As more and more institutions face internal and external pressures to identify and cultivate new revenue streams, many are turning to online and professional continuing education to attract new learners and address fiscal shortfalls. While this continued increase in supply undoubtedly benefits the student, it makes an already saturated market even more competitive. UPCEA’s 2024…
Read MoreI’ve been through the college enrollment process before, and to be honest, it’s not exactly something that I wish to do again. And yet, as part of my role at UPCEA, I regularly step into the shoes of a prospective student during our Enrollment Process Reviews. These “secret shopper” exercises involve posing as potential applicants…
Read MoreThe technology of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) gained worldwide attention with the initial release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, and it has continued to expand at awesome speed and capability ever since. This has generated fear and anxiety among some observers and enthusiasm among others. The enthusiasm is for the many ways in…
Read MoreThe field of higher education is notoriously slow to change. Yet, when faced with the extraordinary challenges of today, our associations are quick to foster support, collaboration and unity. I just returned from the UPCEA Annual Conference held in Denver. A record attendance of some 1,300 administrators, faculty and staff from member institutions gathered to…
Read MoreNew Distance Education Regulations Proposed by ED Includes Required Attendance-Taking, Additional Reporting – Public Comment Open Until August 23 | Policy Matters (July 2024)
Major Updates New Distance Education Regulations Proposed by ED Includes Required Attendance-Taking, Additional Reporting – Public Comment Open Until August 23 UPCEA Members Take Note, and Make a Comment! The US Department of Education recently released the proposed regulations for Distance Education, Return to Title IV, and TRIO. In another major announcement, they signaled in…
How the Education Department Wants to Police Online Education (Inside Higher Ed)
The Education Department wants to collect much more information about distance education courses and the students enrolled in them as part of a broader effort to increase oversight of online programs. The department’s proposal would require colleges and universities to take attendance in distance education classes, which include those offered online or via correspondence. Institutions…
Major Gaps in Tracking of Higher Ed Marketing Metrics: New Report
Search Influence and UPCEA Establish Higher Ed Marketing Cost Benchmarks in Joint Industry Report NEW ORLEANS, LA., July 30, 2024 — Search Influence, a leading higher education digital marketing agency, and UPCEA, the online and professional education association, announced their co-authored Higher Ed Marketing Metrics Research Report. The study establishes industry-first benchmarks for marketing cost…
Developing Organizational Leaders in the Online, Continuing, and Professional Education Landscape
These days, educational institutions and organizations face a number of challenges when it comes to developing effective leaders—particularly in the online, continuing, and professional education realms. From difficulties catering to diverse learners to struggles adapting to emerging technologies, being able to navigate these challenges is crucial. Fortunately, with the right organizational leadership in place, it is possible…
Over 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 MoreA Movement, Not Just a Community Convergence is emerging as the place where the credential innovation community for higher ed comes together. But more than a community, it’s a movement. Not a movement to make degrees less valuable, let alone obsolete. Rather, it’s a movement to complement degrees by meeting the needs of those for…
Read MoreHigher education institutions are navigating a rapidly evolving search landscape. With so many prospective students turning to search engines to explore programs and make enrollment decisions, universities must ensure their SEO strategies keep pace with these changes. Without a clear SEO strategy, institutions risk losing visibility. According to the Higher Ed SEO Research Study developed…
Read MoreSystems are the processes, people, and technology that make your university run on a day-to-day basis. There are a thousand of them that make up your infrastructure, from recruiting and enrollment to learning design and continuing education. It’s these systems that dictate the experiences your students, staff, and faculty have within your university. As such,…
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