Industry Insights

Valuable insights from UPCEA's trusted corporate partners.

The Power of Virtual Peers: How to Foster Connectedness Among Online Learners

December 1, 2023

Online learning provides a convenient way for students to achieve their academic goals from a distance. At the same time, it presents a unique set of challenges that can impact student belonging, connectedness, and ultimately, retention.  Post-pandemic, hybrid course design has become the standard for many universities and colleges. 30% of degree-seekers study exclusively online.1…

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Buying Continuing Education Registration Software? Watch Out for These Red Flags

November 27, 2023

If you are trying to pick a new registration system for your Continuing and Professional Education unit, I promise this article will be worth your time.  I’ve led a number of organizations through this process (three as a decisionmaker and dozens of others in advisory roles) and I can assure you it’s not an overstatement…

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IT Certification: A Powerful Career Catalyst

October 4, 2023

Do I need to earn a certification? Professionals in IT, cybersecurity, privacy, risk, audit and related digital trust fields have wrestled with this question for years. Do certifications actually help with competitive job applications, increasing earning potential, and staying up to date with the latest IT trends? Or are they just acronyms on a resume…

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Forming Strategic Partnerships To Increase Equity in Access to Education

September 28, 2023

Addressing the Digital Divide in the Age of Cybersecurity As technology and the internet continue to reshape modern education, the question of equitable access to these resources becomes more pressing. Educational institutions, governments, and private organizations are working diligently to bridge this digital divide, with cybersecurity emerging as a key concern. Strategic partnerships can play…

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How Rising Professionals Can Obtain Coveted Expertise in Emerging Tech

September 22, 2023

At a time when enterprises are racing to experiment with fast-growing artificial intelligence capabilities, cloud computing is increasingly relied upon for organizations to operate efficiently and connected devices are proliferating at a staggering pace, harnessing emerging technology is becoming a leading priority for companies in all sectors and geographies. That means companies are on the…

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Other Blogs and News:

Pack Light, Go Far: Hiking the Enrollment Trail

There’s a moment from my college days I remember more clearly than any midterm I ever took. I had stepped away from my bachelor’s degree at Penn State because I wanted to live a little. I’d grown up in the same town that I went to college and I just needed an extended reprieve, something…

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Preparing the Workforce for an AI-Driven Economy: An Online and Professional Continuing Education Imperative

Is your online and professional continuing education unit looking for ways to improve job-market outcomes for graduates and alumni? Are you exploring strategies that better align your program portfolio with the skills business and industry leaders say they need both for new hires and for upskilling current employees?  Recent employer data provides a clear signal that high-demand employees are ones with verified AI skills and practical experience. A 2025…

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Workforce Pell Grants: Primer and Update from Negotiated Rulemaking | Policy Matters (December 2025)

Major Updates Workforce Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs: A Primer and Update from Negotiated Rulemaking: Consensus Reached – What’s in the Draft Regulations We’ve developed a blog that provides a primer and overview of the recent negotiated rulemaking work on Workforce Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs, focusing on the first week of sessions held by…

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Workforce Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs: A Primer and Update from Negotiated Rulemaking: Consensus Reached – What’s in the Draft Regulations

What Online and Professional Continuing Higher Education Leaders Should Know In early December, the Department of Education kicked off negotiated rulemaking with the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) committee, focusing most of its efforts in the first week on new Workforce Pell regulations and loss of Pell eligibility as…

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The Resilient Local Network: How to Ditch the ‘Best Practice’ Blueprint for Adult Learner Success

The Replication Dilemma Today, higher education leaders face intense pressure: prove the value of credentials, raise attainment rates for adult learners, and do it all on shrinking budgets. We have access to high-leverage frameworks—like integrated student support or the guided pathways model—which identify proven principles for success often derived from successful regional or national initiatives.…

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UPCEA Welcomes New Board and Committee Members for 2026 Terms

WASHINGTON, December 12, 2025 – 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 2026 UPCEA Annual Conference in New Orleans, La. on…

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