The higher education landscape is arguably the toughest it has been in a generation, marked by economic instability, demographic decline, and the constant imperative for greater efficiency. The 2026 Landscape of Higher Education Report confirms this volatile reality: beginning in 2026, many institutions will face a sustained decline in traditional-aged undergraduates. Enrollment growth is now…
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…
As we look at Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning, we must look beyond facts, figures and formulas to ensure that the skill of perceiving and managing feelings, emotions and personalization are engaged in the process. Looking back on my lifelong history of learning experiences, the ones that I would rank as most effective and…
Agentic 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…
Policy Matters | Joe Biden is President Elect – What Does that Mean for Higher Education Policy? (November 2020)
Major Updates Joe Biden is President Elect – What Does that Mean for Higher Education Policy? President-Elect Joe Biden will become the next President of the United States of America in January, so what does that mean for our field? For one, Jill Biden (who some of you will remember was a Keynote Speaker at…
How Blockchain Can Streamline Recordkeeping at Universities (OnlineEducation)
“What we see coming out of the pandemic is that the world is entering an environment for business and industry called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is a digitizing work. What that opens up for is that our delivery of documentation will change and will be delivered on the blockchain.” – Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow…
What Does the Blockchain Mean for University Partnerships? (Helix Education)
COVID has accelerated the evolution and adoption of a lot of new technologies across higher ed. What has the pandemic done to the blockchain movement specifically? Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor of online learning at University of Illinois Springfield, and senior fellow at UPCEA, returns to the Enrollment Growth University show to remark on the acceleration…
Policy Matters | U.S. Department of Education Provides Updated FAQs for CARES Act Funds (October 2020)
Major Updates U.S. Department of Education Provides Updated FAQs for CARES Act Funds Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education released updated FAQs around the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) allocations. This included clarifications that it would not take enforcement measures against universities who issued funds to students who were not…
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…
The student journey has changed — and expectations are rising. Students today are moving faster, arriving more informed, and expecting experiences that feel responsive and personalized. Research behaviors are shifting, and AI is increasingly shaping how prospective students discover and evaluate programs. The path to enrollment is becoming more complex and more personalized, and students…
Introduction 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…