Posts by UPCEA
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.…
Read MoreBiden 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…
Read MoreA 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…
Read MoreEngaging 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…
Read MoreSignificant 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…
Read MoreBreaking 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…
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