UPCEA Updates

UPCEA joins colleagues, friends, and the broader higher education community in mourning the passing of Dr. James P. Pappas, who dedicated his career to advancing the reach, relevance, and impact of online, professional and continuing education. Dr. Pappas, a former President of UPCEA, was the 1999 Walton S. Bittner Service Citation Award recipient and 2006 recipient of the Julius M. Nolte Award for Extraordinary Leadership. He also was a contributor to the UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Professional and Continuing Education. Dr. Pappas leaves behind a legacy of innovation, service, and vision that transformed countless lives.

Dr. Pappas began his academic journey at the University of Utah, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology. He went on to complete a master’s in counseling psychology at the University of Ohio and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Purdue University. Returning to the University of Utah, he built a distinguished career over two decades as professor of counseling psychology, associate director of the counseling center, director of academic advising, associate dean of liberal education, and associate dean of the Division of Continuing Education. At Utah, he pioneered early applications of computers and instructional technology to continuing education, introduced new approaches to marketing using business and advertising strategies, and managed international programs in Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

In 1987, Dr. Pappas accepted the position of Vice Provost for Outreach and Distance Education and Dean of the College of Liberal Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Over the next 30 years, his visionary leadership reshaped OU Outreach and the College of Liberal Studies, now known as the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, into a nationally and internationally recognized leader in lifelong learning. Enrollment in the college grew by 500 percent, five new degree programs were established, and the college moved into its own dedicated building. Under his direction, OU was consistently ranked among the nation’s best providers of online education, including programs serving military learners stationed across the globe. 

Pappas championed initiatives such as Partnership 21 with the Federal Aviation Administration, resource centers with the U.S. Department of Education, expanded graduate military programs in Europe, technical training for the U.S. Postal Service, a satellite training network with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, and international development programs supported by USAID. His administration also helped re-establish OU’s aviation program, which has since risen to be ranked the top aviation program in the nation. Upon his retirement in 2016, he was the longest-serving dean in OU history, and in 2018 the University of Oklahoma honored his legacy by dedicating the James P. Pappas Administration Building.

Dr. Pappas’s influence extended well beyond his home institutions. He served not only as Treasurer and President of UPCEA but also as President of the Association for Graduate Liberal Studies Programs, Executive Vice President of the Association for Continuing Higher Education, and Chair of the Council on Extension, Continuing Education, and Public Service of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, where he also served on the executive board. He published extensively on adult education, counseling, and higher education administration, contributing practical and scholarly insights that informed the profession for decades.

“Jim was a towering figure in the field of continuing education,” said Dr. Robert Hansen, CEO of UPCEA. “His leadership within UPCEA and across the profession will continue to serve as an inspiration for generations to come. His legacy will endure in the institutions he shaped, the colleagues he mentored, and the students he served.” 

Dr. Pappas’s many achievements earned him widespread recognition. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2008 and the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame, where he later served as executive director. His receipt of UPCEA’s Julius M. Nolte Award for Extraordinary Leadership in 2006 reflected his extraordinary impact on our field and his unwavering commitment to expanding educational access and opportunity.

Those who worked alongside Dr. Pappas remember not only his bold vision but also his deep humanity. As colleagues have reflected, his work was a calling rooted in a belief that education is not just about knowledge but about dignity, hope, and the courage to dream. He inspired faculty, staff, and fellow leaders as a mentor and as a model of what it means to be an innovator in higher education. His efforts transformed OU’s outreach and online learning enterprise, but more importantly, they transformed the lives of thousands of learners across the world.

As we honor Dr. Pappas, we celebrate a life defined by purpose, compassion, and the conviction that education has the power to change lives.