Industry Insights

Valuable insights from UPCEA's trusted corporate partners.

Convergence 2024: All Learning Matters

October 21, 2024

The recent Convergence Conference in New Orleans brought together thought leaders from across the higher education spectrum, offering profound insights on how institutions can evolve to better meet the needs of learners in an era of rapid change. This was our fourth UPCEA-hosted event and the second time at Convergence, but my first time attending.…

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Beyond “Thank You for Your Service”: A Higher Ed Guide to Supporting Student Veterans this Veterans Day

October 18, 2024

As Veterans Day approaches, universities and colleges nationwide often reflect on how to honor student veterans on their campuses. Instagram posts may already be scheduled with some version of “Thank You for Your Service” typed across a proudly waiving American flag. While expressions of gratitude are a step in the right direction, going beyond annual…

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How Higher Education Marketing Metrics Help You Boost Enrollment

October 2, 2024

As the higher education sector faces a demographic cliff and shrinking demand for undergraduate degrees, institutions are searching for new ways to secure long-term growth.  According to a new report from the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 100 colleges have closed their doors over the past two years, and the sector has shrunk…

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Transforming Prospective Student Engagement through Data-Driven Insights

August 23, 2024

A Funny Thing About Humans Information gathering is a universal behavior. Living creatures of all varieties gather information about their environment in order to thrive within it. But we humans take information gathering to a new level. Curiosity. We seek to learn, not just to survive, but to understand. This thirst for knowledge has led…

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Universities and Extended Credentials

August 8, 2024

Traditional higher ed has largely forgone the growing lifelong learning market. In its place, the space has been filled by providers who describe their programs as alternative credentials.  But alternative is a misnomer. Certificate programs are not an alternative to degree programs; the great majority of people earning them already have their bachelor’s degrees. What…

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Other Blogs and News:

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

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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Lessons Learned from Star Trek

I am part of Generation X. I was born in 1965 and which makes me one of the cohort’s older members. Although I am a part of Generation X, I at times align with the “Next Generation” … the Boomers. Growing up around Boomers and being an older Gen X’er meant watching I Dream of…

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New Survey Explores Intersection of AI and Credentialing in Higher Ed

UPCEA and Instructure recently released the results of a survey on whether institutions are utilizing AI to enhance learner outcomes and records, and if so, how? Most survey respondents are heavily involved in developing learner experiences and tracking outcomes, though nearly half report that their institutions have yet to adopt AI-driven tools for these purposes.…

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UPCEA Announces Selection of Peer Learning Leaders to Drive Innovation in Skills-Based Credentialing

Six individuals selected for grant-funded work helping advance University-to-Business credential innovation strategies WASHINGTON (October 23, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is thrilled to announce the selection of six individuals to be Peer Learning Leaders for the association’s grant-funded “Expanding Institutional Capacity for Employer Engagement in Credential Innovation” project. The project will…

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Half of Higher Ed Institutions Now Use AI for Outcomes Tracking, But Most Lag in Implementing Comprehensive Learner Records

Survey conducted by Instructure and UPCEA explores the intersection of AI and credentialing in Higher Education SALT LAKE CITY — October 22, 2024 — Instructure, the leading learning ecosystem and UPCEA, the online and professional education association, announced the results of a survey on whether institutions are leveraging AI to improve learner outcomes and manage…

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Best Colleges Ranking – 2025 (WalletHub)

Insights from Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow at UPCEA – The Online and Professional Education Association and Professor Emeritus of Communication – University of Illinois Springfield Are Ivy League and other “name- brand” schools worth the high sticker price? Wise consumers of higher education should begin with the outcome. What career or job is your desired…

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