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…
Read MoreIs your online and professional continuing education unit looking for ways to improve job-market outcomes for graduates and alumni? Are you exploring strategies that better align your program portfolio with the skills business and industry leaders say they need both for new hires and for upskilling current employees? Recent employer data provides a clear signal that high-demand employees are ones with verified AI skills and practical experience. A 2025…
Read MoreAgentic 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…
Read MoreAI in Higher Ed Will Come Slowly, Until All of a Sudden! Higher education is, by nature, very slow to change. So it is with embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI). Yet, when it finally comes, the changes will come in an avalanche. In discussions with faculty and staff, I have encountered some reluctance to take AI…
Read MoreThe Job – Open Tabs: Noncredit Microcredentials (Work Shift)
“While colleges are increasingly interested in alternative credentials, higher education lacks consistent processes for developing and pricing noncredit, short-term credentials, according to UPCEA. The group’s new playbook for accelerating growth in the space includes case studies on the development of noncredit microcredentials by 10 universities, which represent a wide range of sizes, geographies, and institution types.” Read more.
LER Accelerator and Learn & Work Ecosystem Library Announce Partnership to Develop Comprehensive LER Resource Collection
Innovative new resource hub aims to support the adoption and implementation of Learning and Employment Records (LERs) in postsecondary education WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 14, 2024) – The LER Accelerator, in partnership with the Learn & Work Ecosystem Library, is thrilled to announce the development of a new Special Collection dedicated to supporting the adoption and…
How to Measure the Impact of Your Higher Education Programs
These days, students and prospective students are becoming increasingly critical of higher education programs—especially as the cost of higher learning continues to rise. Understandably, students want to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth before enrolling in (and committing to) a program. In other words, they want to know that the program they’re considering is effective and proven to…
UPCEA Releases Higher Ed Playbook for Accelerating Growth of Credential Innovation
Grant-funded project delivers promising practices to help institutions engage their local business community in the development of noncredit microcredentials WASHINGTON (Aug. 12, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today published a new higher education playbook, supported by a grant from Walmart, and aimed at accelerating the development and delivery of noncredit, short-term…
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…
Read MoreWe 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 MoreIntroduction 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…
Read MoreOnline programs are no longer a nice-to-have. They are essential, with many schools looking to online as their primary growth lever amid market headwinds. A strong portfolio of online programs can allow institutions to grow enrollment, reach new student populations, and future-proof their offerings. But building, launching, and sustaining a successful online program operation requires…
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