Imagine your bellwether program stepping into a modern search arena with a glossy tri-fold and a storied reputation, ready to battle any challenger. Across the ring rolls a robotic rival as “The Imperial March” blares over the speakers. The ref signals start; a blinding spotlight from the robot makes your program vanish from view. The…
Read MoreIntroduction At the 2025 UPCEA Annual Conference, the session “Owning Your Awesomeness” reminded us that professional growth isn’t just about mastering skills—it’s about recognizing and amplifying the unique strengths we already have. For leaders and practitioners in professional and online education this means embracing both the outward image we present and the inner narratives that…
Read MoreThere is a new “cliff” in American higher education, and it is not the demographic cliff. Rather, it is the dramatic cliff in math knowledge, skills, and abilities. Let me be clear that other discipline deficiencies are found in this new generation of college students, however they are dwarfed by those in math. These have…
Read MoreMost of us in higher education are now familiar with generative AI bots, where you formulate a prompt and get a reply. Yet, we are now beginning the advancement to agentic AI, the autonomous 24-7 project manager. The dramatic enhancement in the capability of AI as it moves from bots to agents will bring about…
Read MoreThe Cybercrime Urgency in Professional Learning Spaces
By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA It’s no secret that hackers are getting more sophisticated and that no businesses or organizations are immune. A reported 60% of large businesses and more than 50% of high-income charities have experienced cyber security breaches in the last year and a small business is…
Groups Align to Advocate for Today’s Students (Inside Higher Ed)
A coalition of groups representing veterans, working adults and historically underrepresented students have teamed up to form a new organization designed to change federal and other policies to better recognize how “today’s students” differ from the traditional 18- to 24-year-olds who’ve historically dominated postsecondary enrollments. The Today’s Students Coalition says it will work to modernize the financial…
Students to Keep Pressing Congress for Higher Education Update (Bloomberg Government)
Ten student advocacy groups are teaming up to push for a reauthorization of the main federal higher education law, even as lawmakers are turning their focus to other bills. The groups have individually advocated for various groups of students, including veterans, low-income students, parents and adults returning to school. By forming a coalition, the groups…
Policy Matters | California-based Distance Ed Students from Out-Of-State Schools Ineligible for Financial Aid
Major Updates State Authorization Rule Goes into Effect, Causing Thousands of California-based Distance Ed Students from Out-Of-State Schools to be Ineligible for Financial Aid. The US Dept. of Ed released a formal response regarding a recent court ruling which blocked their ability to change an Obama-era rule on state authorization, thus making that rule effective May…
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 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…
Read MoreHalf of prospective students use AI tools every week. Yet, only about a third of higher education institutions have a formal strategy for AI search. That gap isn’t just a metric. It’s a brand visibility crisis. Students are using ChatGPT and Perplexity to research programs, compare universities, and narrow their lists, often before they ever…
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