Posts by UPCEA
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…
Read MoreGoogle 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…
Read MoreBill 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,…
Read MoreCollaboration 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…
Read MoreDepartment 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…
Read MoreLeadership 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,…
Read MoreArtificial 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;…
Read MoreInfrastructure 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…
Read MoreGoogle 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
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