In the fast-evolving landscape of higher education and workforce alignment, non-degree credentials are surging in popularity. This trend is largely a result of baccalaureate degrees that are not adapting quickly to address more immediate market needs, coupled with a skepticism about the value of the degree. In place of bachelor’s degrees, students are seeking more…
Read MoreWhy Values-Based Influence Matters Now Higher education is undergoing seismic shifts—demographic changes, budget constraints, AI disruption, and questions of relevance. In this environment, how we lead and why we lead matters as much as what we do as leaders. Leaders who operate from a strong internal compass—those grounded in values—offer clarity, stability, and hope. Values-based…
Read MoreIn reflecting on my feelings about the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our lives, I must report they are mixed. I have the strong sense of the inevitability that this technology will meet and exceed its hype to alter the course of humanity, generally for the better. However, at the same time there is…
Read MoreArtificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of contemporary practice in higher education. This summer is an ideal time to become AI literate for the fall. Perhaps you just haven’t had time to keep up with the advent of agentic AI. Or, you simply didn’t realize that AI is not just a fad in…
Read MorePolicy Matters | House and Senate Pass FUTURE Act, Restoring Funding to HBCUs and Minority Institutions and Simplifying FAFSA (December 2019)
Welcome to the December edition of Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. Please note that if you do not wish to continue to receive these sorts of emails, click here. Major Update House and Senate Pass FUTURE Act, Restoring Funding to HBCUs and…
Insight from a Dean: Never Stop Learning
By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. Professional learning should never stop — even when leaders reach pinnacles of success. Dr. Jenni Murphy is the Dean of the College of Continuing Education at Sacramento State and has won many awards in her field. She shares some insight from her own professional…
UPCEA Announces 2019 Division And Best In Show Marketing Award Recipients
5 Recipients Chosen Out of 30 Leading Entries for Top Honors WASHINGTON, D.C., December 6, 2019 — UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the Division and Best in Show award recipients of the 2019 Marketing Awards. The UPCEA Marketing Awards program recognizes the top marketing and creative work across the…
UPCEA Encourages Passage of FUTURE Act
UPCEA joined with other organizations in a letter to the House and Senate to express our strong support for H.R.5363, the FUTURE Act. Following our letters, both the House and the Senate passed the bill, sending it to the President’s desk for signature. This much needed legislation addresses a few important issues. First, it would…
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…
Read MoreA 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…
Read MoreHow Do You Market to College Students Today? What is the modern student search journey? Today’s students explore school options across various platforms, often following curiosity rather than a set path. Before they even land on a college website, students might watch a dorm tour on TikTok, get advice from Reddit threads, or ask ChatGPT…
Read MoreMany non-academic factors influence learners’ higher education decisions: financial implications, geography, degree paths, sports success, family legacy, and more. While there are many ways for a given institution to market itself, economic, technological, and societal shifts are motivating schools to refocus their marketing on attributes that specifically drive positive outcomes and generate industry-ready graduates: Learners…
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