Higher education is facing a real challenge—and yes, I said challenge. (Because let’s face it, we really do love a good “opportunity” in higher ed, don’t we?) With over 41 million people in the U.S. who’ve started college and left without a degree, there exists a massive group of learners who are unfinished, yet far…
Read MoreHigher education is facing its greatest challenge in decades. Our field may be at a transformational cusp where the transactional currency for education may shift from credits to competency, competency dictated by new, to-be-determined factors, shaped by our evolving economy, as well as the political landscape. Historically, and for the era, 120-credits was a fairly…
Read MoreIt was more than two decades ago that I was advocating the concept of enabling students to continue to follow the evolving developments and topics in the classes I taught through news blogs offered to support the learning in class. I called the concept, “Semester without End.” Now, OpenAI is suggesting that custom GPTs be…
Read MoreThe new year may bring a host of virtual assistants and administrative staff to higher education. They will begin as assistants to humans, then over time they will evolve into autonomous AI staff members. The winds of change in our field are rapidly converging, as we discussed in the previous edition of “Online: Trending Now.” The…
Read MoreAppropriations Bill Supports Greater Pell and Research Funding
Congress today passed the FY18 Omnibus Appropriations Bill which included increased support to the Pell Grant program, which is projected to help over 7 million low-income families afford college. It does this by raising the maximum award by $175 (to $6,095), maintaining the recent Year Round Pell expansion that UPCEA has advocated for over the…
University of Utah’s Assistant Vice President for Engagement Sandi Pershing To Serve As UPCEA President
WASHINGTON, March 16, 2018 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Dr. Sandi Pershing as the association’s 2018-19 President during the 2018 UPCEA Annual Conference. Pershing is Assistant Vice President for Engagement and a professor in the Master of Public Administration program at the University of…
UPCEA Intros Digital Badges for Excellence in Online Learning (Campus Technology)
The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) has launched a program to recognize excellence in online higher education: the Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review. The program evaluates online education programs based on seven key elements, such as internal advocacy, entrepreneurial initiative and faculty support, and then issues Credly digital badges to qualifying colleges and universities. “In…
UPCEA Taps Credly to Launch Digital Badges that Recognize Excellence in Online Learning
Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program will award digital badges to high-quality online education programs WASHINGTON, D.C. (MARCH 14, 2018) — The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) announced today the launch of the Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program to recognize colleges and universities that demonstrate consistent excellence throughout…
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 MoreMilitary-connected students (veterans, active duty service members, National Guard and Reserves members, and their families) represent a valuable but often overlooked demographic in higher education. These individuals bring a strong sense of purpose, discipline, and a commitment to service to campus—qualities that make them outstanding students and future leaders. As higher education institutions seek to…
Read MoreMarketing cost per inquiry (CPI) is a primary signifier of how well your marketing is performing, but it has historically lacked a critical aspect that makes it a valuable barometer for success: its very own benchmark. Search Influence and UPCEA have addressed this crucial gap in higher education marketing with our Marketing Metrics Research Report:…
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