I recently contributed a chapter in the recently released book, AI Applications in Online Higher Education Administration: Strategies for Maximizing Returns and Improving Outcomes edited by Kathleen Ives, Marie Cini, and Ray Schroeder. This blog highlights key take-aways from my chapter. Higher education recruitment is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades. Traditional…
Microcredentials remain firmly embedded in the higher education landscape, but institutional momentum appears to be leveling off. In the recently released 2026 Institutional Perspectives on Microcredentials Report, jointly produced by UPCEA, The EvoLLLution, and Modern Campus, institutional leaders describe a sector that is committed to workforce alignment but constrained by structural and strategic barriers. Based…
I asked Gemini 3 Thinking, ChatGPT 5.4 Thinking, and Sonnet 4.6 Extended to tell me what jobs in higher education are most vulnerable to replacement by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the next five years. I also asked for recommendations for current and prospective employees in the field. First, let me share with you links to…
Today as I publish the several curated reading lists I maintain, it strikes me that we are approaching the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into our universities in a piecemeal rather than a comprehensive fashion. It seems that most universities began taking up the topic in a transactional way following the release of ChatGPT ‘s…
The Metaverse and Web 3.0: Embedding Ourselves into the Internet (The European Business Review)
Read Ray Schroeder’s perspective on the metaverse and augmented reality. We are embarking on an online environment transformation that is every bit as revolutionary as the inception of the Web browser in 1992. The Metaverse will supplant the browser for many of our activities. We will immerse ourselves through avatars to engage in commerce, education, and social…
Announcing a new direction for UPCEA’s Regions
UPCEA is excited to share the new strategic direction for the association’s five Regions. The Regions are an integral component of UPCEA’s access mission, and are key to both UPCEA’s legacy and future success. Over UPCEA’s 107 year history, the Regions have undergone changes like geographic boundaries, to the more recent Regional conference pilot events…
Google’s low-cost certificate program aims to help jumpstart tech careers (The College Fix)
Google is making headway with a less expensive and self-paced option to earn digital certifications amid a decline in college enrollment. Google advertises the certification programs as a low-cost option to an expensive and time-consuming four-year higher education pathway. According to the tech giant, a certificate can be earned in three to six months applying…
U.S. Department of Education Announces Regulatory Agenda; Pushes Some Rulemaking Issues to Next Federal Calendar | Policy Matters (June 2022)
Major Updates U.S. Department of Education Announces Regulatory Agenda; Pushes Some Rulemaking Issues to Next Federal Calendar The Department of Education released their Spring 2022 Agenda and Regulatory Plan, providing timelines and intended regulations they will release this year, and which they will push until the next yearly cycle. The Department broke apart the recent…
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…
Discover how to explain AI SEO ROI to university leadership when attribution is imperfect, with insights and strategy from Search Influence. Across higher education, marketing teams are being asked to explain AI search visibility before institutions agree on how to measure it. Leadership discussions are moving quickly, while reporting frameworks remain centered on keyword rankings,…
Community colleges play a vital role in helping learners access affordable education and career-ready training. Students can earn credentials that lead to meaningful jobs quickly, especially in healthcare. Yet for many, financial stress and unmet basic needs make it difficult to enroll or stay enrolled. These barriers often weigh heaviest on part-time, nontraditional, first-generation, and low-income…