Joe Biden will become the next President of the United States of America in January, so what does that mean for our field? For one, Jill Biden (who some of you will remember was a Keynote Speaker at…

The Speedy Future of Delivering Online Learning: 5G-10G Confusion and Potential

As we continue to advance online services to distant students, bandwidth becomes ever more important. Virtual laboratories are beginning to take advantage of virtual reality, augmented reality and an assortment of associated technologies that rely on highly sophisticated networking. This past spring semester marked a massive response to the coronavirus that prompted a change in…

Exhibitors at 2020 Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar

Exhibitors at 2020 UPCEA Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar (MEMS) 2020 Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar December 2 – 4, 2020

Aligning and Embedding Industry Certifications with Bachelor’s Degrees

Improved career outcomes for students―including higher salaries, improved rates of hire, and faster promotion tracks―are the ultimate goal of this initiative. Along with its partners APLU, USU, and Workcred, UPCEA brought together universities and certification bodies from across the nation to identify opportunities to embed certifications into undergraduate degree programs in the growing fields of…

Will 2022 Bring a Return to ‘Normal’ After Mostly Online 2021 Semesters?

Many colleges are closing their campuses after Thanksgiving and moving online. Spring terms will be delayed, break canceled, and online strategies remain at the forefront of delivery modes for the rest of 2021. What lies ahead? The delivery of higher education abruptly changed with spring break 2020. After a rushed move to remote learning, classes…

Policy Matters | U.S. Department of Education Provides Updated FAQs for CARES Act Funds (October 2020)

Major Updates U.S. Department of Education Provides Updated FAQs for CARES Act Funds Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education released updated FAQs around the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) allocations. This included clarifications that it would not take enforcement measures against universities who issued funds to students who were not…

Inter-Institutional Sharing of Courses Online

A series of events has converged to put new impetus behind sharing courses online. The COVID-19 pandemic, rapid deployment of remote learning, growth of MOOCs and mounting financial pressure on colleges and universities have combined to open minds on this topic. Make no mistake, higher education is under siege around the world. It is not…

Cannabis Can Be Confusing!

Cannabis can be confusing, but its emergence in our society is undeniable. Is cannabis a therapeutic or a recreational drug? Is it legal or illegal? Is it a fad or is it here to stay? What role can higher education play in answering these questions, as well as educating the workforce on the science, policy…

UPCEA Announces Online Leadership Roundtable Advisory Council Changes

WASHINGTON, October 22, 2020 — UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, announced changes this month to its Online Leadership Roundtable Advisory Council. The Online Leadership Roundtable (OLR) is the body for senior leaders charged with driving online strategy at the unit or campus level.…

People & Programs: New Online Graduate Certificate Programs Create ‘Stackable’ Pathway to University of Texas at Austin Master’s Degree

The Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has launched a new program allowing learners to pursue career-focused course bundles that can be applied as academic credit toward a graduate degree. Starting with two 100% online graduate certificates — a Mechanical Engineering Controls Certificate and a Petroleum Engineering Data Analytics Certificate —…

We Are Underestimating Artificial Intelligence and BCI

We are planning for AI to help universities recruit, oversee adaptive learning and drive intelligent chat boxes, but there is much more ahead in the near future. Are we are underestimating the future of AI connected through a brain-computer interface in education? We all know that AI is already in place in our daily lives.…

Evolving the College Model to Meet Demands

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. As the Associate Vice Provost for Professional and Continuing Studies at the University of Delaware (UD), Dr. George Irvine has spent the last six months transitioning his division’s programs from in-person to wholly online due to the pandemic. He chaired a university-wide committee to…

UPCEA Supports New Community College Workforce Education Study

UPCEA is excited to be supporting a new study of community college workforce education, funded by Lumina Foundation and spearheaded by Opportunity America. Opportunity America and Lumina Foundation are partnering with Wilder Research to conduct this national study. What. The study aims to answer the following questions: How extensive is the workforce education offered…

Wellness and Mental Health in Online Learning

Worldwide, lives are stressed and strained by COVID-19. Nowhere is that more evident than in the lives of students, staff and faculty members engaged in the transformed role of online learning. As higher education adapts to teaching and learning at a distance, the workload and the learning load of adopting a new delivery mode is…

New to Teaching Online? Avoid Reinventing the Wheel: Interview Results From Experienced Online Instructors

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote education has become increasingly relevant for large numbers of instructors, students, and higher education professionals. Many have found remote teaching to be daunting, and have wondered how to provide equivalent learning opportunities to students without the face-to-face contact, as well as resources, offered in classroom settings. However, professionals in online…

Policy Matters | Are You, Your Students and Staff Registered to Vote? (September 2020)

Major Updates Are You, Your Students and Staff Registered to Vote? College campuses have played a unique role in both Census data collection as well as voting efforts this year, as students who may live on or near campus have been rapidly displaced or decided to move to other places as campuses closed or their…

Supporting Faculty and Staff in the Development of High Quality Online Experiences: Crowdsourced Resources for the 2020-2021 Academic Year

Earlier this summer, at the suggestion of Aaron Brower and Ryan Anderson of the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus, UPCEA led the crowdsourcing of resources to support higher quality remote teaching for the 2020-2021 academic year. The project was bold, audacious, and one that proved to be challenging for a host of reasons, mainly due…

College Faculty and Administrators Feel Prepared to Teach Online This Fall and Are Optimistic about the Future of Higher Education, According to New Survey

The Second Digital Learning Pulse Survey, Conducted by Bay View Analytics on Behalf of OLC, WCET, UPCEA, CDLRA and Cengage, Looks at the Needs of Higher Education Institutions in the Wake of COVID-19 September 22, 2020 — U.S. higher education faculty and administrators agree that they are prepared to teach online this fall, and while…

The New Adult Learner: Lessons Learned from Reality Television

When reality television exploded into our culture two decades ago, I will admit that I was hooked on Survivor. I enjoyed the principles of competition, teamwork, manipulation and human behavior as they apply in life and in the workplace. It was also about intergenerational and diverse communication in a semi-survival situation (although we know that…

Crowdsourced Resources for the 2020-2021 Academic Year

Crowdsourced Resources for the 2020-2021 Academic Year Supporting Faculty and Staff in the Development of High Quality Online Experiences Earlier this summer, at the suggestion of Aaron Brower and Ryan Anderson of the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus, UPCEA led the crowdsourcing of resources to support higher quality remote teaching for the 2020-2021 academic year.…

Hands-on Classes at a Distance and the Emerging Virtual Future

The rush to remote learning this year has prompted concern and a flurry of work-arounds to meet the needs of hands-on classes and curricula. As much of the curriculum has moved online, faculty members and instructional designers have adapted content delivery methods and modes to meet analogous learning outcomes through online media. This has required…

UPCEA Announces New Vice President of Finance & Administration

UPCEA is pleased to announce the hiring of Jessie Daniels, MBA, as the association’s new Vice President of Finance & Administration. Daniels, formerly of the University of Maine, joins the UPCEA staff as of September 15. As Vice President of Finance & Administration, Daniels is responsible for the overall management of financial, business and administrative…

Thoughts on Creating an Inclusive Environment in Online Classes

In preparing for the fall term, most colleges and universities are responding to the renewed public consciousness about equality, inclusiveness and fairness for all students. As we reflect on American history and, in particular, the history of our institutions of higher education, we see that in so many conscious and unconscious ways we have failed…

Policy Matters | Department of Ed Issues Final Rule on Distance Learning, “Regular and Substantive” and Competency-Based Education (August 2020)

Major Updates Department of Ed Issues Final Rule on Distance Learning, “Regular and Substantive” and Competency-Based Education On August 24th, following the comprehensive 2018-2019 Negotiated Rulemaking session and the additional public comments from organizations such as UPCEA and its partners in the National Council for Online Education on the proposed regulations this past spring, the…

UPCEA Announces Diversity in Leadership Scholars

UPCEA is pleased to announce the inaugural and 2020 cohort of Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars. These 13 individuals are leading this new initiative on behalf of our profession. Representative and diverse leadership is a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. The goal of the Diversity Scholars program is to…

Exhibitors at 2020 Virtually Together: Regional Conferences

Exhibitors at Virtually Together: 2020 UPCEA Regional Conference Series Check out the exhibitors you’ll find in our Expo Hall during the regional conferences this fall! Interested in exhibiting or sponsoring our events? Click here and learn more. Access each of the regional conference websites below: 2020 Central Region Conference September 30 – October 2, 2020…

Exhibiting at 2021 SOLA+R Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable

Exhibiting and Sponsorship Spotlight Package $1,500 / $4,500 | Member / Non-Member • Pre- and post-attendee list (emails and phone numbers not included) • Three (3) full conference registrations included with exhibit – additional registrations can be purchased at the current member/exhibitor rate • Listing in virtual exhibit hall ○ Featured company logo ○ Link…

Exhibiting at 2020 Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar

Exhibiting and Sponsorship Spotlight Package $1,500 / $4,500 | Member / Non-Member • Pre- and post-attendee list (emails and phone numbers not included) • Two (2) full conference registrations included with exhibit – additional registrations can be purchased at the current member/exhibitor rate • Listing in virtual exhibit hall ○ Featured company logo ○ Link…

Many Are Reacting, but Who Is Visioning the Future?

As we prepare for the fall term, most colleges and universities are reacting to the evolving pandemic, responding to changing conditions. But who is creating a vision for the future? These COVID-19 times are disrupting our lives, our work and our learning. They lead us into a transactional role in shifting circumstances. The pandemic takes…

Beware Higher Education: Cancel Culture and Generation Z are Here to Stay

Generation Z, those ages 8 to 23, are 67 million strong and represent one in five U.S. residents.[i] Those approximately 14 to 23, the iGeneration, are a powerful and influential group and constitute more than half of Gen Z. iGen recently disrupted President Trump’s Tulsa rally through the use of TikTok. They, along with young…

Multiple Digital Learning Modes to Optimize Class

As many of us prepare for a digitally delivered fall term, we should consider the variety of options that can be employed in our classes, enabling flexibility and optimizing learning outcomes. These COVID-19 times are disrupting our lives, our work and our learning. They force us to find new ways to deliver our curriculum and…

Policy Matters | Trump Administration Reverses Course on Denying Student Visas — Later Blocks New International Students if Coursework is Fully Online (July 2020)

Trump Administration Reverses Course on Denying Student Visas — Later Blocks New International Students if Coursework is Fully Online Guidance first released July 6 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) restricted visas if an international student’s coursework was fully online in the fall, and requested that institutions notify them by July 15 if…

UPCEA Seeks VP of Finance & Administration

UPCEA is currently seeking a Vice President of Finance & Administration for a fully remote position. I am turning to the UPCEA community for help in filling this spot on our team at headquarters. If you know anyone in the finance and accounting areas of the non-profit or higher education sectors who might be interested…

UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence

UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence UPCEA is a diverse, inclusive organization supporting and welcoming individual and institutional diversity. We strive for diversity in membership and leadership, including representation from all types of institutions and individuals from all races, genders, and backgrounds. Our CommitmentUPCEA calls on all members and member institutions to assume personal…

Virtual Laboratories: Convergence of Learning and Career Practice

In the months of COVID-19 isolation, the gulf between college science labs and professional labs has narrowed; they both are converging in online practice. Academic virtual science labs have improved year by year as more and more learners seek to advance their education and careers through online learning. At the same time, professional laboratories have…

Universal Broadband: The Time Has Come

In the weeks of COVID-19 isolation, the disparity of access to the internet has become more obvious as school-age children and adult learners have been deprived access to education and livelihoods. It has been suggested that internet access in the 21st century is akin to access to the public utilities of water and electricity. It…

Exhibiting at 2020 Virtually Together: Regional Conferences

Exhibiting and Sponsorship Virtually Together: 2020 UPCEA Regional Conference Series The conferences are virtual, but the benefits are real. It’s a new experience built on our tradition of value and quality – exhibit at all five regions for one price! Join hundreds of UPCEA members and introduce them to your products, services and solutions. This…

Sponsor and Exhibitor Prospectus

Sponsorship and Exhibiting Prospectus Join hundreds of UPCEA members and connect them with your products, services and solutions. Our conferences and seminars are accessible to our 15,000+ members and beyond. Let UPCEA connect you with the top online and professional continuing higher education professionals from hundreds of colleges and universities. UPCEA has thousands of members…

Policy Matters | Many Regulations Taking Effect July 1 (June 2020)

COVID 19 – CARES Act Funding + Reopening Policies The past few months have been confusing for institutions wishing to disburse COVID-19 emergency grant dollars due to the Department of Education changing allocation calculations and requirements, including eligibility for who can receive grants from the relief legislation. One of the main groups that the Administration has…

Technology, Truth and Tomorrow

In recent weeks America has come to a reckoning over long-unmet societal values on racial justice, equity and commitment to diversity. Why now? What has changed? It was the cruel and seemingly senseless killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, and the accumulation of lives taken before his, that finally jarred most…

Racial Justice and the Mission of Professional, Continuing, and Online Education

UPCEA and its members are deeply troubled by the recent senseless killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, and the lives taken before him. Many others have been affected in the wake of these tragedies. This, combined with the health care disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, underscore the systemic racism that…

After the Pandemic

Even as budgets are slashed and enrollments dip, we must strive to emerge from this crisis with more resilient and responsive programs. We have endured the most extraordinary spring semester, and soon summer, in the history of higher education. Remote teaching and learning have been implemented in incredibly short time frames of a few days…

UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation

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 lifetimes. Use these Hallmarks to: Assess your institution’s readiness for more flexible student learning opportunities…

Membership Renewal

Membership Renewal UPCEA membership is organizational-once membership is renewed, you, your staff, and colleagues at your institution or organization have access to all UPCEA membership benefits. Don’t miss out on essential resources that support your institution’s success, including useful connections to over 14,000 of your colleagues and friends at 400+ member institutions. Our unique membership…

Policy Matters | Department of Education Extends Distance Education Approval to December (May 2020)

Department of Education Extends Distance Education Approval to December In an updated guidance letter, the Department of Education has extended flexibility, originally provided in early March, for broad approval of the creation of distance education programs beginning between March 5 and December 31, 2020 due to interruptions of study related to COVID-19. It has also extended…

UPCEA Partners with LX Pathways by iDesign

We’ve partnered to help you increase capacity around instructional design Do you need to increase your team’s capacity around instructional design? Would you like to add instructional design to your skillset? Great news! UPCEA has recently partnered with iDesign to offer even more online professional development through iDesign’s self-paced learning opportunities, LX Pathways. Our partnership…

Changing Market for Postsecondary Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has served to accelerate the changing market for postsecondary education. We know all too well that the current virus pandemic is impacting enrollments in the near term, but this is temporary — the pandemic will pass. It will take months, perhaps even a year or two, but this threat will be behind…

Just Released: UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation

Over the past five years UPCEA has published two Hallmarks of Excellence frameworks, first in Online Leadership and then Professional and Continuing Education. These quality frameworks have been endorsed and used by countless organizations and institutions as they evaluate, enhance, and sometimes even build professional, continuing, and online enterprises. Today, I am so pleased to…

UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation

UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation The Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation are intended to be both aspirational and a practical toolkit to assist those in Online and Professional Continuing Education to think systematically and concretely about the nature of credentials at their institution as well as the strategy and logistical components of…

Colleges Show Great Interest in Alternative Credentials But Weak Follow-Through (Campus Technology)

No matter what type of alternative credential students are earning, most institutions don’t retain official information about it. In a recent survey, just a third of institutions (38 percent) that offer alternative credentials said they allow those to be represented on students’ university records. Nearly half (48 percent) said they weren’t in student records; and…

A Generational Redefinition of Higher Education, Post-COVID-19

Older Gen Zers (often called the “iGeneration”) may be a deciding factor in not only the upcoming presidential and congressional elections, but also in what higher education will look like in the future, post-COVID-19. Generation Z is typically defined as individuals born between 1995 and 2005, are roughly between 14 and 24 years of age,…

Major Announcement: Introducing online professional development from UPCEA

I am pleased to share a major announcement today regarding a profession that is indispensable to the future of higher education. The field of Professional, Continuing, and Online Education (PCO) has truly come of age in the 21st century – and our importance and sophistication continues to expand exponentially as our members play an increasingly…

Founding Faculty

Founding Faculty UPCEA is proud to have partnered with notable leaders in the field to develop and implement the PCO Professional Development programs. Using the perspective of practical application, the Founding Faculty helped determine the competencies and skills to cover within the PCO Professional Development programs. Meet our Current Faculty. Tonya Amankwatia Assistant Vice Provost…

Are You a Victim of Zoom Fatigue?

Are you Zooming through your days in discomfort and not liking what you see on the screen? Zoom has become part of the lexicon of our lives. It is the way many of us meet and teach. In a similar way, we use Google Hangouts and other analogous synchronous meeting apps for live classes and…

Professional Development Certificates

UPCEA Professional Development Courses “Extended and professional education is needed more than ever as we evolve into the ‘new normal’. I can think of no better investment than UPCEA to ensure staff and leaders within my organization are ready, willing, and able to serve those that look to us and those that need us the…

Look no further for your benchmarking and research needs

Today I’m writing to shine a light on UPCEA’s best kept secret: the Center for Research and Strategy led by Jim Fong and featuring some of the best consultants in the industry. The Center provides actionable research and benchmarking free of charge for all members; and high value custom consulting across the entire spectrum of…

UPCEA Issues Public Comments to Department of ED on Regular + Substantive, Distance Education Regulations

Today, UPCEA has submitted comments to the US Department of Education in response to their Notice of Public Rulemaking (NPRM) issued on April 2, 2020, which closes on May 4, 2020. These regulations were informed by the 2018-2019 negotiated rulemaking committee. We wrote regarding clarification and suggested edits for how the NPRM amends key definitions…

Expert Consultants in Online, Professional and Continuing Education

Our Expert Consultants Can Become Your Expert Consultants Our experts can help address your questions on organizational strategy, professional and continuing education, marketing and recruitment, online strategy and operations, and many other areas. In addition to those listed on this page, the UPCEA Research and Consulting team also has a list of the best deans,…

Digital Learning Pulse Survey: 90% of U.S. Higher Ed Institutions Used Emergency Distance Education to Complete Spring 2020 Term

The survey of higher education’s immediate priorities related to the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted April 6-19 by Bay View Analytics on behalf of OLC, WCET, UPCEA, CDLRA and Every Learner Everywhere, and underwritten by Cengage; findings will be discussed in a webinar, this Friday, April 24. APRIL 22, 2020 A new survey of U.S. higher…

Regional conferences go virtual ⁠— and are free for members!

Exciting news: All five of our 2020 UPCEA Regional Conferences this fall will now be fully virtual AND are free of charge to our members! Choose one or all five regions for this new conference experience—Virtually Together: 2020 UPCEA Regional Conference Series. All are open and complimentary for members this year. Gather your team and…

Home Sweet Home Is Not Office Sweet Office

As many of us are still adjusting to working from home, we are coming to realize that the accoutrements of our offices are not readily available to us at home. Many of us have been working from home for some weeks now. It is convenient in many ways; no time lost in commuting, less formal…

A Short-Term Perspective on Post-COVID-19 Higher Education

I wrote recently about a post-COVID-19 economy and the acceleration toward a new economy or what some deem as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In the long and short run, many industries will change dramatically including higher education. Retail and healthcare will never be the same, as they are certain to employ new technologies and processes…

UPCEA Members Get More!

Want to see what’s under the hood? Check out our full roadmap to member benefits in our Owner’s Manual Click here to access our Owner’s Manual Join Leaders in Professional, Continuing and Online Education with UPCEA We know you’re facing challenging times that require an entrepreneurial approach to online learning for today’s students. You have…

Special Edition Policy Matters | Major Covid-19 Stimulus Bill Passed + ED Releases Substantial Draft Regulations on Distance Ed, CBE, Credit Hour + More (April 2020)

Major Updates Major Coronavirus Relief Bill (CARES Act) Passes | Provides Financial Aid Relief, $30B+ Stabilization Fund for Education After temporarily stalled negotiations, Congress has passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus package in response to the Covid-19 crisis, the CARES Act, the largest package of its kind ever passed into law. Higher education advocates, including UPCEA,…

2020 UPCEA Annual Conference Digital Exhibitors Guide

2020 UPCEA Annual Conference Digital Exhibitors Guide We’re sorry we couldn’t gather in-person this spring for the 2020 UPCEA Annual Conference! Make up for these ‘missed connections’ with our Digital Exhibitors Guide! As always, our exhibitors have the tools and services you need to meet the challenges you’re facing. Find the solutions you’re looking for…

2020 UPCEA Benchmarking Research Agenda

Did you know that each year, UPCEA members receive benchmarking data from the Center for Research and Strategy, directed by Jim Fong? UPCEA benchmarking research is not just the industry standard—it is also a nonprofit service designed for institutions like yours. Look out for these forthcoming studies to benchmark your unit to others in the…

2020 Association Award Recipients

2020 Association Award Recipients At the 1953 Annual Conference of the National University Extension Association (NUEA), which was the forerunner of UPCEA, Robert Browne of the University of Illinois gave a speech honoring Tom Shelby, retiring Dean of the Division of Extension at the University of Texas. Browne conferred on Shelby the FX Key in…

Online Education Advocacy Group Launches as Dept. of Ed Proposes Loosening Regulations (EdSurge)

To advocate for and on behalf of effective online teaching and learning practices, four organizations are joining forces to establish the National Council for Online Education. The partnership linking the Online Learning Consortium, Quality Matters, University Professional and Continuing Education Association and WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies has been in the works for about a year,…

A Glimpse into the Future Economy after the Pandemic

COVID-19 has certainly changed our world, with more suffering yet to come. Many tragedies have reshaped society and the world economy. After the destruction and loss of life from 9/11, the financial markets and economy suffered in the short-term, but certain industries experienced longer lasting effects, primarily the airline, insurance, food and energy sectors. This…

Planning for Mode of Course Delivery in Summer and Fall

As many of us are still grappling with the daily details of remote delivery of campus classes, we must turn our eyes to the summer and fall. Many of us have been working day and night to launch our campuswide remote learning response to the virus. Exhausting as that is, we should carve out some…

UPCEA Welcomes Seven New Board Members

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2020 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed two new officers and five new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors during a virtual Board meeting on March 18. “On behalf of the Board Development committee and the entire…

Wellesley College Associate Provost and Founding Director of Strategic Growth Initiatives Nancy Coleman Serve as UPCEA Board President-Elect

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2020 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Dr. Nancy Coleman as the association’s 2020-21 Board President-Elect during a virtual Board of Directors Meeting on March 18. Coleman is Associate Provost and Founding Director of Strategic Growth Initiatives at Wellesley College. As UPCEA…

University of Washington Continuum College Vice Provost Rovy Branon to Serve as UPCEA Board President

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2020 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Dr. Rovy Branon as the association’s 2020-21 Board President during a virtual Board of Directors meeting on March 18. Branon is vice provost for the University of Washington Continuum College. Branon notes that the timing…

“In conversations with my counterparts, it became clear to us that the scale and importance of the online learning sector within higher education required a more coordinated advocacy effort than we were able to do separately,”said Bob Hansen, CEO of UPCEA. “So we joined forces, leveraging our respective strengths to advance the field together.”

Leading Digital Learning Organizations Partner to Establish National Council for Online Education

For Immediate Release OLC, QM, UPCEA, WCET join forces to advance online and digital postsecondary education WASHINGTON, April 1, 2020 – Four leading organizations in higher education and digital learning today announced a partnership to establish the National Council for Online Education (NCOE), creating a formidable voice for online and digital education within…

Keeping you connected

While you are leading campus responses to the pandemic, our goal is to help you stay connected to the larger PCO community. This community, this professional association, is one of your greatest assets during this challenging time. Now more than ever we are learning from each other. Helping each other solve problems. Supporting each other. …

Subscription Rather Than Tuition

What if we subscribed to learning and educational engagement throughout our careers? A huge trend has swept the world over the past few decades. While few have connected the otherwise disassociated patterns, there is an unmistakable increase in subscription-based models. The rise of leasing has grown to more than 30 percent of all new car transactions;…

Policy Matters | US Dept of Education Issues Guidance for Higher Education + Congressional Action on COVID-19; UPCEA Advocacy and Resources (March 2020)

Much congressional action has been taken since the COVID-19 crisis began. A bill that provides tax relief for businesses to support paid sick leave and free coronavirus testing; one authorizing $8.3 billion to help government agencies respond to the virus; and a bill protecting GI Bill housing benefits for online veteran students, are all now…

UPCEA Signs Letters to Congress on COVID-19 Supports for Students and Institutions

UPCEA joined with ACE and dozens of other organizations to write congressional leadership to outline the ways in which we believe the federal government can assist students, educators and institutions in recovering from the impact of COVID-19. Colleges and universities are uniquely vulnerable to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as our educational and research…

UPCEA Urges Passage of Online Veteran Student Support Bill in Response to COVID-19

UPCEA, along with ACE, and almost 50 other organizations wrote a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking the House to approve a bill ensuring veterans continue to receive their GI bill benefits when campuses move courses online due to COVID-19. S. 3503 would grant the Secretary of the Department of…

UPCEA + 50 Organizations Pen Letter Asking for Student Support during COVID-19 Crisis

UPCEA joined with Higher Learning Advocates with a total of 51 organizations to write to congressional leadership to help support students’ needs. As new cases of COVID-19 exposure and infection arise every day, many of the nation’s institutions of higher education are suspending or moving classes online to do what’s best for the public health…

2020 UPCEA Annual Conference Cancellation

Today we have been forced to cancel the UPCEA Annual Conference originally scheduled for March 18-20, 2020, at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel. This year’s conference will not be rescheduled. As we shared previously, we originally opted to postpone the conference due to conditions stemming from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Though we had every…

Joint Response Regarding COVID-19 and Advice on Transitioning Face-to-Face Courses Online

Updated March 12, 2020 During the week of March 2nd, the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), Quality Matters (QM), University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), and WCET (the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) released a joint statement on the spread of COVID-19 and academic continuity planning. Since then, a number of institutions of higher education…

What Katrina Taught Us About Online Delivery

In 2005, more than 120 U.S. universities came to the aid of some 20 colleges and universities that had been impacted by Hurricane Katrina through shared online classes. There is much discussion now about continuing the delivery of the curriculum in instances where the new coronavirus may disrupt traditional campus offerings. This is not the…

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response from OLC, QM, UPCEA, and WCET

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC), Quality Matters (QM), University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), and WCET (the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) represent diverse perspectives from across the field of online learning. In this capacity, the four organizations have the ability to mobilize around topics and concerns relevant to our collective memberships. The Coronavirus…

Semester Without End

What if the learning and engagement from a single class offering were not to stop with the semester — if instead it continued throughout a career? More than two decades ago, I was teaching technology courses in the communication department at the University of Illinois at Springfield. One of my favorites was a graduate seminar, New…

Identifying Local Skills Gaps (Inside Higher Ed)

Cities in California and Minnesota both have growing medical technology manufacturing industries, but job seekers in those states need different skills to be competitive in the industry. In California, the jobs focus more on programming and life science skills, while the jobs in Minnesota focus more on product development and industrial engineering. […] This may…

Policy Matters | Trump Administration Releases FY 2021 Budget Proposal; Education Funds Request Reduced (February 2020)

Welcome to the February edition of Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. Major Update Trump Administration Releases FY 2021 Budget Proposal; Education Funds Request Reduced Earlier this month, the Trump Administration released its FY2021 budget proposal request. The efforts specifically relating to education…

Creeping Out Generation Z

The next generation of adult learners, Generation Z (those currently between the ages of 13 and 23) and young Millennials (roughly 24 to 30), are very different from other generations. They research providers more, as well as being more likely to abandon shopping carts.[i] They get creeped out by our efforts to extract too much…

UPCEA Releases Competency Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners

WASHINGTON, February 18, 2020 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce the release of the association’s Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners. The competency and attribute statements consist of the essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions required of Professional, Continuing, and Online (PCO) Education practitioners,…

Know Your Students

Far too often we begin planning a class with the content, pedagogy, technology and outcomes in mind — without first researching the students. When teaching, it seems logical to begin with the content or the pedagogy and then apply technologies to meet the outcomes we see, yet this misses the most important foundational step in…

UPCEA Announces 2020 Association Award Recipients

10 Individuals and 6 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, February 10, 2020 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2020 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its…

UPCEA Outstanding Service in Postsecondary Instructional Design Award Recipient Announced

Inaugural award bestowed at 2020 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration WASHINGTON, February 5, 2020 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the 2020 Outstanding Service in Postsecondary Instructional Design Award recipient, Penny Ralston-Berg of the Pennsylvania State University. The Outstanding Service in Postsecondary Instructional Design Award recognizes outstanding service…

Dawn of 5G: Empowering VR, AR and Much More

The enormous potential of virtual and augmented reality will be enabled through the wide-scale rollout of fifth-generation mobile bandwidths. Technologies are converging to bring about a wholesale upgrade of online learning through the adoption of virtual and augmented reality. The pivotal development will be the wide-scale deployment of 5G bandwidths to support VR and AR…

Call for Talent: UPCEA Online Professional Development

UPCEA is seeking talented collaborators for its new online Professional Development initiative, which will feature certificate programs in the field of professional, continuing, and online education. This is an opportunity to play a pioneering role in the launch of this exciting effort. Specifically, UPCEA is sourcing talent to join our learning community in the following…

Policy Matters | House Votes to Overturn Department of Education’s Borrower Defense to Repayment Rule (January 2020)

Welcome to the January edition of Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. Major Update House Votes to Overturn Department of Education’s Borrower Defense to Repayment Rule Legislators voted to approve a Congressional Review Act resolution to block the recent Department of Education…

Competency Resources: Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners

Competency Resources: Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners Included in Competency Analysis ACPA/NASPA https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/ACPA_NASPA_Professional_Competencies_FINAL.pdf ACUI https://www.acui.org/resources/core-competencies American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) https://www.aacrao.org/resources/core-competencies American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) https://www.aacc.nche.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/AACC_Core_Competencies_web.pdf Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I) https://www.acuho-i.org/resources/core-competencies?portalid=0 Association of…

Methodology: Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners

Methodology: Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners UPCEA, the professional association for those in professional, continuing, and online (PCO) postsecondary education, sought to develop a competency set to serve as the foundation for various activities within the association. To that end, 75 postsecondary associations and sources were identified for review as…

Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners

Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners UPCEA is pleased to share this recently released competency set, which is meant to serve as the foundation for various activities within the association. The following Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners consist of the essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions required…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

All Top 10-ranked institutions are members of UPCEA WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 16, 2020) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include more than…

UPCEA Members Recognized in 2020 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

UPCEA Members Recognized in 2020 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. Congratulations to all of…

Escaping Gilligan’s Island: Lessons for Higher Education

As an older representative of Generation X, just six months shy of being able to say I am a Boomer, I enjoy watching classic television shows such as I Dream of Jeannie, The Brady Bunch or Gilligan’s Island. Many Millennials and certainly most Gen Z’ers are not aware of Gilligan’s Island nor should we expect…

Where Competency-Based Education is Headed in 2020 and Beyond

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. Barbara Kopp Miller is at the forefront of competency-based approaches to education. As the Dean of University College in Toledo, Ohio, she leads one of the most progressive CBE programs in the nation. She sat down with UPCEA to share her thoughts on the…

Our Greatest Strength Is Our Greatest Vulnerability

The greatest strength of online learning is the anytime and anywhere characteristic, but the online aspect is also our greatest vulnerability. We tend to think often about the worldwide reach and impact of online learning. Through online, we have the power to change lives and societies. However, we are seriously vulnerable, more so, one might…

Policy Matters | House and Senate Pass FUTURE Act, Restoring Funding to HBCUs and Minority Institutions and Simplifying FAFSA (December 2019)

Welcome to the December edition of Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. Please note that if you do not wish to continue to receive these sorts of emails, click here. Major Update House and Senate Pass FUTURE Act, Restoring Funding to HBCUs and…

Insight from a Dean: Never Stop Learning

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. Professional learning should never stop — even when leaders reach pinnacles of success. Dr. Jenni Murphy is the Dean of the College of Continuing Education at Sacramento State and has won many awards in her field. She shares some insight from her own professional…

The Rise of Do-It-Yourself Education

Do it yourself is more than just a trend for crafts and home improvements — it is an ethos that has reached higher education. DIY has become pervasive in our culture. In part it is fueled by the internet, most particularly by YouTube. In part it is energized by time and money savings. It is further…

UPCEA Announces 2019 Division And Best In Show Marketing Award Recipients

5 Recipients Chosen Out of 30 Leading Entries for Top Honors WASHINGTON, D.C., December 6, 2019 — UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the Division and Best in Show award recipients of the 2019 Marketing Awards. The UPCEA Marketing Awards program recognizes the top marketing and creative work across the…

UPCEA Encourages Passage of FUTURE Act

UPCEA joined with other organizations in a letter to the House and Senate to express our strong support for H.R.5363, the FUTURE Act. Following our letters, both the House and the Senate passed the bill, sending it to the President’s desk for signature. This much needed legislation addresses a few important issues. First, it would…

Millennials working in open plan office.

OK Boomer … Move Over for the Millennials in the New Economy

In early November 2019, Chlöe Swarbrick, a 25-year-old politician from New Zealand responded to an older lawmaker who interrupted her with “OK boomer,” as she spoke on climate change. The response, while perceived as innocent but snarky, was a critical signal regarding a future economic and political struggle on the horizon, as well as an…

Policy Matters | Department of Education Releases Final Regulations Following Negotiated Rulemaking (November 2019)

Welcome to the November edition of Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. Major Update Department of Education Releases Final Regulations Following Negotiated Rulemaking The US Department of Education has released its final rules that are a result of the negotiated rulemaking session held…

2019-20 UPCEA Benchmarking Research Agenda Announced

How do your programs, staffing and salaries stack up in the dynamic world of professional, continuing and online education? What marketing tactics are your peers using to get enrollments and fill their classes? Do you need solid benchmarking and stats to share with your campus leadership? UPCEA has exciting news—our Chief Research Officer and Center…

A Glance at the Realm of Higher Education

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. Former associate provost for outreach and engagement at the University of Southern Indiana and current vice provost for continuing education at North Carolina State University, Mark Bernhard offers insight into success within the profession of continuing higher education. Question: Tell us about your…

The Commons: Boost your job prospects by “re-creating” vs recreating

Do you ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day? If you’re like millions of working adults (meaning, anyone reading this), of course you do. And, while most of us are referring to a lack of time between 9 and 5, the reality is that the most successful people are willing to sacrifice…

2020-2022 UPCEA Board of Directors Slate

2020-22 UPCEA Board of Directors Slate and Ballot President-Elect – 1 Year Term Nancy Coleman, Associate Provost and Founding Director of Strategic Growth Initiatives, Wellesley College Nancy Coleman is Associate Provost and Founding Director of Strategic Growth Initiatives at Wellesley. Her career has spanned higher education, corporate and start-up ventures. Nancy oversees the work of…

An Early Outlook of a Millennial-led Economy in 2030

Rather than rely on what Hollywood’s vision for the what the future could be, UPCEA interviewed 21 innovation leaders in U.S. cities and 14 Millennial leaders, many of whom are CEOs, business owners and community leaders. Hollywood portrays many scenarios, ranging from a technology-driven culture in Minority Report to the pandemonium of Mad Max to…

Copy of Membership Sales Test

Become an UPCEA Leaders in professional, continuing and online education choose UPCEA Be the best leader you can be. Your UPCEA membership means you will be part of a powerful group of colleagues, thought leaders and friends who truly “get” what it means to work in professional, continuing and online education. Membership Application Add…

2019 UPCEA Marketing and Enrollment Award Recipients Announced

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 1, 2019 — UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2019 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award and the 2019 Marketing Awards. The UPCEA Excellence in Enrollment Management Award recognizes an outstanding professional, continuing, and/or online organization (unit or individual) that models best practices and…

Thousands worldwide have participated in GW’s free online courses, officials say (The GW Hatchet)

Five years after GW launched its first free massive open online course, faculty continue to tout its advantages for students. Officials currently offer four MOOCs, which allow anyone to enroll at any time for a self-paced class in engineering or nursing after cutting two classes in summer 2018. Officials said the courses help their schools reach out to thousands of people…

UPCEA Weighs In On College Afforability Act (CAA) Markup

UPCEA, along with ACE, and other organizations, wrote to Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx to offer views on H.R. 4674, the College Affordability Act (CAA) introduced by Chairman Scott that will be marked up by the Committee. Any comprehensive Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization proposal represents a…

The Smart City and Crime: Can the Criminology Degree Rehabilitated?

Crime in the United States is projected to decline. Hollywood gives us many dramatic scenarios of what the future could be, although over the next few decades, it is unlikely to be that depicted in the Sylvester Stallone movie Judge Dredd, where crimes are judged and punished on the spot. However, with the adoption of…

Policy Matters | Both Parties Release Higher Ed Policy Reforms (October 2019)

Welcome to the October edition of Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. Major Update Both Republicans and Democrats Release Legislation for Major Higher Ed Reforms We now have a clearer vision of where this Congress’ Democrats and Republicans stand on how to…

Quantum Computing Is Poised to Change Everything

I recall the advent of the ILLIAC computer, ARPANET (that grew into the internet), the personal computer, the mobile phone, the smartphone, and other advancements in technology that have had such a huge impact on our society. Yet these are mere drops in the ocean compared to the impact we will see from the advent…

Emboldening Student Driven Learning in the Online Environment

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. The world of professional, continuing and online education is in constant flux. Former associate dean of academic affairs at Syracuse University and current University of North Carolina at Greensboro division of online learning dean, Dr. Karen Bull provides her perspective in this online…

Why Smart Cities Need Liberal Arts Graduates

As a lover of science fiction, I find myself picking movie genres that depict a future society fighting against the tyranny of unfair rulers protecting what they think is a utopian society. Ultimately, the masses win and freedom reigns. What our future society will look like depends on many things. Whether it will be dystopia…

Online Leadership Roundtable Listserv Access

Online Leadership Roundtable Listserv Access The Online Leadership Roundtable (OLR) is the body for senior leaders charged with driving online strategy at the unit or campus level. The OLR and its members are focused on leveraging the strategic potential of online learning to transform our institutions and our society. OLR representatives have been designated as…

The Impact of “At-Scale” and Mega-U Degrees

The landscape of online higher education is changing with the growth of mega-universities and the advent of scores of MOOC-sized at-scale degree programs from prestigious universities. Mid and small sized regional universities are seeing the some of the largest declines in enrollments. In assessing the cause of this disproportionate decline I believe, not enough consideration is…

Policy Matters | Sen. Alexander wants to pass scaled-back HEA (September 2019)

Welcome to the fourth installment in our monthly public policy primer, Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. Major Updates Senator Alexander Announces Intent to Pass Scaled-Back Higher Education Act Reauthorization Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) stated he wants to attempt to update broad-based…

Smart Cities and Transportation, and the Impact on Higher Education

Despite the increase in distracted drivers, the number of accidents has declined. While a number of factors may be at play, better technology and engineering are certainly having an impact. While accidents have declined, fatalities from large vehicles, vehicles to pedestrians and vehicles to pedal-pedestrians has increased. Will the self-driving vehicle help improve safety? To…

Deconstructing the Economic Factors Affecting Professional Learning

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. The desire to advance in a career field or life in general is not enough for individuals who are ready to learn more and better their circumstances. Disparity exists when it comes to post-secondary education, including traditional college, certification programs and other forms of…

Special announcement: UPCEA Membership Roster Changes

As chair of the UPCEA Membership committee, I am pleased to share some exciting news. If you are like my team at the University of Washington, you have more people who could benefit from your institution’s UPCEA membership than you have roster slots. For us, that has meant a constant rotation of staff through a…

Adaptive Learning to Personalized Learning

Nowhere is artificial intelligence more prominent or controversial in education than in personalized learning. Computer driven adaptive learning has been around for decades; in its most basic form it is simply the computer program branching the learning path based upon responses the student makes. Some learners may be best served by materials delivered in a…

Competent Marketing Teams in a Turbulent Economy

As a fan of Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch, I’ve come to relate the world of higher education with the rough waters of the Bering Sea. Enrollments can be as elusive as the prized Opilio crab. Different crab (Opilio, Alaskan King, Bairdi) react to different baits and locations, just as there are differences between Generation Z,…

Policy Matters | Increasing Partisan Divide in Views on Education (August 2019)

Welcome to the third installment in our monthly public policy primer, Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. We’ve set up a form if you’re interested in learning more, and for continued updates from Policy Matters. Please note that you must sign up with this…

Affective Artificial Intelligence: Better Understanding and Responding to Students

Artificial intelligence is recognizing and responding to human emotions, oftentimes better than many humans. As a long-time professor of communication, I am fascinated with the cognitive characteristics of artificial intelligence as they relate to human communication. Image processing, computer vision, speech recognition, and pattern recognition are parts of the sophisticated processes in artificial intelligence communicating with…

Visioning Your Unit’s Future

Visioning is an essential, active process, requiring daily attention. We have both the good fortune and bothersome misfortune to live in a time of rapid change in online higher education. Technologies, pedagogies, practices and competition are in flux. Choosing among the options is a critical task of the online learning administrator. The stakes are very…

Fake Meat and an Informed Generation on Higher Education

I went out of my way to go to Burger King to try their Incredible Whopper. It wasn’t bad, but it got me reflecting on “where did this come from and why?” After one of my presentations on Generation Z a few years ago, a higher education administrator said to me, “You can’t compare education…

The Cybercrime Urgency in Professional Learning Spaces

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA It’s no secret that hackers are getting more sophisticated and that no businesses or organizations are immune. A reported 60% of large businesses and more than 50% of high-income charities have experienced cyber security breaches in the last year and a small business is…

Marketers Matter More in the Dynamic World of Professional, Continuing and Online Education

Advertising and marketing should never be confused. There are many types of marketers in the workplace and hiring the wrong one or not retaining the right one impacts enrollment success. Tomorrow’s marketer needs to understand strategy, competition, metrics, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and digital and social media and positioning. They also need to manage…

Dues Schedule for Membership. Join Professional, Continuing, and Online Education Units

UPCEA DUES SCHEDULE FOR MEMBERSHIP YEAR 2024-2025 UPCEA membership dues are based on an institution’s Carnegie Classification and total enrollment per the Higher Education Directory. For more information, please contact Matt Norsworthy, [email protected], to determine your annual dues. Private Research Enrollment Dues < 10,000 $3,000 10,000 to 20,000 $4,400 > 20,000 $4,900 Public…

Leading Faculty Support in Online Learning

These might seem to be a rare combination of qualities, but I have seen them come together time and again in the successful leaders and their operations at colleges and universities across the country. I write often about the changing technologies and trends, but today I want to address the special qualities of successful leadership in…

Groups Align to Advocate for Today’s Students (Inside Higher Ed)

A coalition of groups representing veterans, working adults and historically underrepresented students have teamed up to form a new organization designed to change federal and other policies to better recognize how “today’s students” differ from the traditional 18- to 24-year-olds who’ve historically dominated postsecondary enrollments. The Today’s Students Coalition says it will work to modernize the financial…

Students to Keep Pressing Congress for Higher Education Update (Bloomberg Government)

Ten student advocacy groups are teaming up to push for a reauthorization of the main federal higher education law, even as lawmakers are turning their focus to other bills. The groups have individually advocated for various groups of students, including veterans, low-income students, parents and adults returning to school. By forming a coalition, the groups…

UPCEA Supports Closing the College Hunger Gap Act in Letter to Congress

UPCEA, along with Higher Learning Advocates, and 17 other organizations, signed a letter supporting the Closing the College Hunger Gap Act of 2019. This legislation would provide college students who may be eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with eligibility and application information and would require the Department of Education to collect data on…

Bipartisan Coalition Will Give Voice To A New Generation of College Students

Today’s Students Coalition pairs unconventional allies in support of policy changes that reflect the shifting demographics of higher education WASHINGTON, July 23, 2019 — Ten of the nation’s leading education advocacy groups today announced the formation of the Today’s Students Coalition, which will advocate for policies responsive to the needs of the most diverse generation of college…

Cybersecurity, FaceApp, and Higher Ed

I admit it. I did the FaceApp thing and I shouldn’t have been surprised that the “old me” looks a lot like my father. However, like many others, I later learned through the media that there are potential threats and concerns regarding the ownership and permissions of the app. While the developers of the app…

Creating a great learner experience for professional education

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. An effective and efficient professional education onboarding experience is not just “nice to have” — it’s a necessity. Learners expect a fluid, intuitive process, from start to finish. They are attracted to programs that will help them meet their goals and expect components designed…

What Matters More: Skills or Degrees?

We increasingly hear employers, prospective students, and futurists saying that it is all about the skills, not about the degree. What does that mean for higher ed? Historically, employers made the baccalaureate, and in some cases advanced degrees, the gateway to an interview. If you did not hold the sheepskin, you would not get in the…

UPCEA and U.S. News Hold Joint Focus Group About Online Program Rankings

UPCEA (the University Professional Continuing Education Association) and U.S. News & World Report recently hosted a lively and important discussion on the U.S. News rankings of online programs. The focus group convening, held on June 10 in the event space of 1 Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., was facilitated by Eric Brooks, Senior Data Analyst…

Leadership at the Crossroads

The state of higher education today is new for most institutions and disruptive for many. Having to lead through disruption can be rewarding yet risky. Leaders may have experience in continuing and online education, as well as strong business and operational insights, but do they have good intuition into the impact of alternative credentialing and…

UPCEA Co-Signs Letter to Senate Supporting Legislation on Dreamers

UPCEA, along with American Council on Education and 42 other higher education associations wrote Senate leadership to urge legislation as soon as possible to provide permanent protection for “Dreamers,” young, undocumented, high-achieving individuals who contribute to our college and university system. Senators Graham and Durbin reintroduced the bipartisan Dream Act of 2019 (S.874), which was…

UPCEA PCO Blog Reaches 1 Million Views!

The Professional, Continuing, and Online Education Update blog, curated by Ray Schroeder, recently surpassed 1,000,000 views! The blog has featured daily updates of news, research and trends important to professionals in online and continuing education since December 28, 2010. Every day, Schroeder reviews more than 150 articles, research reports, news releases and other information sources…

UPCEA and Columbia University School of Professional Studies Convene Business and Academic Leaders for the Forum on the Future of Work

Inaugural Forum on the Future of Work: Day 1 On June 21 and 22, UPCEA and the Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS) hosted the Inaugural Forum on the Future of Work. The Forum brought together academics and industry leaders to discuss the changing leadership landscape, new ways to nurture employee talent, and the…

Policy Matters | Public Comment on Regulations Due July 12

Major Updates The U.S. Department of Education has released Proposed Regulations for Public Comment.The regulations cover a wide range of topics including changes to accreditation, state authorization, student notifications, and other topics. If finalized before November, these changes would not go into effect until July 1, 2020. We encourage you to comment as an individual, from…

What Does Free Community College Mean for Professional Learning Spaces?

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. The idea of offering free access to community college, and even entire degree programs, has gained steam in recent years. CNBC reports that 11 states in the country offer at least some tuition-free community college programs to qualified students and nine more have…

Forum on the Future of Work: Speakers

Forum on the Future of Work: Speakers Nelson Baker, Georgia Institute of Technology Goldie Blumenstyk, The Chronicle of Higher Education Lance Braunstein, Blackrock Carrington S. Carter, TIAA Lauren Weber, The Wall Street Journal Janet Chen, Business-Higher Education Forum Chris Dede, Harvard University James DeVaney, University of Michigan Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed Christine Farrugia, Columbia…

UPCEA Member Analytics: Managing a Marketing Infrastructure

No longer is marketing just the development of a catalog, viewbook, brochure or billboard. It now includes marketing strategy and customer engagement as well as brand management. In an evolving economy fueled by data analytics, making wise marketing resource and infrastructure decisions is critical. Earlier analyses have shown that there has been a clear shift…

Framework for Plotting the Future of Your Online Program

We are in the midst of a major shakeup in higher education. Dozens of colleges have closed in the past couple of years (hundreds if you include failed for-profit chains). The closure parade is growing so fast that Education Dive is maintaining a running list of closures. Meantime, mega-universities have emerged with large online initiatives…

UPCEA-Member Curated Resources for Submitting Award Nominations/Session Proposals

UPCEA Member-Curated Resources for Submitting Award Nominations/Session Proposals What makes an award nomination or a concurrent session proposal “zing”? See below to gather tips, resources, and best practices directly from UPCEA members who excel in this arena: chairs of our regions and our awards committees, as well as members of our events committees. Don’t miss…

Micro-Mobility, E-Scooters and Implications for Higher Education

If young Millennials and Gen Z’ers continue to disrupt through greater adoption of other modes of transportation in the sharing economy and advancements in driver-assisted and self-driving vehicles continue, expect our cities to start to transform. With less disposable income than previous generations, a heighten consciousness toward the environment and disinclination to purchase big ticket…

Coalition Supports FY2020 House Appropriations Bill

UPCEA joined with ACE and 35 other organizations yesterday to send a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations as they were approving spending bills for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for fiscal year 2020. Today, the House Committee on Appropriations approved its bill, allocating $75.9 billion to the Department of Education…

Because we don’t want our team members to ‘Move On’

Many moons ago I wrote about the UPCEA Hallmark of Excellence in Online Leadership – Professionalism and how online leaders could begin implementing aspects of that Hallmark in their performance appraisals and professional development plans of staff members (see Professionalism and Staff Evals). The other day I read this piece on the Gallup Talent Blog.…

Volunteer Leader Webinar/Chat Request

Want a Webinar or Chat? You need to “chat” with UPCEA staff first! Take a look at the calendar here if you’re interested in setting up a webinar. We ask that you plan your webinar or chat more than 6 weeks in advance for proper time for planning, promotion, etc. Once you’ve got your title,…

Quantum Leap Into the Future of Education

Quantum computing will burst onto the educational technology scene. Are you preparing now? The quantum era will soon be upon us. The changes we will see will far outpace even those we saw in the development of personal computers, smartphones and broadband networking — combined. IBM has already created a commercial quantum computer prototype, the IBM…

Giving my inbox ‘One More Try’

Friends, it has been a while. Since my last post we’ve hosted several events, I have attended many events, and there has been much news to report. Recently, in my 115th attempt to change how I manage my inbox (as an inbox zero person I am always looking for new tactics to get my inbox…

Generational Politics and the New 4th Edition of ‘An Insider’s Guide to Generation Z’

Generation Z is amazing and not annoying; social and not selfish; inclusive and not isolated; informed and not ignorant. They are resourceful individuals and savvy, informed consumers. They are far different from the often-misunderstood Millennial, yet are often classified similarly. Generation Z is gaining a lot of attention, yet they remain a mystery to many.…

UPCEA Welcomes Six New Board Members

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2019 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed one new officer and five new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors during the 2019 UPCEA Annual Conference. “The Board’s newest members are an impressive group, and the Board Development…

Cannabis: The New Root and Stem of Higher Education

Given the domestic and global trend towards medicinal and/or recreational cannabis legalization and the multitude of businesses those laws will create, U.S. universities should consider preparing their students for emerging jobs in this growing market. The industry has expanded far beyond smoking cannabis products, especially because that is not how the future average user of…

Information (Learning Materials) Wants to be Free

The long-standing tension between “free and open” and for-profit business models is now playing out with textbooks and open educational resources. Over the decades, there has been considerable debate over just who first uttered the phrase “information wants to be free.” It is widely reported that this arose in a discussion between Stewart Brand, editor…

UPCEA Mid-Atlantic Region Map | West Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York

Virtually Together: 2020 Mid-Atlantic Region Conference

October 5-7, 2020 — The ABCs of Professional, Continuing and Online Education: Agility, Boldness, and Collaboration. At this conference, we will share our experiences, lessons learned from failures as well as from successes, and academic and administrative models as we strive to develop, implement, launch, and re-envision programs that will meet the needs and challenges…

Department of Education Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Reaches Consensus

As part of the Department of Education’s recent and wide-ranging negotiated rulemaking, negotiators reached consensus on all of the topics discussed during their sessions. With only three minutes remaining in the time allotted for negotiators to do their work, before the entire process would have been for naught, all negotiators agreed on changes to regulatory…

University of Washington Continuum College Vice Provost Rovy Branon to Serve as UPCEA President-Elect

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2019 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Dr. Rovy Branon as the association’s 2019-20 President-Elect during the 2019 UPCEA Annual Conference. Branon is vice provost for the University of Washington Continuum College. As UPCEA President-Elect, Branon will lead the UPCEA Membership Committee…

Georgia Tech’s Dean of Professional Education Nelson Baker to Serve as UPCEA President

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2019 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Dr. Nelson Baker as the association’s 2019-20 President during the 2019 UPCEA Annual Conference. Baker is the dean of Professional Education at the Georgia Institute of Technology and professor in the university’s School of Civil…

President Trump Signs Campus Free Speech Executive Order

On March 21st, President Trump signed an executive order on “Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability on Campus” that directs federal agencies which provide funding for university research to be sure that they are funding colleges that support free speech on their campuses. This was an “historic action to defend American students and American values…

A Visit From the Risk Management Office

How can we be sure we are identifying the most important risks in our changing field and are prepared to mitigate their potential impact? I recently visited with a representative from the University of Illinois’s Enterprise Risk Management unit. The philosophy of the risk unit is that the people closest to a risk are best…

White House Releases Vision for Higher Education Act Reform

The White House released their vision of what reforms should be made to the Higher Education Act (HEA) during the reauthorization of it in Congress. It’s proposals within mirror the budget it also proposed just one week prior. Some of the major retooling includes: changing accreditation process to focus on outcomes; a significant cut for…

Are Big Data and Data Science a Threat to Higher Education?

It was encouraging to read an UPCEA blog post from August 2018 in which Mindmax CEO Lee Maxey critiqued our data and knowledge environment. Mr. Maxey’s description of how we’re drowning in data was on point; the sheer mass of analytics, metrics and all things measuring is indeed a problem. With Big Data, comes Data…

The Maturing MOOC

Online courses are changing — sometimes less open, sometimes less massive — but they’re still relevant. In the summer of 2011 we produced eduMOOC — a constructivist massive open online course about online learning with the help of a small group of talented and expert professionals at the University of Illinois Springfield as well as colleagues around…

2019 UPCEA Association Award Recipients

2019 Association Award Recipients At the 1953 Annual Conference of the National University Extension Association (NUEA), which was the forerunner of UPCEA, Robert Browne of the University of Illinois gave a speech honoring Tom Shelby, retiring Dean of the Division of Extension at the University of Texas. Browne conferred on Shelby the FX Key in…

Five Key Trends for Professional and Continuing Education Leaders in the Next Five Years (The EvoLLLution)

Higher education is on the cusp of major changes. Enrollments are on the decline—both online and on campus—and the trend is expected to accelerate. Graduates are laboring under substantial college loan debts totaling more than $1.5 trillion. Employers are demanding that applicants possess soft and hard skills that many college graduates do not hold. At…

UPCEA Emerging Leaders Program

UPCEA Emerging Leaders Program Emerging Leaders are UPCEA members who are mid-level professionals who aspire to more senior roles in professional, continuing, and/or online (PCO) higher education. The UPCEA Emerging Leaders Program is embedded within our conferences, giving UPCEA members two entry points each year in which to engage in this valuable opportunity for leadership…

Georgia Tech Is Creating the Next in Education

With its online master’s in computer science and its recent commitment to a lifetime of education for its students, Georgia Tech challenges MIT as most innovative university. Over the decades, I have always considered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to be the leader in innovation in higher education. Ever since its open courseware initiative was…

Education Organizations Release Federal Policy Briefs Addressing Needed Modernizations To Higher Education Regulations

Briefs Authored by UPCEA, OLC, and WCET Cover Competency-Based Education, Financial Aid, Regular and Substantive Interaction, and State Authorization WASHINGTON, DC – February 27, 2019 – Today, three organizations in higher education—UPCEA, OLC and WCET—have issued a set of policy briefs relating to necessary changes to federal regulations affecting the professional, continuing, and online education…

The Commons: Three Steps for Energizing Quality Assurance in Online Course Design

Many institutional leaders recognize the need for a quality assurance program, yet faculty and staff buy-in to those plans can be elusive. Samford University recently took a collaborative approach to organizational change in its online and professional studies programs, ultimately creating an appetite for quality assurance by increasing awareness, generating buy-in, and empowering faculty through…

UPCEA Announces 2019 Association Award Recipients

10 Individuals and 6 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, February 12, 2019 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2019 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its…

Is Higher Education Going to the Dogs (and Cats)?

Usually one trend impacts another. If self-driving cars are taking over, then most likely artificial intelligence, data mining, radar technology, and lithium battery development are trending positively. Much of my research this past year focused on Generation Z or iGen (those approximately 16 to 22 years of age) and Millennials. These individuals, along with aging…

Are You Selling Day-Old Doughnuts?

Every year our degrees “expire” in relevancy and timeliness if we don’t refresh each class with an eye to the future, Ray Schroeder argues. We all know the tech expectations of new hires have changed rapidly this century. While many of the soft skills of communication, leadership, critical thinking and social sense remain relevant today,…

Spring Cleaning: Three Tips for Redesigning Your Course

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…

A Simple “Observation” on Trend Watching and Intelligence Gathering

In a growth market, such as online education in the late 1990s and start of millennium, producing products and services is relatively easy or carries with it less risk, as growing market share is the goal rather than stealing share from competitors. Having good intelligence and market research was a luxury back then…to move more…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

10 of top 11 ranked institutions are members of UPCEA WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 17, 2019) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include…

Disrupting the Disrupters

The advent of online education was a classic Clayton Christensen disrupter. That was a quarter of a century ago. Now the disrupter is becoming disrupted. Harvard professor Clayton Christensen described disruptive innovation as “a process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves…

US Department of Education Begins Substantial Negotiated Rulemaking Sessions

Beginning Tuesday January 15, following a day and a half of weather delay, the Department of Education initiated negotiated rulemaking sessions covering a considerable number of issues important to UPCEA and its membership. Meetings will continue through the months of February and conclude in March. Among the issues being discussed include, but is not limited to:…

Retirees to Embrace Campus Life (Inside Higher Ed)

….According to the National Center for Education Statistics, just 0.3 percent of students pursuing a degree are aged 65 and over. And education programs targeting those aged 55 and older rarely generate significant long-term revenues, according to Jim Fong, founding director of the University Professional and Continuing Education Association’s Center for Research and Strategy. “The target…

People & Programs: NJIT Associate Vice President of Continuing and Distance Education Gale Tenen Spak Retires

Gale Tenen Spak, Ph.D., Associate Vice President of Continuing and Distance Education at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) retired on January 1, 2019. Dr. Spak served as Associate Vice President for 26 years. Located in Newark, New Jersey, NJIT is the science and technology public research university of the State of New Jersey.…

The Clock is Ticking…Strategic Recommendations for Higher Education in 2019

The end of 2018 marked a challenging year for institutions of higher education, although the warning signs of declining enrollments and increased competition have been very visible over the past five years or more. For many institutions, there seems to be little sense of urgency to re-think educational products, institutional mission, or alignment to employment…

The Forgotten Middle-Skilled

Nearly half of all college graduates are reported to be underemployed in their first job and a third in non-STEM fields remain underemployed after five years. There are more college graduates available than college-requisite jobs in the marketplace at this time. But, there are many more openings than qualified applicants among middle-skill job positions. Burning…

Reflections on 2018 Predictions: Playing the Long Game

Predictions are one individual’s hunch based on the information at hand. Rarely do long-term predictions come true in just one year. Many of my 2018 predictions continue to head in the anticipated direction, some faster than others. However, what is clear is that, as happened to the music industry ten years ago, transportation (Uber, Lyft,…

Hey, Google, Alexa, Siri and Higher Ed

The growing use of voice search and virtual digital assistants will have an increasing impact on how we deliver, search for and market higher education. I watch the many ways in which my 7-year-old grandson engages with Google Home when he drops by the house. Whenever a question of history or fact arises, I pull…

Workcred, APLU, and UPCEA Awarded Lumina Grant to Connect Degrees and Certifications

Partnership Aims to Create Opportunities for Students to Earn Credentials with Labor-Market Value New York, December 17, 2018: Workcred, an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) affiliate, has been awarded a grant from Lumina Foundation to partner with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) to…

UPCEA Welcomes 58 New Member Institutions in 2018

UPCEA was pleased to welcome 58 new member institutions in 2018: Arapahoe Community College Baylor University Borough of Manhattan Community College Broward College Campbell University College of Lake County College of William & Mary Collin College Concordia College Dixie State University Drake University Duke University Duquesne University Endicott College Franciscan University of Steubenville George Mason…

Owner’s Manual – Your road map to UPCEA member benefits!

UPCEA Owner’s Manual You’ve invested in the best, now get the most from your membership in UPCEA, the online and professional education association. UPCEA is the online and professional education association. Our members are continuously reinventing higher education, positively impacting millions of lives. We proudly lead and support them through cutting edge research, professional development,…

Reflecting on 2018, and (Tentatively) Projecting the Future (Inside Higher Ed)

Just like that, another year is almost over. If it’s been as much of a whirlwind for you as it has for us, you’re likely struggling to make sense of all that changed on the digital learning landscape this year. Our second annual year-end recap is here to help. We gathered some of the most…

UPCEA Submits Comments on Proposed Public Charge Rule

Higher education groups request exemption for Title IV student aid and international students UPCEA today joined over 150,000 groups and individuals submitting comments on the Trump administration’s proposal to overhaul how the government evaluates whether a would-be immigrant is “not likely to be a public charge”—that is, not likely to use public benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid,…

Generating So Many Leads and Losing Them in a Blink of an Eye

Higher education marketers are faced with significant challenges in attracting new adult students into their professional, continuing, and online (PCO) programs. The target market is now primarily spread across four generations of adult learners, recent Generation Z graduates (those 22 or younger) and Gen Zers not going to college, Millennials (those 23 to 37 years…

Jobs, Education and the Learner/Worker

Much is written about strengthening the link between education and employment. Jobs are changing and likely to continue to evolve over the coming decades. Education must evolve, too. How do we make sense of all that is being written and said about the linkage between education and employment? Certainly, we are seeing effects of a…

UPCEA & Other Associations Urge HHS Not to Pursue Definition of Sex

Shortly before the November election, word leaked that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was considering developing a definition of “sex” that would, in effect, maintain that an individual’s sex was determined at birth and was unchangeable. In a letter last week, UPCEA, along with ACE and 27 other higher education associations, urged HHS not…

Forum on the Future of Work

Forum on the Future of Work June 20-21, 2019 | Columbia University, New York City The School of Professional Studies at Columbia University and UPCEA invite you to a joint Forum on the Future of Work. This event aims to expand the body of knowledge around the future of work and its impact on curriculum,…

Thank You – Second Opinion

Second Opinion—Free Consulting Service for Members! Thank you for filling out our form. Someone will get back to you shortly. Click here to learn more about UPCEA Consulting. Ray Schroeder is Professor Emeritus, Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and Senior Fellow, and Founding Director of…

Giving Thanks for the New Economy

With the holidays near, we need to give thanks for the many opportunities that 2019 should provide to higher education. The next few years (including 2019) bring the promise of a new and exciting economy, one based heavily on automation and efficiencies and fueled by the once-mocked Millennials (born between 1980 and 1996; now roughly…

Search in the Post-Truth Era

Google has dominated search for 20 years. But results today are far too often tainted with information that is incomplete, misleading or false. MIT aims to address that problem with the knowledge graph Underlay. I recall the very early days of Google’s search engine — just after it changed its name from BackRub (really!). It was renamed…

Exposing Generation Z and Millennials in the Enrollment Management Process

With Halloween only recently past, ghosts still are among us in society. They live among and can frequent colleges and universities, even our professional, continuing and online education units through “ghosting.” Ghosting is a term often associated with younger generations regarding relationships. However, the phrase has recently started entering the workplace with new hires not…

Affordable and At-Scale

Affordable degrees at scale have arrived. The momentum behind this movement is undeniable, and its impact will be significant. How many times have we been told that major change in our field is on the near horizon? Too many times, indeed. The promises of technologies and practices have fallen short more often than not. Just…

7 Ways to Reduce the Cost of an Online Degree (U.S. News & World Report)

An online degree program can be a big investment. Luckily for 37-year-old northern Virginia resident Grant Clough, his employer offers workers $8,000 per year toward tuition reimbursement for those who choose to continue their education. Clough, director of talent acquisition at AARP, initially considered an MBA program, possibly on campus. But he ultimately decided against…

Announcing: 2019 eDC ThinkTank Roadshow

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…

What are your plans for National Distance Learning Week (NDLW)?

Back in the day, as the leader of an online unit, I struggled with National Distance Learning Week (NDLW). People who know me know I haven’t met a special occasion I don’t like but NDLW was always a head-scratcher for me. Maybe it’s because I associate events with in-person attendance and that’s pretty much the…

Fixing Higher Education As We Move Into the New Economy

Is the degree dead, dying, or about to thrive in the new economy? Over the past two decades, higher education has adapted with online master’s and bachelor’s degrees. However, it took two decades to fully embrace the changes of the evolution of the Internet economy dovetailing into the mobile economy. These economies changed commerce, retail,…

Virtual Labs Coming of Age

Online: Trending Now #144 Have we finally arrived at a point where we can effectively teach laboratory classes online? Recently, the University of Pennsylvania announced that they will launch a baccalaureate degree at scale online next fall. They are not the only ones to offer entire undergraduate degrees online, but they are the first from…

Next for SNHU: Game-Based Learning and Digital Badges for Middle Schoolers (Inside Higher Ed)

Southern New Hampshire University is again trying to disrupt the status quo in higher ed — this time by attempting to link middle schoolers with college degrees. The nonprofit university, which has one of the largest online enrollments in the country, announced today that it is acquiring the nonprofit LRNG — a Chicago-based organization that helps young…

2018 UPCEA Marketing and Enrollment Award Recipients Announced

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 18, 2018 — UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2018 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award and the 2018 Marketing Awards. The UPCEA Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, recognizes an outstanding professional, continuing, and/or online organization (unit or individual) that models best practices and…

Tell your complete educational story to potential employers (FIU News)

Some skills are considered too “small” or specific to become a degree program and aren’t often listed on a student’s academic transcript. Yet, it’s a collection of these very skills that employers know are a big deal in the rapidly-changing 21st century workforce. This is where badges come in. These digital icons represent achievements or skills in a…

Department of Education Announces Formal Rulemaking Committee, Seeks Nominations

Following their request for input on a wide-ranging set of topics to be placed into a single negotiated rulemaking session, the Department has formally announced their intent to hold sessions in January, February, and March related to these issues. The department has decided to split this rulemaking session into one main committee regarding “Accreditation and…

People & Programs: UCLA Dean of Continuing Education and Extension Wayne Smutz to Retire

Dr. Wayne Smutz, Dean of Continuing Education and Extension at the University of California, Los Angeles, has announced that he is retiring effective October 31, 2018. Smutz has served as the Dean of Continuing Education and UCLA Extension since October 2013. UCLA Extension is the continuing education division of the University of California, Los Angeles.…

Addressing Declining Enrollments Through Partnerships

According to data from the National Student Clearinghouse, colleges and universities have seen more than six years (or twelve periods) of enrollment decline nationally. Further confirming this are findings from the WCET/Babson study that shows that traditional classroom enrollments have been in decline, to the extent of a decline of over a million enrollments between…

Right-Sizing Online Classes

Online: Trending Now #143 A persistent source of controversy and contention in our field is the “right size” for caps on an online class. It it’s too large, there’s not enough individualized attention; too small, there’s not enough interaction and too costly. On behalf of UPCEA, I have the good fortune to talk with many…

Pedagogy, Andragogy, and Now Heutagogy

Online: Trending Now #142 Teaching adults is not the same as teaching children; done well, it affords the adults a level of autonomy, even including the opportunity to determine and direct their learning. Regrettably, we still find university instructors who teach their students as if they were in 19th or 20th century elementary or high…

Millennial Managers: The Gateway Toward Alternative Credentials

Society has jeered Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1994 or roughly being between 22 and 37 years of age) for their differences, as opposed to appreciating their unique qualities and strengths. Many entered the economy after earning their bachelor’s degree only to find the economy in a recession and Baby Boomers (those born between…

Google Curriculum, College Credit (Inside Higher Ed)

Google made its first substantial foray into postsecondary education in January, with the creation of a new online certificate program aimed at people who are interested in working in entry-level IT support roles. Necessity was a key motivator for the technology giant, which like most has struggled to find enough IT hires and also is seeking to…

The Healthcare Industry and Opportunities for Continuing and Professional Education

According to the U.S. Census, there are approximately 326 million people in the United States. In 2016, there were approximately 74 million Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964. At their peak, there was as many as 79 million in the U.S. To put things in perspective, Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1994,…

The Benefit of Higher Education Being Late to Technology-Based Learning

In his recent book Thank You for Being Late, Thomas Friedman analyzes why the world seems to be accelerating away from us at a remarkable pace. His explanation: Humans are adaptable, but no generation has experienced technology, globalization and climate change at the rate we are seeing. As an example, Friedman suggests that if advances…

2018 UPCEA Association Award Recipients

2018 Association Award Recipients At the 1953 Annual Conference of the National University Extension Association (NUEA), which was the forerunner of UPCEA, Robert Browne of the University of Illinois gave a speech honoring Tom Shelby, retiring Dean of the Division of Extension at the University of Texas. Browne conferred on Shelby the FX Key in…

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

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…

Preparing for Future Jobs and Careers

Online: Trending Now #140 Jobs and careers are changing rapidly, influenced by emerging and maturing technologies and an evolving marketplace mix for human and AI skills and functionalities. It seems that the most popular book for summer reading this year at my university has been Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by…

The Commons: Next Generation Learning

A new study forecasts the next generation learning environment. From the creators of Virtually Inspired, a website that showcases pockets of digital learning innovation worldwide, comes “The Classroom of the Future” whitepaper. This downloadable document examines next generation learning. To reimagine education of tomorrow, we must consider new methodologies augmented with technologies that enable us…

People & Programs: NC State University Vice Provost for Continuing Education Alice Warren to Retire

Alice Warren, vice provost for continuing education at North Carolina State University, has announced that she is retiring effective October 1, 2018. Warren joined the McKimmon Center for Extension and Continuing Education at North Carolina State University in 1979. In 2008, she was appointed assistant vice chancellor and director of the division. Under Warren’s leadership…

Practice What You Preach

Online: Trending Now #139 We all are in higher education; we encourage prospective students to enroll; we extol the benefits of continuing to learn throughout life; the question is, how well do we practice what we preach? With a commitment to higher education and with many of us in professional and continuing education, one would…

What about all this data?

For millennia, knowledge has always been equated to power. Information was once a scarce commodity and those who held the information or knowledge were generally already in power or had the ability to gain it. Since we have now left the industrial age and entered into ‘The Informational Age’ – or whatever we end of…

The Commons: Ending Knowledge Discrimination

As the continuing and online education community knows all too well, in American higher education, where you learn something is more important than how well you know and can apply it. The average adult spends over 700 hours a year engaged in purposeful learning outside of the formal college curriculum. And the knowledge, skills, and…

UPCEA Announces Partnership with Drexel University Online

Partnership is in Support of Initiative Dedicated to Advances in Online Education, Virtually Inspired WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 15, 2018) — UPCEA today announced a new partnership with Drexel University Online (DUO) to provide the association’s community with access to DUO’s ‘Virtually Inspired’ website. Virtually Inspired features a series of high-quality videos illuminating how educators worldwide…

Can an LMS Be Designed for Humans First, Tech Second?

Despite the evolution of learning management systems over the past two decades, LMSs seem to remain tech-oriented rather than learner oriented – is this likely to change? Online: Trending Now #138 Learning management systems have been around since the last century. The World Wide Web, of course, provided great impetus to the LMS through the…

Marketing in the Modern Economy for Professional, Continuing and Online Education

David Packard, one of the founders of Hewlett Packard, once said “Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department.” However, the inverse could also be true—that marketing should not be done without a marketing department. Effective marketing requires a strategic, data-driven approach; a team to manage it; a budget to support it;…

Education Department Announces Substantial Rule-Making Session

The Department of Education has announced a negotiated rulemaking committee to prepare regulations for a wide-range of issues pertinent to UPCEA member institutions. The extremely wide range of topics to be discussed include, but is not limited to: State authorization Regular and substantive interaction Definition of “credit hour” Discussion of EQUIP-style programmatic delivery by third-party…

UPCEA Recognizes University of Wisconsin-Extension for Excellence in Online Learning

UW-Extension receives recognition for a high-quality online education program WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 26, 2018) — The National Council for Online Education announced today that the University of Wisconsin-Extension successfully completed the UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program, demonstrating consistent excellence throughout its online programs. The UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership…

Learning for “New Collar” Jobs in a Competitive Time

Online: Trending Now #157 How can we effectively compete in the field of online professional education during a time of dropping price points and rising competitors? It is a time of high competition for the professional education market. Udacity has been successful in launching just-in-time Nanodegrees at very competitive price with flexible completion features. EdX…

The Maturing Millennial Manager

Professional, continuing and online (PCO) education units are facing a period of intense competition, but also of significant opportunity. A decade ago, PCO units and their institutions were in fear of launching unsuccessful online bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Ten years later, growth in the market has slowed and competition increased. With the economy now shifting…

Online: Trending Now

Online: Trending Now Unique biweekly insights and news review from Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow at UPCEA. Ray Schroeder is Professor Emeritus, Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and Senior Fellow at UPCEA. Each year, Ray publishes and presents nationally on emerging topics in online and technology-enhanced learning. Ray’s…

New for 2018 – UPCEA Excellence in Enrollment Management Award

Enrollment management is central to the success of professional, continuing, and online units. In the last 40 years, enrollment management has evolved from a theoretical concept in undergraduate education to a highly sophisticated framework for attracting, retaining, and graduating students. The UPCEA Excellence in Enrollment Management Award recognizes an outstanding professional, continuing, and/or online (PCO) organization (unit…

UPCEA’s National Council for Online Education Announces Four New Advisory Board Members

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2018 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed four new members to serve on the National Council for Online Education Advisory Board at the 2018 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration. “These exceptional leaders all have deep and varied expertise in the world…

Planning in a Time of Change

Online: Trending Now #136 How can we effectively plan for our online programs in this environment? This is an unprecedented time in higher education. We are facing rapid change in nearly all facets of our programs. Federal and state support is diminishing; employers in many fields are turning entry-level jobs over to artificial intelligence rather than…

Paying Faculty is Both an Art and Science

Reflecting back upon the past two decades of higher education, much has changed. Millennials have fully exited the traditional higher education system with early Millennials quickly becoming managers and leaders of the companies or organizations they work for. Generation Z just saw its first major college graduating class. Both generations saw new ways and tools…

Giving a Voice to Thoughts

Online: Trending Now #135 This piece was originally published in Inside Higher Ed on May 23, 2018. A new technology tool from MIT enables silent communication between human and computer MIT, once again, has taken a huge step toward further embedding technology into our lives. In this case, it is giving voice to thoughts, speech to the speechless…

We’re putting your feedback to use

Recently, we conducted a member needs assessment to ask members how we can improve the value we offer to all those in the UPCEA community. A special thanks to all of you who took the time to share your thoughts with us. We’ve carefully reviewed your feedback, and I’m pleased to share what we’re doing…

Augmenting Reality in Learning Online

Online: Trending Now #134 Augmented Reality is emerging as a powerful tool in distance online learning. It is common that Virtual Reality (VR) is confused with Augmented Reality (AR). They are often conflated because some technologies apply to both. Augmented reality, by definition includes the “real world” around the user. Virtual reality is entirely virtual.…

Innovation to Drive International Enrollment Success in the Third Wave

In my recent paper, A Third Wave of International Student Mobility, published by Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley, I analyzed the landscape of international enrollment from the lens of three Waves defined by key events shaping student choices and provided an overview of data-driven enrollment trends by institutional types. First and second…

The Digital Student Assistant

Online: Trending Now #133 The potential digital student assistant is on the near horizon, and it promises alter practices and pedagogies in a big way. All the parts are there; almost certainly some developers are in product testing for a digital student assistant. By assistant, I don’t mean the “Jill Watson” AI graduate assistant that…

Salary, Structure and Staffing Survey: Revenue Per Employee

As institutions of higher education enter an era of increasing accountability where the measurement of enrollments, research grants, endowments and other revenue sources are essential and expected reporting measures; professional, continuing and online (PCO) education units are also faced with similar accountability metrics as they plan for their own operations. From February to May 2018,…

Department of Education Seeks Input on State Authorization Rule Delay

As we notified you of a few weeks ago, the Department of Education is seeking to delay the implementation of regulations relating to State authorization that are to go into effect June 1 of this year. The main reasons for the delay were concerns around disclosure issues and student residence for distance education programs and…

VR and AR Online

Online: Trending Now #132 One of the challenges we face in teaching online is bringing “reality” into our classes. The potential of virtual reality and augmented reality in online courses is enormous. Especially in online learning, these technologies promise to enable us to bring the laboratory, geography, cultures, and communities to reality for those who are…

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

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?

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,…

GDPR Deadline Looms; Are You Ready?

Online: Trending Now #131 The General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union is going into effect on May 25. If you are not aware of GDPR, now is the time to get up to speed on this European Union policy that may reshape data privacy and security around the world. The EU has greatly expanded…

Aligning the Liberal Arts Degree to STEM and Gen Z

While the economies of the U.S. and other nations are moving to greater automation and technological growth, the role of the liberal arts degree is getting lost in the shuffle or being disparaged as being out of alignment with workforce growth. The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field is growing as a result of…

Four Organizations Partner on Public Policy for Adult Learners at June Summit

The organizations will be focusing on workforce policy, online education, and many other topics related to state and federal policy and higher education. WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 24 — Four higher education organizations are joining together to host a June event focused on state and federal policy trends impacting higher education. The University Professional and Continuing…

April eDesign Exchange: Fool’s Errand

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…

A Different Corner Blog

A Different Corner A Different Corner is written by Julie Uranis, Vice President, Online & Strategic Initaitives, and Managing Director of the National Council for Online Education. This blog veers into topics du jour in PCO and as the title of the blog might imply, a George Michael lyric or ten. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Julie…

AHEAD and UPCEA Partner to Support Online Enterprise Accessibility

Partnership will focus on aspects of accessibility including faculty support, student support, and cultivating institutional advocates WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 4, 2018) – AHEAD, the organization of professionals committed to full participation in higher education for persons with disabilities, has partnered with UPCEA, the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education, to exchange resources, engage…

UPCEA/Chmura Study: Exploring the Determinants of Student Loan Default Rates

UPCEA/Chmura Study: Exploring the Determinants of Student Loan Default Rates Student loan defaults in the United States have been a growing problem. After reaching a historic low of 4.5% in 2003, student loan default rates have been trending upward, rising to 10.0% for the 2011 cohort. Total student debt has also been increasing in the…

UPCEA Announces Four New Board Members

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2018 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed two new officers and two new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors during the 2018 UPCEA Annual Conference. “This year’s deep pool of nominees was exceptionally talented, and it was a challenge…

Appropriations Bill Supports Greater Pell and Research Funding

Congress today passed the FY18 Omnibus Appropriations Bill which included increased support to the Pell Grant program, which is projected to help over 7 million low-income families afford college. It does this by raising the maximum award by $175 (to $6,095), maintaining the recent Year Round Pell expansion that UPCEA has advocated for over the…

University of Utah’s Assistant Vice President for Engagement Sandi Pershing To Serve As UPCEA President

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2018 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Dr. Sandi Pershing as the association’s 2018-19 President during the 2018 UPCEA Annual Conference. Pershing is Assistant Vice President for Engagement and a professor in the Master of Public Administration program at the University of…

UPCEA Intros Digital Badges for Excellence in Online Learning (Campus Technology)

The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) has launched a program to recognize excellence in online higher education: the Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review. The program evaluates online education programs based on seven key elements, such as internal advocacy, entrepreneurial initiative and faculty support, and then issues Credly digital badges to qualifying colleges and universities. “In…

UPCEA Taps Credly to Launch Digital Badges that Recognize Excellence in Online Learning

Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program will award digital badges to high-quality online education programs WASHINGTON, D.C. (MARCH 14, 2018) — The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) announced today the launch of the Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program to recognize colleges and universities that demonstrate consistent excellence throughout…

Membership Plus!

Membership Plus+ With membership renewal fast approaching, we are pleased to offer an exciting new choice (if you don’t have a membership, or have already renewed or joined through June 30, 2019, you are also eligible for this package). You can either: Begin/Renew your UPCEA membership for the next year (your invoice will be sent soon…

UPCEA/Chmura Study: Exploring the Determinants of Student Loan Default Rates

Student loan defaults in the United States have been a growing problem. After reaching a historic low of 4.5% in 2003, student loan default rates have been trending upward, rising to 10.0% for the 2011 cohort. Total student debt has also been increasing in the nation, rising above $1 trillion in 2010 and approaching $1.5…

Why PCO Leaders Need to Teach

<Imagine a radio announcer making this dedication> This post goes out to all of the professional, continuing and online education (PCO) leaders that have asked me how I manage to teach in my spare time. </ voice> For the last several Winter terms (or Spring terms for some of you), I have taught the Intro…

Influencing Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act

UPCEA joined with other organizations to submit the following principles regarding the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, in response to the Senate HELP Committee call for comments on February 13: Do no harm. Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) should be used to clearly and unambiguously improve student aid for students. The…

Letter to Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi on PROSPER Act

UPCEA, along with ACE and 37 other higher education associations wrote a letter to Reps. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on H.R. 4508, the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform Act (PROSPER), expressing reservations with the bill and advocating for a reauthorization that enhances the ability of students to enter…

February eDesign Exchange: Where’s the Love?

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,…

The Pulse of Higher Ed

The Pulse of Higher Ed Perspectives on Online and Professional Educationfrom UPCEA’s Research and Consulting Experts Trusted by the nation’s top colleges and universities, UPCEA Research and Consulting provides the best value in the industry today. UPCEA’s industry experts have years of experience in Online and Professional Continuing education – put them to work for you! UPCEA…

Choose More

UPCEA is the only organization in North America focusing on both professional and continuing education and quality online programs, with the knowledge and resources colleges and universities need to serve the nontraditional market. UPCEA’s membership includes leading public and private institutions, and is more than 14,000 members strong! What does this mean for you and…

Professionalism and Staff Evals

Professionalism and Staff Evals I have had several conversations with online leaders that amount to, “I love the ‘Hallmarks’ but how do I implement them? There’s so much there!” Well my friends and colleagues, I’ll tell you…it’s all about baby steps. I was watching The Equalizer a few weeks ago (a movie featuring Denzel Washington)…

Professionalism and Staff Evals

I have had several conversations with online leaders that amount to, “I love the ‘Hallmarks’ but how do I implement them? There’s so much there!” Well my friends and colleagues, I’ll tell you…it’s all about baby steps. I was watching The Equalizer a few weeks ago (a movie featuring Denzel Washington) and he had a…

Rethinking “Generation Z is Not My Target Market”

While recently visiting an on-campus continuing education unit, I was told by a program director, “Generation Z is not my target market.” To me, that is dangerous thinking for a professional, continuing and online education (PCO) unit. Generation Z, those under the age of 23, have only graduated their first major cohort of college students.…

UPCEA Announces 2018 Association Award Recipients

6 Individuals and 9 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2018 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its members’…

An Insider’s Guide to Generation Z and Higher Education

An Insider’s Guide to Generation Z and Higher Education Generation Z remains a mystery for us, as well as business and industry. Only recently has the media and corporate America invested in better understanding them. In fact, they still argue about their definition and their ages. At UPCEA, we define Generation Z as those born…

An Insider’s Guide to Generation Z and Higher Education

Generation Z remains a mystery for us, as well as business and industry. Only recently has the media and corporate America invested in better understanding them. In fact, they still argue about their definition and their ages. At UPCEA, we define Generation Z as those born between 1995 and 2005, or those roughly 12 to…

Jim Fong’s 2018 Predictions

While the world economic picture looks strong for 2018, higher education seems to be in flux or transition. Despite political unrest and consumer economic uncertainty, many sectors are expected to grow. The question remains … “Is higher education keeping pace?” As director for UPCEA’s Center for Research and Strategy, I am in a fortunate position…

Benchmark This!

Benchmark This! – Rethinking “Generation Z is Not My Target Market” February 5, 2018 While recently visiting an on-campus continuing education unit, I was told by a program director, “Generation Z is not my target market.” To me, that is dangerous thinking for a professional, continuing and online education (PCO) unit. Generation Z, those…

Coalition Pens Letter on PROSPER Act

The National Adult Learner Coalition wrote a letter to US House of Representatives leadership of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding H.R. 4508, Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act, and our concerns. We are particularly concerned about this bill’s major structural changes to federal financial aid, and…

January eDesign Exchange: What’s an eDC ThinkTank?

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…

UPCEA Joins Cautionary Chorus on House HEA Legislation

National Adult Learner Coalition weighs in on PROSPER Act House HEA Legislation movement UPCEA, along with the National Adult Learner Coalition, joined with many other higher education organizations to join in chorus to urge cautious and deliberative movement on the US House of Representative’s push for a re-authorization of the Higher Education Act, H.R. 4508,…

Generation Z Isn’t Generation Z-ombie

Generation Z has been inappropriately and ignorantly labeled by other writers from the other generations as Generation Z-ombie. These authors have drawn a conclusion that the generation may be focused selfishly on themselves and their sustenance. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Generation Z is a wildly informed group that moves very quickly,…

eDC ThinkTank Roadshow

Most conferences have the format of bringing people away from universities to share what they are doing… however, much is lost without seeing things in context. Ours is a “Flipped Conference Model” where we bring people to universities and show them how things work in real time. We meet the team, tour, and then spend…

Letter to Finance Committee on Senate Tax Plan

UPCEA, along with ACE, and nearly 50 other higher education associations sent this letter to Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) regarding the higher education provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). The groups write they are concerned about provisions in the bill…

National Adult Learner Coalition Addresses Tax Cuts and Jobs Act H.R. 1

The National Adult Learner Coalition, a group of organizations of which UPCEA is a founding member, wrote to Congressional leadership to express our concerns with H.R.1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and its elimination of the Lifetime Learning Credit and Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code. Our organizations are focused on how the…

Generation Z, A New Cohort of Adult Learners

Over the past two decades, professional, continuing, and online (PCO) education units of colleges and universities have reaped the rewards of Boomers returning to complete their bachelor’s degrees. As Boomers gave way to Generation X and Millennials, PCO units developed professional master’s degrees to further feed these groups. Now, higher education will soon graduate their…

Thought Piece: The Heat Map

In my early days as a director, I found that, even when doing my best to scope a course development cycle, there would inevitably come one-off request for “urgent course fixes or builds” that hovered around the beginning of the semester. Despite doing what we could to assist, I could never seem to explain to…

Systemwide Approaches to Online Programs (InsideHigherEd)

As online offerings have grown increasingly important to colleges over the past decade, large public university systems looking to launch or expand degree programs have been faced with a key question: To centralize or not to centralize? Systems across the country have adopted a wide range of approaches — creating a separate institutional entity for…

Changes in Labor Statistics Signal Major Occupational Shifts and Impact to Higher Education Credentials

WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 12, 2017 – A joint research report released today by UPCEA and Chmura Economics & Analytics reveals a number of major occupational shifts in technology, healthcare, and other industries and their impact on higher education. The study, Occupational Shifts and Higher Education Credentials found a rise in alternative credentialing in the…

196 Recipients Receive Honors Across 26 Categories for Excellence in Marketing

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 11, 2017 — UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2017 Marketing Awards. The UPCEA Marketing Awards program recognizes the top marketing and creative work across the UPCEA membership. This year, UPCEA is honoring 196 recipients for their excellence in 26 awards categories across…

Regional Conference Pilot Programs

Regional Conference Pilot Programs April 2017 Announcing two exciting, new member-driven regional conference pilot programs! Dear Colleagues, I want to share with you the results of the UPCEA Presidential Task Force on Regional Conferences, which conducted a comprehensive and iterative review of the signature deliverable of UPCEA’s five regions: a fall conference. The UPCEA Board…

Announcing two exciting, new member-driven regional conference pilot programs!

Dear Colleagues, I want to share with you the results of the UPCEA Presidential Task Force on Regional Conferences, which conducted a comprehensive and iterative review of the signature deliverable of UPCEA’s five regions: a fall conference. The UPCEA Board of Directors charged the Task Force to make recommendations for reducing the number of regional…

Thought Piece: Transforming Problem Sets into Authentic Assessments

Shelly Brazelle, an adjunct professor in Forensic Science at George Washington University, was drawn to the field like many others for the thrill of crime. TV shows like CSI and Forensic Files popping up, cast an allure revealing the drama and glamour of a career in Forensics. While there are still high stakes for her…

For Leaders in Online Education

Leaders in Online Education UPCEA is dedicated to advancing quality online learning at postsecondary institutions. UPCEA is uniquely focused on excellence at the highest levels – leadership, administration, strategy – applying a macro lens to the online teaching and learning enterprise. Its engaged members include the stewards of online learning at most of the leading…

UPCEA/Chmura Study: Occupational Shifts and Higher Education Credentials

This report illustrates a number of major occupational shifts in technology, healthcare, and other industries, and their impact on higher education. While new occupational categories are certain to arise, and existing ones may change, UPCEA and Chmura hope to shed greater light on this complex topic. The U.S. is at a unique period in time.…

UPCEA/Chmura Study: Occupational Shifts and Higher Education Credentials

UPCEA/Chmura Study: Occupational Shifts and Higher Education Credentials This report illustrates a number of major occupational shifts in technology, healthcare, and other industries, and their impact on higher education. While new occupational categories are certain to arise, and existing ones may change, UPCEA and Chmura hope to shed greater light on this complex topic. The…

UPCEA Addresses Trump Administration on DACA

UPCEA joined with HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities) and ACE (American Council on Education) along with other organizations to retain protections for those who are part of the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program until longer term solutions can be put into place. The letters call for the program to be retained…

Center for Research and Strategy Studies

UPCEA Research and Consulting Studies Informed decisions. Ideas that work. The data you need. UPCEA offers the gold standard of research and benchmarking information in the field through UPCEA Research and Consulting. Under the experienced leadership of Jim Fong, UPCEA conducts several free studies per year for the benefit of all UPCEA members. See the…

Media Expenditures Budgeting Among Higher Education Providers

Media Expenditures Budgeting Among Higher Education Providers Marketing department media expenditures have been an important topic in student recruitment operations for more than 20 years. During the past decade, higher education providers have experienced a dramatic shift from print to electronic media as the main driver of their marketing operations. The resulting increase in electronic…

The Future of Drones and the Educational Impact

The Future (and Educational Impact) of Drones As technology increases, drones have become increasingly more affordable in both the private and public sectors, and in turn their use has increased dramatically. This presents opportunities for both businesses and higher education across the country. Businesses will be able to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for transportation,…

A Model for New Program Development

A Model for New Program Development Competition among higher education institutions is increasing both nationally and internationally, often driven by cultural shifts, globalization, advancements in technology, and decreases in state funding among other factors. Many universities have responded to these pressures by becoming more entrepreneurial. The future success of universities will depend in part on…

Customer Relationship Management Among Education Providers

Customer Relationship Management Among Education Providers Customer relationship management is a critical component of an education provider’s enrollment operations process. Increased competition and tightening budgets have led to a growing need for efficient and effective customer relationship management systems. Many education providers have developed external partnerships to meet this need. Helix Education and the University…

Leading by Gut or by Data: The Data-Driven State of Higher Ed Decision Making

Leading by Gut or by Data: The Data-Driven State of Higher Ed Decision Making In recent years, the idea of data-driven decision making has been propelling much of the higher education narrative. As many industries work to incorporate data and analytics into their organizational processes, education providers are also tasked with adopting a more thoroughly…

The Future of Social Work

The Future of Social Work Social work is an occupational industry incorporating “helping others” careers from all over the nation. The industry was founded over 100 years ago and continues to evolve with the introduction of new modern technologies and new industry applications. The skills learned through this degree, and its inherent occupational demands, can…

2017 UPCEA Association Award Recipients

2017 Association Award Recipients At the 1953 Annual Conference of the National University Extension Association (NUEA), which was the forerunner of UPCEA, Robert Browne of the University of Illinois gave a speech honoring Tom Shelby, retiring Dean of the Division of Extension at the University of Texas. Browne conferred on Shelby the FX Key in…

More Than Just Cool? (InsideHigherEd)

Collecting data might be the key to getting skeptics to look at VR and AR beyond “cool,” said Ray Schroeder, associate vice president for online learning at the University of Illinois at Springfield and director council for online education for the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. “Higher education is moving beyond just the coolness factor to…

Instructional Design and Technology Teams: Work Experiences and Professional Development

Instructional Design and Technology Teams: Work Experiences and Professional Development The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) conducted a research study in the spring of 2017 to learn more about the professional development needs and work experiences of instructional designers, instructional technologists, multimedia designers, and their team leaders. The goal was to determine how…

UPCEA/Blackboard Survey: Navigating Generational Shifts: Understanding Today’s Student Demographics, Preferences and Expectations

Navigating Generational Shifts: Understanding Today’s Student Demographics, Preferences and Expectations As society evolves, our fascination with generational differences never seems to cease. Driven by the worldly events of the time, each generation embodies a generalized collection of cultural differences which tells us a fair amount about their beliefs, influencers, and preferences. While our fascination is…

National Adult Learner Coalition | Advancing the adult learner agenda in higher education public policy | UPCEA | OLC | CAEL

UPCEA/Pearson Survey: Demographic Shifts in Educational Demand and the Rise of Alternative Credentials

UPCEA/Pearson Survey: Demographic Shifts in Educational Demand and the Rise of Alternative Credentials To thrive in today’s fast-evolving job market, students need flexible ways to quickly develop and demonstrate new skills. Alternative credentialing helps solve this problem. UPCEA and Pearson surveyed 190 institutions to determine the role alternative credentials play in higher education. Learn more…

Report: Colleges And Universities Should Offer More Alternative Credentials (Campus Technology)

Report: Colleges And Universities Should Offer More Alternative Credentials (Campus Technology) June 30, 2017 Younger students are more interested in alternatives to traditional degree offerings, such as microcredentials, certificates and other short-term opportunities, according to a new report from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association(UPCEA) and Blackboard. “I think over time, as traditional education continues…

AGB Search and UPCEA Partner to Serve Growing Nontraditional Higher Learning Sector

Partnership will focus on executive searches for professional, continuing, and online education. WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 28, 2017 – AGB Search, the firm focused exclusively on all aspects of higher education executive search, has partnered with UPCEA, the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education, to provide executive search services for higher education…

Navigating Generational Shifts: Understanding Today’s Student Demographics, Preferences and Expectations

As society evolves, our fascination with generational differences never seems to cease. Driven by the worldly events of the time, each generation embodies a generalized collection of cultural differences which tells us a fair amount about their beliefs, influencers, and preferences. While our fascination is oftentimes tied to pop-culture details such as fashion, music, and…

Secretary DeVos Issues Statement on Regulatory Reform Task Force Progress Report

US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION — U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today released the following statement on the Department’s Regulatory Reform Task Force’s first progress report as required by President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 13777: “The Regulatory Reform Task Force has been hard at work over the last few months cataloguing over 150 regulations and…

Department of Education Provides Year Round Pell and Increased Flexibility for Students

US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION – WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Year Round Pell grants will be available to students beginning July 1, 2017. This policy change will ensure hundreds of thousands of college students have the resources needed to finish their coursework in a timeframe that meets their individual needs. “This decision is…

UPCEA Signs DACA Support Letter Joining HACU and Others

UPCEA today joined the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and 26 other organizations to issue a letter to Secretary John Kelly of the Department of Homeland Security requesting clarification regarding protections offered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Our concern surrounds DACA holders being deported or detained and threatened with deportation…

Instructional Design and Technology Teams: Work Experiences and Professional Development

The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) conducted a research study in the spring of 2017 to learn more about the professional development needs and work experiences of instructional designers, instructional technologists, multimedia designers, and their team leaders. The goal was to determine how similar the team leaders and the team members felt about…

Many Voices are More Impactful Than One: The National Adult Learner Coalition (The EvoLLLution)

Though non-traditional students have morphed into the new majority students on college and university campuses across the United States, public and institutional policy has largely remained focused on the “traditional” 18-22-year-old demographic. Unfortunately, this has created an environment that leaves the majority of students underserved on their own campuses, but a group of associations focused…

New Study Delves Into Unexplored Professional Development Benchmarking for Instructional Design and Technology Teams

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 7, 2017 – A study released today by the UPCEA eDesign Collaborative maps the expertise and roles in instructional design teams throughout North America. The study, Instructional Design and Technology Teams: Work Experiences and Professional Development, establishes benchmarks for experience and salaries among members of instructional design team members, and also…

Navigating the New UPCEA Website + Member Portal

Navigating the New Website + Member Portal Everyone with an UPCEA account from our old database needs to reset their password! First things first — if you had an UPCEA login in our old system, there are two major items to take note of: 1. Your old username is no longer valid. Your new username…

UPCEA in the News Archive

UPCEA in the News Archive What does it mean to be an online learning leader? (November 4, 2015) eCampusNews If online learning is to succeed not only as a legitmate option for learning but as a respected platform within an institution, leadership has to build that respect through calculated risks and building multi-departmental relationships.…

Press Release Archive

Press Release Archive UPCEA Announces New Partnership With World Education WASHINGTON – July 9, 2015 – UPCEA, the association for professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce the signing of a Gold level partnership agreement with World Education, an online certificate course provider. Founded by eLearning pioneer Steve Gatlin and based in Arlington,…

Phillip E. Frandson Award for Literature Recipients

The University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) Phillip E. Frandson Award for Literature in the Field of Professional, Continuing, and/or Online Education is presented in honor of the late Phillip E. Frandson, former Dean of UCLA Extension and 1977-78 UPCEA President. The award recognizes excellence in achievement for literature written about the theory or…

Adelle F. Robertson Emerging Professional Continuing Educator Award Winners

2024 – Casey Rothenberger, San Diego State University Global Campus 2023 – Jayzona Alberto, Stanford University 2022 – Vanessa Williams, Temple University 2021 – Katie Linder, Kansas State University Global Campus 2020 – Dr. Heather K. Hunt, University of Missouri 2019 – Kim Holka, Oakland University 2018 – Julie Damron, Brigham Young University 2017 –…

Julius M. Nolte Award Recipients

2024 – Karen Sibley, Brown University 2023 – Nelson Baker, Georgia Institute of Technology 2021 – Christina Sax, Maryland University of Integrative Health 2020 – Jay A. Halfond, Boston University 2019 – Richard Novak, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 2018 – Alice Warren, North Carolina State University 2017 – Bethaida “Bea” González, Syracuse…

Marketing Awards

Marketing and Enrollment Management Awards UPCEA’s Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Network sponsors annual competitions-the UPCEA MEMS Awards – to recognize the best marketing practices and promotional pieces, as well as enrollment excellence, and DEI in the field of online and professional continuing education. We invite Association members to enter their finest work for the…

Association Awards

Association Awards The Association Awards Program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. At the 1953 Annual Conference of the National University Extension Association (NUEA), which was the forerunner of UPCEA, Robert Browne of the University of Illinois gave a speech honoring Tom Shelby, retiring Dean of the Division of…

Online Trending Now Archive

Online: Trending Now Archives Posts from May 2018 and going back shown here. To access newer posts, click here. Unique biweekly insights and news review from Ray Schroeder, Senior Felow at UPCEA Online: Trending Now #136 | Planning in a Time of Change How can we effectively plan for our online programs in this environment? This…

Second Opinion

Second Opinion Free Consulting Service for Members! Seeking timely, expert advice-or, a “second opinion?” Our lead consultants are available to provide brief, rapid responses for members who have questions about all aspects of online and professional continuing education programs and strategy. Members can request a thirty-minute consultation free of charge. UPCEA ensures a systematic approach…

UPCEA Consulting Clients

The Nation’s Top Universities Consult with UPCEA Are you looking for greater value in your consulting partners? Did you know that UPCEA has consulted with institutional clients of all sizes and structures? Check out the list – you’ll be surprised by the scale of our work! American University Boise State University Boston College Brown University…

Past Webinar Recordings

Past Webinars + Recordings All past webinar recordings are available to UPCEA members. Occasional recordings will be made open to all at the discretion of the panelist(s). Interested in membership or unsure if your institution is already an UPCEA member? Learn more about membership. To see our current roster of webinars, visit the events page.…

UCLA’s Dean Of Continuing Education And Extension Wayne Smutz To Serve As UPCEA President

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Dr. Wayne Smutz as the association’s 2017-18 President during the 2017 UPCEA Annual Conference. Smutz is Dean of Continuing Education and Extension at the University of California, Los Angeles. As UPCEA President, Smutz will encourage…

Past Events

Historical Events See below for events in UPCEA historical listings over the past decade. If you are looking for our most recent past events, or upcoming events, click here. May 3-4, 2022 2022 UPCEA Annual Conference REACH Virtual More about this event APRIL 11-14, 2022 2022 UPCEA Annual Conference Orlando, FL Disney Coronado Springs More…

Regional Awards

Regional Awards Each of the five regions host their individual awards programs, recognizing the achievements of outstanding institutions and individuals in their own region. To find information about each regional conference and its awards process, click here to view our events page. To see the rubrics used to review award nominations, click here. • Central…

2017 Online Leadership Roundtable

San Diego, CA June 14, 2017 Join Jeff Selingo, Bridget Burns, Entangled Solutions, and other chief online learning officers (COLOs) for the 2017 Online Leadership Roundtable on June 14, 2017. The morning will be filled with compelling conversations on innovation and collaboration relevant to the online enterprise in higher education. Participants will then have the…

Press Releases

Press Releases UPCEA Unveils Top Predictions for Online and Professional Education in 2024 December 4, 2023 UPCEA’s experts explore the explosion of AI, maturation of online learning, enrollment declines and other factors impacting the future of higher ed. WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 4, 2023) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today released its Predictions…

2017 Summit for Online Leadership

June 14-16, 2017 — San Diego, CA The Summit for Online Leadership convenes key campus leaders – presidents, provosts, deans, and teams directly engaged in the management and delivery of online programs – to define and develop their institutional strategy for online learning. Attendees of the Summit focus on groundbreaking models of successful leadership development,…

Professional, Continuing, and Online Education News

Online and Professional Continuing Education News See below for a listing of curated news articles of the day brought to you by Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow at UPCEA. Subscribe to Daily Education News Updates Other Curated News: Read the Alternative Credentials in Higher Ed by UPCEA blog Read the Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education by…

Partners

Partners UPCEA’s partners are organizations that have demonstrated their support for online and professional continuing higher education and the mission of UPCEA. These links will take you directly to their websites and the products and services which will be of interest to higher education professionals. Interested in Corporate Membership or Partnership? Learn more. • Diamond…

Corporate Members

Corporate Members Corporate membership is available to business entities that provide goods and services within the higher education sector, consistent with UPCEA’s mission to “advance leadership in online and professional continuing education.” For more information about Corporate Membership, please contact: Brandan Kaiser at 202-844-4242 or [email protected]. More information about UPCEA Corporate Membership 2U5 HorizonsAAPCAccredibleAdvance EducationAlchemyAnthologyApollidon…

Institutional Members

Institutional Members For more than 100 years, UPCEA’s membership has consisted of the leading professional, continuing, and online education units at public and private colleges and universities across the map. See below for a list of current UPCEA member institutions. UPCEA Membership also includes our Corporate Members as well as valued Partners. For more information on…

UPCEA Announces 2017 Association Award Recipients

15 Individuals and 7 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2017 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its members’…

National Adult Learner Coalition Created To Advance Student Success

Washington, D.C., February 6th, 2017 – Today, four major organizations join together as a cohesive voice advocating for adult students and the institutions that serve them. With support from Lumina Foundation, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), Presidents’ Forum, and University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) are…

UPCEA Joins 46 Other Associations on Letter to Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly On Immigration Executive Order

UPCEA and 46 other higher education associations sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly on maintaining the United States as the destination of choice for the world’s best students, faculty and scholars. The letter was written in response to President Donald J. Trump’s executive order, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist…

UPCEA Announces Key Staff Changes, Positioning Association For Next Phase Of Strategic Growth

Julie Uranis, formerly of WKU, hired as Vice President for Online and Strategic Initiatives; Amy Heitzman elevated to Deputy Chief Executive Officer WASHINGTON, D.C. – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced a number of key staff changes designed to carry the association through its next phase of strategic growth. After growing…

Become a Member

You May Already Be a Member! UPCEA memberships are by organization. Check and see if your organization is already a member: Institutional Members Corporate Members Is your organization already a UPCEA Member? Create your profile here Start Your UPCEA Membership Application The form below should only be filled out by individuals who wish to…

Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY FOR UPCEA About UPCEA You will find details of UPCEA at the website at https://upcea.edu. The website is owned and operated by UPCEA. UPCEA is incorporated in the District of Columbia and its registered office is located at One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 450 Washington, DC 20036. In this policy we refer to…

Hallmarks of Excellence in Professional and Continuing Education

UPCEA Hallmarks Of Excellence In Professional And Continuing Education Introduction Professional and continuing education (PCE) can mean something very different from institution to institution. Some schools of professional and continuing education encompass both credit and noncredit programs, some only noncredit programs-and still others are degree-granting entities within their universities. Some oversee their own full-time faculty,…

Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership

UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Executive Summary These Hallmarks are an attempt to infuse idealism into a budding, dynamic profession – to help first-generation leaders in this field so online education can assume its rightful place in what makes universities excellent, respected, and essential to their communities. We identify seven facets of leadership…

UPCEA Research & Consulting

UPCEA Research & Consulting Top Colleges & Universities Consult with UPCEA VIEW LIST Trusted by the nation’s top colleges and universities, UPCEA Research and Consulting provides the best value in the industry today. UPCEA’s industry experts have years of experience in Online and Professional Continuing education – put them to work for you! UPCEA Research…

Members Only

Member Benefits Members get more! You will have access to a network of professionals and leaders, as well as online resources available exclusively to members. Find benchmarking research, webinar recordings and online conversations in CORe, UPCEA’s networking platform. You can also attend conferences and seminars at the discounted member rate, or participate in the UPCEA…

Department Announces Final Rule on State Authorization

On December 19th, the U.S. Department of Education released final regulations to improve oversight and protect more than 5.5 million distance education students at degree-granting institutions including nearly 3 million exclusively online students by clarifying the state authorization requirements for postsecondary distance education. To ensure that institutions offering distance education are legally authorized and monitored…

eDesign Collaborative

eDesign Collaborative Welcome to the eDesign Collaborative (formerly the HEeD Association), now a part of UPCEA! The eDesign Collaborative serves higher education instructional design teams (instructional designers, multimedia developers and team administrators) in higher education seeking networking and professional development. Higher education is currently experiencing a renaissance in eLearning and instructional design. The eDesign Collaborative’s mission is…

A Model for New Program Development

Competition among higher education institutions is increasing both nationally and internationally, often driven by cultural shifts, globalization, advancements in technology, and decreases in state funding among other factors. Many universities have responded to these pressures by becoming more entrepreneurial. The future success of universities will depend in part on finding more opportunistic and creative means…

The Future (and Educational Impact) of Drones

As technology increases, drones have become increasingly more affordable in both the private and public sectors, and in turn their use has increased dramatically. This presents opportunities for both businesses and higher education across the country. Businesses will be able to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for transportation, promotion, and communication to increase productivity and…

Volunteer

Volunteer 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,…

Networks

Networks Today, the field of online and professional continuing education is characterized by engagement in very complex areas of practice. UPCEA’s eight Networks are designed to serve professionals practicing in the key areas that define this vibrant and growing sector of higher education. Networks are open to any UPCEA Member. Members can join any one…

RESOURCES

Resources UPCEA is your one-stop shop for all things professional, continuing, and online education. Find qualified candidates for open positions via our Career Center, stay ahead of the pressing issues in our field with timely and topical publications, and more. • Online Education Leadership • UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence • Benchmarking Research & Consulting •…

CONTACT

Contact UPCEA Questions about UPCEA? Feel free to contact us at the numbers below or reach out to specific members of our team. One Dupont Circle, Suite 450 Washington, DC 20036 202-659-3130 [email protected] When emailing or calling UPCEA with questions about Association activities, you may find it helpful to consult the list below to ensure…

Regions

Regions UPCEA’s five Regions provide opportunities for members to examine issues of local and regional importance, to develop collaborative initiatives, and to network with area colleagues. Regional Cabinet Chair Jenni Murphy, California State University, Sacramento [email protected] • Central • New England • Mid-Atlantic • South • West Learn more about our upcoming virtual Regional Salons…

Department Publishes Borrower Defense to Repayment Regulations

On November 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education announced final regulations to protect student borrowers against misleading and predatory practices by postsecondary institutions and clarify a process for loan forgiveness in cases of institutional misconduct. According to the Department: The final regulations include key provisions from the proposed regulations that will protect the rights of…

UPCEA New England Region Map | Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine

Virtually Together: 2020 New England Region Conference

October 21-23, 2020 — Institutions of higher education are being faced with an ever growing myriad of challenges. From declining enrollments, recruiting from a shrinking pool of available students, and the creation and design of innovative courses, our institutions are preparing for the storm ahead. Professional, continuing, and online units have the potential to weather…

Customer Relationship Management Among Education Providers

Customer relationship management is a critical component of an education provider’s enrollment operations process. Increased competition and tightening budgets have led to a growing need for efficient and effective customer relationship management systems. Many education providers have developed external partnerships to meet this need. Helix Education and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association have…

Media Expenditures Budgeting Among Higher Education Providers

Marketing department media expenditures have been an important topic in student recruitment operations for more than 20 years. During the past decade, higher education providers have experienced a dramatic shift from print to electronic media as the main driver of their marketing operations. The resulting increase in electronic media expenditures has added a layer of…

EVENTS

Events Attend or view webinars on your schedule, and connect with peers in your area at a regional event – especially useful for new or mid-level professionals. Share your lessons learned with colleagues by presenting a conference session, and get involved with the association by becoming a volunteer leader. Connect with other high-level leaders through…

NEWS

News Best Colleges Ranking – 2025 (WalletHub) Insights from Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow at UPCEA – The Online and Professional Education Association and Professor Emeritus of Communication – University of Illinois Springfield Are Ivy League and other “name- brand” schools worth the high sticker price? Wise consumers of higher education should begin with the outcome.…

MEMBERSHIP

Become a Member | Join the UPCEA Higher Education Community Leaders in online and professional continuing education choose UPCEA Become a Member Membership Benefits View Current Members Membership Types What Members are Saying UPCEA is YOUR Community UPCEA exists to help institutions like yours enhance your online and professional continuing education portfolios. Through cutting edge…

Home

We are now simply “UPCEA” (no longer known as the University Professional and Continuing Education Association). Learn more. About UPCEA UPCEA is the online and professional education association. Our members are continuously reinventing higher education, positively impacting millions of lives. We lead and support them through research, networking, mentorship, conferences, seminars, and advocacy. We also…

ABOUT

We are now simply “UPCEA” (no longer known as the University Professional and Continuing Education Association). Learn more. About UPCEA UPCEA is the online and professional education association. Our members continuously reinvent higher education, positively impacting millions of lives. We proudly lead and support them through cutting edge research, professional development, networking and mentorship, conferences…

230 Recipients Receive Honors Across 26 Categories for Excellence in Marketing

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 27, 2016 — UPCEA, the leader in professional alongside SMR Digital, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2016 Marketing Awards. The UPCEA Marketing Awards program recognizes the top marketing and creative work across the UPCEA membership. This year, UPCEA is honoring 230 recipients for their excellence in 26…

UPCEA Joins Multiple Distance Ed Orgs to Offer State Authorization Comments

UPCEA co-signed, with a coalition of other organizations with a direct interest in distance education, a letter commenting on the Department of Education’s proposed regulations on state authorization. UPCEA joined along with five other non-profit organizations garnering a collective total of more than 1,000 institutions innovating in offering distance education, the leading organization in higher…

Millennial demand drives higher ed badging expansion (University Business)

“Almost all U.S. colleges and universities now award certificates, digital badges and other forms of microcredentials so students can quickly show an employer specialized skills they’ve acquired. Driving this fast-growing trend are workforce millennials who want to learn, for instance, how to operate an Amazon delivery drone or repair a self-driving car without having to…

7 new standards for excellent online learning leadership (eCampusNews)

“As online learning evolves from amateur experimentation to a mainstream professional entity on campus, new standards for quality online learning leadership are emerging in order to not only sustain these distance programs, but ensure they meet the growing demands of 21st-century academe. The UPCEA has released a report detailing seven hallmarks of excellence in online…

Can Associations Attract Millennials with Credentialing? (Associations Now)

“The degree will always be an important credential, but it won’t always be the gold standard,” said Jim Fong, director of UPCEA’s Center for Research and Marketing strategy, in a press release. “As millennials enter the prime years of their career and move into positions of greater power, we’ll see more alternative credentials for specific…

Department of Education Releases Proposed Rules on State Authorization

The Department of Education released Friday July 22 their proposed regulations on State Authorization, following an earlier failure to reach consensus as part of negotiated rule making. State authorization for distance education — the proposed regulation for institutions administering a program in which a distance or online education student is present in another state. The administration has proposed…

Alternative credentials now a must-have for traditional universities (eCampusNews)

Millennials prefer badging and certificates to traditional degrees, according to researchers from UPCEA, Penn State and Pearson. More than half of higher education institutions (64 percent) participating in a recent survey said alternative credentials are an important strategy for institutions’ futures. That same survey also found that millennial students are likely to support the use…

Millennials prefer credentialing programs to traditional degrees (Education Dive)

A new study reveals that more than 90% of American colleges and universities offer alternative credential or badging programs for certification in industry-specific careers. The University Professional and Continuing Education Association says millennial survey respondents prefer certifications to bachelor’s degrees, and schools are responding with increased development of professional training silos. Read the full story.

Pioneering Study Reveals More Than 90 Percent of Colleges and Universities Embrace Alternative Credentials

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 28, 2016 – A study released today by UPCEA (the University Professional and Continuing Education Association), Penn State and Pearson, at the UPCEA and the American Council on Education (ACE) Summit for Online Leadership in Washington, D.C., found widespread acceptance and use of alternative credentialing programs at American colleges and universities.…

ED Issues Proposed Rules on Borrower Defense to Repayment

The Department of Education has released proposed regulations on Borrower Defense to Repayment, a mechanism which would allow any student who believe they were defrauded at their school or the school violated state law, to file a claim with the Department of Education for discharging their loans. These proposed rules have come from the Department…

UPCEA/Pearson Survey: Demographic Shifts in Educational Demand and the Rise of Alternative Credentials

To thrive in today’s fast-evolving job market, students need flexible ways to quickly develop and demonstrate new skills. Alternative credentialing helps solve this problem. UPCEA and Pearson surveyed 190 institutions to determine the role alternative credentials play in higher education. Learn more about the key findings and download the complete report, Demographic Shifts in Educational…

A big partnership for higher ed data analytics (eCampus News)

Data management software company TMMData joins UPCEA in a Gold Level Industry Partnership to guide its members’ emerging data analytics and reporting efforts. TMMData, a provider of flexible data management software, recently announced its Gold Level Industry Partnership with UPCEA (the University Professional and Continuing Education Association). Through the collaboration, TMMData will pair its data…

UPCEA and TMMData Partner to Bring Data Analytics and Reporting Best Practices to the Forefront of Higher Education

Media Contact: Kim Francois 410-581-5928 [email protected] Leading data management software company joins UPCEA in a Gold Level Industry Partnership to guide its members’ emerging data analysis and reporting efforts STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (May 16, 2016) — TMMData, a top provider of flexible data management software, today announced its Gold Level Industry Partnership with UPCEA (the…

No One Rule Fits All (InsideHigherEd)

The Online Learning Consortium, the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) — three organizations that deal primarily with online education — previously commented to say the proposed rules focused too strongly on face-to-face programs. The department, they wrote, had not “sufficiently considered the ramifications for the…

UCLA’s Dean Of Continuing Education And Extension Smutz To Serve As UPCEA President-Elect

SAN DIEGO, CA – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Wayne Smutz as the association’s 2016-17 President-Elect during the 101st UPCEA Annual Conference. Smutz is Dean of Continuing Education and Extension at the University of California, Los Angeles. Smutz deeply believes that continuing and online education organizations…

2017 Online Leadership Roundtable

June 14, 2017 — San Diego, CA Join Jeff Selingo, Bridget Burns, Entangled Solutions, and other chief online learning officers (COLOs) for the 2017 Online Leadership Roundtable on June 14, 2017. The morning will be filled with compelling conversations on innovation and collaboration relevant to the online enterprise in higher education. Participants will then have…

UPCEA Announces 2016 Association Award Recipients

13 Individuals and 5 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, DC – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2016 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its members’ outstanding…

3 critical parts of HEA reauthorization (eCampusNews)

Fairness, innovation, and accountability are the three guiding principles Congress should use as it reviews the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) in light of hte use of technology and online platforms for learning. The Online Learning Consortium (OLC), the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies…

Three Influential Online And Higher Ed Organizations Issue Recommendations For Re-authorization Of The Higher Education Act

Representing more than 1,000 higher education institutions, OLC, UPCEA and WCET offer guiding principles for evolving the HEA for 21st Century learners. WASHINGTON, DC – As Congress reviews the re-authorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), three leading online and higher education organizations have come together to offer recommendations and champion the interests of contemporary learners.…

UPCEA Partners With Lumina Foundation To Launch Alternative Credential Challenge

Solutions Must Be Submitted by February 18, 2016 WASHINGTON, DC – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce a contest in partnership with the Lumina Foundation to bring increased visibility to the rise of alternative credentials and to seed innovation. It is now widely understood that the United States…

UPCEA Celebrates Successful Centennial Year

History, High Member Engagement, Impressive Speakers as 100th Year Comes To a Close WASHINGTON, DC – UPCEA (the University Professional and Continuing Education Association) celebrated its Centennial in 2015, the anniversary of the association’s founding and first Annual Conference in Madison, Wisc. in 1915. The theme of the 2015 Annual Conference, Access, Innovation, Engagement: A…

UPCEA Announces 2015 Division And Best In Show Marketing Award Recipients

6 Recipients Chosen Out of 18 Leading Entries for Top Honors DENVER, CO — UPCEA, the association for leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the Division and Best in Show award recipients of the 2015 Marketing Awards. The UPCEA Marketing Awards program recognizes the top marketing and creative work across the UPCEA membership…

UPCEA And OLC Form Coalition To Advance The Interests Of Non-Traditional Learners

WASHINGTON, DC, and NEWBURYPORT, MA, Sept. 24, 2015 — The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) have formed a coalition to advance the interests of non-traditional (sometimes called “contemporary”) learners and the programs that support them. This partnership comes at a time of great importance to the higher education federal policy landscape, as Congress…

UPCEA Announces Partnership With Keypath Education

WASHINGTON, DC– UPCEA, the association for professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce the signing of a Silver level partnership agreement with Keypath Education, formerly known as PlattForm, a partner for higher education institutions around the world. Keypath Education is a full-service partner for more than 250 colleges and universities, delivering sustainable institutional growth…

UPCEA Announces 2015 Marketing Award Recipients

170 Recipients Receive Honors Across 26 Categories for Excellence in Marketing WASHINGTON, D.C., September 16, 2015 — UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2015 Marketing Awards. The UPCEA Marketing Awards program recognizes the top marketing and creative work across the UPCEA membership. This year, UPCEA is…

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