When we reflected on the first three weeks of the UPCEA AI Study Groups in early June, one theme had already become clear: AI implementation is not simply a technology challenge. It is a leadership challenge. By the end of the six-week pilot, that theme had deepened. Across two cohorts of UPCEA members, participants moved…
The New Assessment Challenge in Online Learning Generative AI is complicating how we teach working adults in online and professional continuing education. I recently asked a group of educators who teach online about their biggest concerns regarding AI and assessment of student learning. They had many! These educators were worried about: enforcing academic integrity when…
The placid ivy-covered walls and calm quad will remain when COVID is vanquished, but the university will never be the same. We are forever changed — by the disease and by the advance of technology and competition in this, the fourth industrial revolution. It has been said that you could walk into a classroom at…
We are witnessing the remaking of higher education. Strategies for mainstream colleges and universities must change from the short term to the long term as large-scale collaboratives and huge corporations enter the field. The pandemic has accelerated trends that were already established in the past decade. Over the prior centuries, universities competed for students with…
Department of Education Issues Final Rule for New Accountability Standards | Policy Matters (July 2026)
Major Updates Department of Education Issues Final Rule for New Accountability Standards On June 29, the U.S. Department of Education issued its final rule establishing the Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS) and Earnings Accountability framework, a sweeping new standard that applies to nearly all programs and sectors regardless of tax status or credential level….
Benchmarking in Higher Education: What to Measure and Why It Changes Decisions
Colleges and universities have never had more data at their fingertips. Still, many higher education leadership teams still make major decisions on incomplete internal reporting or even gut instinct alone. Benchmarking offers a structured alternative. When done well, it gives higher ed leaders a reliable framework for understanding where their institution stands versus peer organizations…
The Modern Online and Professional Continuing Education Leader: Roles, Pressures, and What High-Performing Units Do Differently
Online and professional continuing education plays a pivotal part in expanding educational access and shaping contemporary workforce development. These programs serve a critical function in our communities, yet they face considerable challenges. Today’s leaders must navigate complexity tied to virtual learning and employer partnerships, along with changes in what communities expect from online and professional…
What is a “Professional” Degree? Lawsuits and Legislators Push Back against Trump Admin | Policy Matters (June 2026)
Major Updates What is a “Professional” Degree? Lawsuits and Legislators Push Back against Trump Admin Determinations The definition of a “professional” degree has quietly become one of the most consequential terms in federal financial aid, and it lands squarely on the graduate and professional programs many continuing education units operate. Under the One Big Beautiful…
The tagline for Convergence, Credential Innovation in Higher Education, raises two important questions: First, what kind of credentials are we talking about? Is the scope of credentials unlimited, blue sky, or confined to incremental changes on the margins of the status quo? And second, who is leading that innovation, and what do they need to…
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…
Adult learners have become an increasingly important focus for higher education institutions. Today, adult learners are not an emerging population. They are the reality shaping the future of higher education. According to the Risepoint 2026 Voice of the Online Learner report, 89% of online learners work while pursuing their education, including 77% who work full…
Your next prospective student has already formed an impression of your program. They just haven’t visited your website yet. Half of prospective students now use AI tools at least weekly. 79% read Google’s AI Overviews. Before a student fills out an RFI form, an AI tool has likely already answered their questions about your program,…