Introduction At the 2025 UPCEA Annual Conference, the session “Owning Your Awesomeness” reminded us that professional growth isn’t just about mastering skills—it’s about recognizing and amplifying the unique strengths we already have. For leaders and practitioners in professional and online education this means embracing both the outward image we present and the inner narratives that…
Read More“How would you describe your leadership style?” This question is a common one for both mid-level and senior-level candidates in the interview process. In the past, many relied on descriptors such as transformative, collaborative, or authentic to explain how they approached people and built teams. But as you think about your next career step, perhaps…
Read MoreGenerative 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…
Read MoreIt 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…
Read MoreOnline Leaders Have a Community — and It’s UPCEA
In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, UPCEA is highlighting key resources each day that showcase how online and professional education leaders continue to drive innovation, resilience, and transformation. Behind every successful online learning initiative is a strong community of leaders who share ideas, solve challenges, and push the field forward together. At UPCEA, that…
Data-Informed Decisions: Why You Need Data and What Data You Should Curate
In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, UPCEA is highlighting key resources each day that showcase how online and professional education leaders continue to drive innovation, resilience, and transformation. Data is the language of modern leadership. In an era of constrained resources and heightened accountability, online and professional education leaders can no longer rely on…
The Decade of the COLO: Why Online Leadership Matters
In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, UPCEA is highlighting key resources each day that showcase how online and professional education leaders continue to drive innovation, resilience, and transformation. As higher education continues to navigate economic pressures, evolving technologies, and shifting learner expectations, one thing has become clear, strong online leadership is no longer optional;…
UPCEA Joins National Opposition to Federal Compact | Policy Matters (October 2025)
Major Updates UPCEA Joins National Opposition to Federal Compact UPCEA has joined with over thirty higher education associations to make a statement opposing the federal government’s proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The coalition, coordinated by ACE, warns that the compact would impose federal conditions on what and how colleges teach, threatening academic…
We are pleased to share the foreword by UPCEA CEO Bob Hansen from the newly released Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook: A Framework for Strategy and Practice in Higher Education. The guidebook, now available from Routledge in paperback, hardback, and eBook formats, provides a comprehensive framework for today’s online learning leaders. Learn more and purchase…
Read MoreOver the last three years, UPCEA engaged in an innovative partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to enable the latter’s Distance Teaching and Learning (DT&L) conference to continue under UPCEA’s leadership. The partnership’s goals included making this valuable event for the distance learning community more sustainable and accessible to online practitioners focused on teaching and…
Read MoreSearch behavior has evolved, and so has the path to enrollment. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews shape how people gather information, verify details, and form opinions. For higher education marketers, that means program visibility depends on showing up wherever students look for answers, not only in search results but across…
Read MoreThere are few conferences that truly bring together such an inspiring mix of vision, innovation, and authenticity as UPCEA’s Convergence. This year, the event in Washington D.C. proved why it’s one of my favorite gatherings in the field of continuing education. The energy, the openness, and the collective drive to redefine learning for a changing…
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