UPCEA Blogs

See below for the full set of all blogs hosted by the association.

Learn more about UPCEA publications. If you want to be sure to get updates from us, be sure you're a UPCEA member.

The Pulse of Higher Ed

Perspectives on Online and Professional Education
from UPCEA’s Research and Consulting Experts

Spring Strategies: Leading AI-Driven Change in Higher Education

May 14, 2026

Each spring, campuses quietly rehearse a familiar transition. The cadence shifts. Energy returns. Commencement ceremonies are scheduled, and multiple beautification processes are underway, from reenergized flower beds to window washing and clean walkways.  What was dormant begins to move again. In higher education, this seasonal rhythm offers more than symbolism. It provides a useful leadership lens for…

Five Years In: What the 2026 State of Continuing Education Report Reveals

May 8, 2026

I have always appreciated how honest wood is. Look at a cut stump and the rings tell a story: good years, lean years, drought, recovery. That feels like the right way to read the newly released 2026 State of Continuing Education report from UPCEA, Modern Campus, and The EvoLLLution. As this partnership reaches its five-year…

Online: Trending Now

Unique biweekly insights and news review from Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow at UPCEA

Leadership Vision of the COLO to Shape Higher Ed Future?

May 14, 2026

The Chief Online Learning Officers at colleges and universities are increasingly charting the future of teaching and learning. It was three decades ago that my career in higher education took a turn. I was promoted to full Professor and given the golden opportunity of my career to lead our campus in the use of the…

Is Your AI Ethical, Human-Centered, and Pro-Social?

April 30, 2026

Many of us utilize AI daily in our higher education work, yet we may not have assessed the ethical and human-centered nature of the tool we have selected and trained through our prompts. AI tools are no longer a relatively simple search engine that is driven by marketing metrics to help us conduct our research.…

UPCEA Updates

Your one-stop shop for the latest Association happenings, policy updates, plus thoughts from UPCEA Senior Leaders.

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…

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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…

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Policy Matters | Department of Education Releases Final Regulations Following Negotiated Rulemaking (November 2019)

Welcome to the November edition of Policy Matters. Each issue has the latest updates and actionable items in public policy for adult and nontraditional education stakeholders. Major Update Department of Education Releases Final Regulations Following Negotiated Rulemaking The US Department of Education has released its final rules that are a result of the negotiated rulemaking session held…

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2019-20 UPCEA Benchmarking Research Agenda Announced

How do your programs, staffing and salaries stack up in the dynamic world of professional, continuing and online education? What marketing tactics are your peers using to get enrollments and fill their classes? Do you need solid benchmarking and stats to share with your campus leadership? UPCEA has exciting news—our Chief Research Officer and Center…

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From the CEO

Musings on trends and updates from UPCEA CEO Bob Hansen.

Constructing the Future: Why Credential Innovation Needs Bold Leadership

November 21, 2025

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…

Foreword by Bob Hansen Featured in The COLO Guidebook

July 10, 2025

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…

Valuable insights from UPCEA's trusted corporate partners.

UPCEA Annual Conference: where energy, honesty, and real progress come together

April 27, 2026

Some conferences feel long. This one flew by. And still, I kept thinking I wish I could have attended even more sessions. Over the past few days at the UPCEA Annual Conference, a few very clear themes kept coming back. Not just in presentations, but in conversations with people across institutions. Yes, AI is still very much…

Using AI to Support Enrollment Teams, Not Replace Them

April 2, 2026

Online enrollment leaders don’t need another mandate to “use AI.” They need relief. Most teams are already stretched thin by demands to manage inquiry volume, follow-up expectations, data hygiene, and prospect responsiveness. They lack the capacity to take on yet another complex initiative, especially one that feels abstract or disruptive. AI mandates promise transformation when…