The higher education landscape is arguably the toughest it has been in a generation, marked by economic instability, demographic decline, and the constant imperative for greater efficiency. The 2026 Landscape of Higher Education Report confirms this volatile reality: beginning in 2026, many institutions will face a sustained decline in traditional-aged undergraduates. Enrollment growth is now…
There’s a moment from my college days I remember more clearly than any midterm I ever took. I had stepped away from my bachelor’s degree at Penn State because I wanted to live a little. I’d grown up in the same town that I went to college and I just needed an extended reprieve, something…
As we look at Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning, we must look beyond facts, figures and formulas to ensure that the skill of perceiving and managing feelings, emotions and personalization are engaged in the process. Looking back on my lifelong history of learning experiences, the ones that I would rank as most effective and…
Agentic AI is no longer merely an interactive tool we talk to; it is a colleague that acts for us. In a very active and highly competitive environment, AI has grown at breakneck speed. As with so many technologies, business and industry have moved far faster than academe to embrace the cost savings, capability expanding…
UPCEA Recognizes University of Wisconsin-Extension for Excellence in Online Learning
UW-Extension receives recognition for a high-quality online education program WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 26, 2018) — The National Council for Online Education announced today that the University of Wisconsin-Extension successfully completed the UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program, demonstrating consistent excellence throughout its online programs. The UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership…
Webinar (August 8): Philanthropic Giving Patterns of Online Alumni
Hosted by the Online Administration Network With the growing number of alumni completing online educational experiences, we need to be thinking about the long-term implications to higher education. The potential for development continues to grow with this population and in time could be a significant and badly needed source of revenue for colleges and universities…
New for 2018 – UPCEA Excellence in Enrollment Management Award
Enrollment management is central to the success of professional, continuing, and online units. In the last 40 years, enrollment management has evolved from a theoretical concept in undergraduate education to a highly sophisticated framework for attracting, retaining, and graduating students. The UPCEA Excellence in Enrollment Management Award recognizes an outstanding professional, continuing, and/or online (PCO) organization (unit…
Webinar (August 1): How UC-Davis is Assessing the Market for Non-Degree Programs Targeted at Career Advancers
Hosted by Emsi and UPCEA Identifying marketable skills is a key step in continuing and professional education program development. Job postings signal the skills and competencies employers and hiring managers expect in new hires. As such, jobs data is an important proxy for market demand for a skill. But what if a learning program is…
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…
The student journey has changed — and expectations are rising. Students today are moving faster, arriving more informed, and expecting experiences that feel responsive and personalized. Research behaviors are shifting, and AI is increasingly shaping how prospective students discover and evaluate programs. The path to enrollment is becoming more complex and more personalized, and students…
Introduction Higher education is at a crossroads, marked by declining public trust, diminishing enrollments, substantial budget cuts, and increased scrutiny on post-college outcomes. Recent research from UPCEA underscores growing skepticism about the value of traditional degrees, driving institutions and learners alike to explore innovative educational pathways and revenue models (UPCEA, 2025). To address these challenges…