Posts by UPCEA
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…
Read MoreAnxiety, 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…
Read MoreUPCEA 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…
Read MoreUPCEA 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreDistance 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…
Read MorePreparing 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…
Read MoreBuying 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…
Read MoreGenerative 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…
Read MoreCan 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…
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