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

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

Degrees on Hold: Bringing “Some College, No Credential” Learners Back

December 16, 2024

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…

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A Reflection on My Predictions: What it Means for 2025 and Beyond

November 25, 2024

Higher 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…

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

Semester Without End: An Idea Resurrected

December 19, 2024

It 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…

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Higher Education in 2025: AGI Agents to Displace People

December 4, 2024

The 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…

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Your one-stop shop for the latest Association happenings, policy updates, plus thoughts from the desk of CEO Bob Hansen.

Reflections from Convergence 2024: Credential Innovation in Higher Education, hosted by UPCEA and AACRAO

The running joke was that this fall’s Convergence, UPCEA’s second collaboration with thoughtful partner AACRAO, was referred to as Convergence Two: Electric Boogaloo, for the verve and excitement around bringing together another sold-out/SRO gathering of credential innovators–in the buzzy city of New Orleans, no less. And though I am fairly certain that pop-y, choreographed dancing…

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Collegis Education logo and UPCEA logo

According To the New UPCEA and Collegis Report, 71% of Prospective Graduate Students Prefer Fully Online Programs

Findings highlight the need for strategic outreach to address master’s degree enrollment challenges in a competitive market [Washington and Illinois] – December 16, 2024 –  A new report released today by UPCEA, the online and professional education association, and Collegis Education, a higher education solutions tech-enabler, highlights the growing interest in online master’s degree programs…

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Building the Future of Credentials: Explore the LER Accelerator Inventory

By the LER Accelerator coalition We are excited to share the official launch of the LER Accelerator Inventory, a comprehensive collection of resources designed to support institutions in adopting and implementing Learning and Employment Records (LERs). As members of the LER Accelerator coalition, we are proud to contribute to this valuable initiative to create a more transparent, interoperable, and…

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Welcome, new board and committee members!

UPCEA Welcomes New Board and Committee Members for Terms Beginning in March 2025

WASHINGTON, December 12, 2024 – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to announce the election of new officers and new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected in November, these individuals will assume their roles at the conclusion of the 2025 UPCEA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado on March…

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Musings on trends and updates from UPCEA CEO Bob Hansen.

A new direction for the Distance Teaching and Learning Conference

November 7, 2024

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…

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Beyond Degrees: How Credential Innovation is Closing the Gap for 42 Million Learners

October 24, 2024

A 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…

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Valuable insights from UPCEA's trusted corporate partners.

Three common challenges adult learners face — and how holistic coaching can help

February 9, 2024

As innovators and changemakers in the adult learner space, you’re always looking for the best ways to support the students you serve and help them overcome obstacles on their educational journey. Through coaching, you can provide adult learners with a personalized approach tailored to each individual, ultimately giving them the tools and techniques they need…

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The Fastest-Growing Job Skills for Universities to Prioritize in 2024

February 2, 2024

In an ever-evolving job market, higher education plays a crucial role in preparing students for strong career outcomes. I’m excited to share that Coursera’s third annual Job Skills Report is here to guide higher ed leaders as they navigate this landscape by highlighting the essential skills and credentials that are shaping the workforce.  The Job…

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