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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…

Professor Emeritus Ray Schroder finds it difficult to stop working. As the Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning at the University of Illinois Springfield and the founding director of the National Council for Online Education at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), he has a lot on his plate. IBL News recently got in…

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…

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. What career or job is your desired…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

“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…

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…

“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…

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,…

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…

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…

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. …

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…

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,…

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,…

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…

  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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

UPCEA Blogs See below for the full set of all blogs hosted by the association. Learn more about UPCEA publications. If you want to be sure to get updates from us, be sure you’re a UPCEA member. The Pulse of Higher Ed Online: Trending Now UPCEA Updates From the CEO Industry Insights The Pulse of…

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…

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…

  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…

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…

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…

Though online students are often far from one another, many online instructors still assign group projects. Online students may use tools such as Google Docs to edit assignments along with Skype and online chatrooms for discussions. “It is preparation for the workforce,” says Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor for online learning at the University of…

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…

  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,…

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 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…

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.…

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…

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…

5 Online Education Trends to Watch in 2017 (U.S. News & World Report) January 5, 2017   As online learning continues to attract career changers, some experts say more degrees offered online in 2017 will focus on specialized areas – such as a bachelor’s in real estate or marketing rather than business administration. “They have to…

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 •…

When it comes to online learning, students should choose a credential that fulfills their goals while providing flexibility — whether it’s a single course certificate or a full degree. “There’s such a wide range of offerings to them at economical prices that allow them to target their education specifically to their career plan,” says Ray…

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.…

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…

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…