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Perspectives on Online and Professional Education
from UPCEA’s Research and Consulting Experts

New report from UPCEA – 2024 Staffing & Structure Survey Results

March 11, 2025

Amid growing demand for flexible and career-oriented education, online and Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) units are at the forefront of institutional innovation and revenue sustainability. Whether through degree programs, microcredentials, corporate training, or other non-credit offerings, these units play a critical role in expanding access to education and meeting the evolving needs of learners…

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Anticipating the Fall of 2025

February 19, 2025

In January 2025, the president issued an executive order freezing federal loans and grants, including Pell Grants and other student loans. While the order has since been rescinded, the damage was done. Moving forward, potential students will be wary about the frailty of college loans. There will be uncertainty as to whether college is affordable…

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Unique biweekly insights and news review from Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow at UPCEA

Dean’s Dilemma: How to Use AI to Advance the College

March 5, 2025

We have entered an era of greater scrutiny and fewer resources in higher education. How might AI enable the deans to become more effective and efficient in administering the college? The challenges are proliferating while funding is deteriorating. Fortunately, the AI options to accomplish more with less funding are expanding. As of the end of…

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Thinking Out Loud With AI

February 19, 2025

I had the pleasure recently to participate in a lifelong learning session with a group of mostly current or retired educators at my nearby Lincoln Land Community College. The topic was AI in education. It became clear to me that many in our field are challenged to keep up with the rapidly emerging developments in…

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Your one-stop shop for the latest Association happenings, policy updates, plus thoughts from the desk of CEO Bob Hansen.

How to Choose a Microcredential (U.S. News & World Report)

Microcredentials – sometimes referred to as non-degree or short-term credentials – have grown in popularity, raising many questions about their worth. In the U.S., the public has more familiarity with degrees than short-term credentials, says Marni Baker Stein, chief content officer at Coursera, an open online course provider. “There’s a lot of information about short-form…

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UPCEA Seeks Full-Time Controller 

UPCEA is currently seeking a full-time Controller for a fully remote position with the association.   The Controller will oversee and manage all aspects of the organization’s accounting functions. This includes ensuring financial accuracy, compliance with relevant regulations, and providing timely financial reports for internal and external stakeholders. The Controller also plays a key role in…

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State Authorization and Distance Education Negotiated Rulemaking Continues | Policy Matters (February 2024)

Major Updates Negotiated Rulemaking on State Authorization, Distance Education, Accreditation and Other Topics Continues In early February a session was held in continuation of the US Department of Education’s crucial Negotiated Rulemaking on Program Integrity and Institutional Quality, with the second of three sessions running from February 5-8, and the third and final session scheduled…

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UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

21 of Top 25 Ranked Institutions are UPCEA Members WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 20, 2024) — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include more than 1,750 online programs, covering bachelor’s and…

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Musings on trends and updates from UPCEA CEO Bob Hansen.

A new direction for the Distance Teaching and Learning Conference

November 7, 2024

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…

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Beyond Degrees: How Credential Innovation is Closing the Gap for 42 Million Learners

October 24, 2024

A 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…

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Valuable insights from UPCEA's trusted corporate partners.

Higher Ed SEO Trends to Stay Competitive

March 14, 2025

Higher 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…

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The Key to Professional & Continuing Education Success Starts with Your Systems Data

March 7, 2025

Systems 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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