The 2026 State of Continuing Education report makes one thing unmistakably clear: UPCEA member institutions know where they want to go. What they need is help getting there. The findings from this year’s study read less like a progress report and more like a stress test. Microcredential adoption has hit an all-time high (88%). Workforce…
For more than a decade, higher education leaders have relied on IPEDS data to understand the growth of distance education. Since distance education reporting was added to IPEDS in 2012, the number of students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses has more than doubled. Today, more than 5.3 million students are enrolled exclusively in distance…
Remarkably, in this highly-partisan era of American history, there is a newly-formed, non-partisan association with the stated purpose of “partnering with governors, employers, and training partners to help the American workforce make a successful transition to an AI economy.” This is the first large-scale independent entity formed to address the challenge that is top-of-mind of…
Today’s title carries a double meaning for those of us in higher education. Summers traditionally bring the opportunity to refresh and update the courses we teach, and it also brings the chance to look afresh at the course of our own personal careers. First, as we review our courses, their currency, relevance and value, it…
Benchmarking in Higher Education: What to Measure and Why It Changes Decisions
Colleges and universities have never had more data at their fingertips. Still, many higher education leadership teams still make major decisions on incomplete internal reporting or even gut instinct alone. Benchmarking offers a structured alternative. When done well, it gives higher ed leaders a reliable framework for understanding where their institution stands versus peer organizations…
The Modern Online and Professional Continuing Education Leader: Roles, Pressures, and What High-Performing Units Do Differently
Online and professional continuing education plays a pivotal part in expanding educational access and shaping contemporary workforce development. These programs serve a critical function in our communities, yet they face considerable challenges. Today’s leaders must navigate complexity tied to virtual learning and employer partnerships, along with changes in what communities expect from online and professional…
What is a “Professional” Degree? Lawsuits and Legislators Push Back against Trump Admin | Policy Matters (June 2026)
Major Updates What is a “Professional” Degree? Lawsuits and Legislators Push Back against Trump Admin Determinations The definition of a “professional” degree has quietly become one of the most consequential terms in federal financial aid, and it lands squarely on the graduate and professional programs many continuing education units operate. Under the One Big Beautiful…
What to Look for in a Higher Education Professional Association
Online and professional continuing is crucial for those in higher education leadership positions. Whether you are working to develop new programming at a college or university or serving as an academic dean, professional associations offer access to the leading seminars, conferences, higher education workshops, and networking events. Thus, choosing the right higher education association is…
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…
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…
There 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…
Innovation attracts attention, and not all of it good. Protecting data, students, and credibility now means securing every AI experiment before it secures you. The Bright Side, and the Blind Spots, of AI in Higher Ed AI is higher ed’s new favorite partner and, like any power couple, it comes with complications. It’s rewriting…