Why Institutional Leaders Can No Longer Afford to Wait on AI adoption The clock is ticking for higher education institutions that haven’t fully embraced AI. What was once an experimental advantage in marketing and enrollment has quickly become an urgent necessity. AI has firmly established itself as an operational imperative across diverse industries, with the…
Read MoreAs the future of work rapidly evolves, higher education institutions must accelerate their capacity to engage with employers—building bridges between learning and labor market relevance. At UPCEA, with support from Walmart, the world’s largest employer, we’ve undertaken two major initiatives to strengthen these bridges. The first project provided foundational benchmarking data, a practical playbook, and…
Read MoreAs we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the emphasis in higher learning is less on in-depth discipline knowledge and more on agile skills in critical thinking and creative thinking. How can we more deeply integrate the development of these skills into our curricula? Of course, the need for these skills is based upon the continuing…
Read MoreArtificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a Pen Pal, or, perhaps, one should say, no longer just a “Keyboard Pal” experience. Remember those years ago in late 2022 when ChatGPT arrived on the international scene, you communicated with AI through a simple chatbot interface. It was remarkable that you could type in relatively short…
Read MoreNew Book Offers Strategic Blueprint for the Decade of the Chief Online Learning Officer
UPCEA and Routledge Publish Landmark Guide to Elevating Online Education Leadership WASHINGTON (June 17, 2025) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, proudly announces the release of The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook: A Framework for Strategy and Practice in Higher Education (co-published with Routledge). This essential new volume, co-edited by two of the…
Celebrating the life of Dr. Pamela Wimbush
It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you of the passing of one of our own. Dr. Pamela Wimbush, a friend, mentor, colleague, and member of the UPCEA’s Board of Directors passed away Tuesday. She will be missed, most acutely by her family and the dear friends she has all over the…
International-Student Crackdown Escalates; UPCEA Joins Opposition to Broad Changes | Policy Matters (May 2025)
Major Updates International-Student Crackdown Escalates | UPCEA Joins Opposition to Broad Changes After weeks of public sparring, the Department of Homeland Security formally revoked Harvard’s authority to host F-1 and J-1 students on May 22, citing non-compliance with new federal demands around campus protests and DEI programs. More than 6,800 students, about a quarter of Harvard’s…
Microcredentials, Modularity, and Mission: Insights from UPCEA’s Coffee Chat on Innovation in Healthcare Education
In partnership with the HELIX Summit on Continuing Medical Education How are institutions navigating the dynamic intersection of workforce demands, digital learning, and credentialing innovation—especially in healthcare? That’s exactly what we explored in a recent Coffee Chat, where UPCEA leaders from across the higher education landscape gathered for an unrecorded but powerfully candid conversation on…
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…
Read MoreOver 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 MoreEvery year, the Voice of the Online Learner report offers a window into the motivations, preferences, and challenges of today’s online students. Now in its 14th year, the 2025 edition provides timely insights for UPCEA members seeking to design courses and programs that meet the needs of adult learners, employers, and communities. At Risepoint, we’re…
Read MoreRebuilding Student Trust: 6 coaching strategies to support belonging for online and adult learners How institutions can help online and adult learners feel seen and supported throughout their college journey In today’s higher education landscape, more adult learners are enrolling in online programs, often while managing work, family and other life commitments. However, these motivated…
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