Introduction 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 More“How would you describe your leadership style?” This question is a common one for both mid-level and senior-level candidates in the interview process. In the past, many relied on descriptors such as transformative, collaborative, or authentic to explain how they approached people and built teams. But as you think about your next career step, perhaps…
Read MoreTwo weeks ago, we examined the transformation of higher education in the next five years. Today, we look at how this transformation will shift the emphasis of our teaching. As with the prior column, this week’s thesis evolves out of the Zoom Keynote to the Rethink AI Conference, sponsored in part by the International Academy…
Read MoreWe have begun a transformation in higher education that will make us more responsive, efficient, and effective at achieving our multiple missions. This will not be easy or without trauma, but it is necessary. I had the honor and good fortune to be invited by the generous and insightful Board Chair of the International Professors…
Read MoreData-Informed Decisions: Why You Need Data and What Data You Should Curate
In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, UPCEA is highlighting key resources each day that showcase how online and professional education leaders continue to drive innovation, resilience, and transformation, especially in times of adversity and scarcity. Data is the language of modern leadership. In an era of constrained resources and heightened accountability, online and professional…
The Decade of the COLO: Why Online Leadership Matters
In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, UPCEA is highlighting key resources each day that showcase how online and professional education leaders continue to drive innovation, resilience, and transformation. As higher education continues to navigate economic pressures, evolving technologies, and shifting learner expectations, one thing has become clear, strong online leadership is no longer optional;…
UPCEA Joins National Opposition to Federal Compact | Policy Matters (October 2025)
Major Updates UPCEA Joins National Opposition to Federal Compact UPCEA has joined with over thirty higher education associations to make a statement opposing the federal government’s proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The coalition, coordinated by ACE, warns that the compact would impose federal conditions on what and how colleges teach, threatening academic…
UPCEA Announces Exclusive Partnership with the International Distance Education Benchmark Project (IDEBP)
Collaboration empowers online education leaders with confidential benchmarking, data-driven insights, and strategic decision-making tools WASHINGTON, D.C., October 29, 2025 — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced an exclusive partnership with the International Distance Education Benchmark Project (IDEBP), a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to help higher education institutions strengthen their digital learning strategies through…
The UPCEA community is a lot of things – innovative and collaborative, fearless and forward-looking. It’s a community of colleagues who share innovative solutions to vexing challenges. A community of entrepreneurs, working together to expand the frontiers of learning. It’s a community made up of all of us. This community is part of a great…
Read MoreI’m pleased to share with you a special offer for UPCEA members: a complimentary opportunity for you and your colleagues to join us for an UPCEA professional development course. Our professional development courses and certificates have been enthusiastically endorsed and highly rated by participants. Students have appreciated the opportunity to learn from leaders in the…
Read MoreSearch behavior has evolved, and so has the path to enrollment. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews shape how people gather information, verify details, and form opinions. For higher education marketers, that means program visibility depends on showing up wherever students look for answers, not only in search results but across…
Read MoreThere are few conferences that truly bring together such an inspiring mix of vision, innovation, and authenticity as UPCEA’s Convergence. This year, the event in Washington D.C. proved why it’s one of my favorite gatherings in the field of continuing education. The energy, the openness, and the collective drive to redefine learning for a changing…
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