The Pulse of Higher Ed

By Vickie S. Cook, Ph.D.

The recently released UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Digital Learning Enterprises reflect the continued evolution of digital learning from an emerging modality to a mission-critical component of institutional strategy. This series explores each Hallmark, why it matters for today’s institutions, and how institutional leaders can begin using the accompanying benchmarks to assess progress and guide continuous improvement. 

Nearly a decade has passed since UPCEA first published the Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership. During that time, higher education has experienced profound changes in learner expectations, technology, workforce demands, institutional finances, and the role digital learning plays in fulfilling institutional missions. The updated Hallmarks of Excellence in Digital Learning Enterprises reflect that evolution. 

The most significant change is not technological. It is organizational. Digital learning is no longer viewed as a specialized initiative or a separate organizational unit. Instead, the Hallmarks position digital learning as an enterprise-wide capability that influences institutional strategy, academic planning, learner success, technology governance, enrollment management, and long-term sustainability. 

Hallmark 1: Internal Advocacy and Leadership Within the Institution establishes the foundation for the remaining Hallmarks because meaningful transformation begins with institutional alignment.

From Advocacy to Institutional Integration

The 2016 Hallmarks emphasized the importance of advocating for online learning. At that time, many institutions were still working to establish credibility for online education and to demonstrate that quality learning could occur outside the traditional classroom.

While early digital learning leaders focused on demonstrating the value of online education, today’s leaders face a different responsibility. Today it is critical that integrating digital learning into the institution’s mission, planning, culture, and long-term strategy. The updated Hallmarks describe this evolution as a shift “from advocacy to integration and cultural alignment.” 

This integration focuses institutions on digital learning at the enterprise level whenever discussions center around strategic enrollment, academic portfolio development, learner support, workforce partnerships, financial sustainability, technology investments, or institutional resilience. Rather than operating alongside these conversations, digital learning becomes a significant component that moves the institution forward. 

Why This Matters

Learners expect flexibility, accessibility, and high-quality experiences regardless of instructional modality. At the same time, institutions face demographic shifts, increased competition, financial pressures, and rapidly changing workforce needs. The Hallmarks recognize that responding effectively requires more than expanding online offerings; it requires aligning institutional structures, policies, and leadership around a shared vision for highly effective digital learning environments. 

Hallmark 1 emphasizes that internal advocacy is not simply about communicating the value of digital learning. It is about creating durable partnerships across academic affairs, student affairs, enrollment management, information technology, finance, institutional research, and other areas across the institution so that digital learning becomes an integrated institutional strategy rather than a separate initiative. 

Putting Hallmark 1 into Practice

Hallmark 1 identifies several characteristics that distinguish institutions where digital learning has become part of the institutional enterprise.  Among them are:

• Embedding digital learning into the institution’s mission and learner success strategy.
• Developing shared definitions and consistent data standards across the institution.
• Building cross-functional coalitions that support institutional priorities.
• Establishing clear leadership accountability for digital learning strategy and performance.
• Communicating a consistent value proposition for digital learning to both internal and external audiences. 

For many institutions, these represent opportunities for reflection as much as implementation.

For example:

• Is digital learning explicitly referenced in the institution’s strategic plan?
• Do institutional leaders share a common understanding of what constitutes an online learner, an online program, or multimodal learning?
• Are discussions about enrollment, technology, learner success, and academic planning connected through a shared digital learning strategy?

These questions shift the conversation away from organizational charts and toward institutional integration.

Measuring Progress

One of the strengths of the updated Hallmarks is that they move beyond describing effective practice by identifying measurable indicators of institutional progress.

Rather than viewing the Key Performance Indicators as a compliance checklist, institutional leaders can use them as benchmarks to assess organizational maturity and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Hallmark 1 encourages institutions to examine evidence such as:

• Inclusion of digital learning goals within institutional strategic plans and accreditation activities.
• Existence of a strategic enrollment management plan that addresses digital learning.
• Common institutional definitions related to digital learning.
• Evidence-based improvements in learner success, completion, faculty satisfaction, and employer outcomes.
• Ongoing compliance with accreditation requirements and state and federal regulations. 

Viewed together, these indicators help institutions move beyond asking whether digital learning exists to asking how effectively it has become embedded within the institution’s mission and operations.

Leadership Reflection

If your institution evaluated itself using only Hallmark 1’s Key Performance Indicators, what evidence would demonstrate that digital learning has become part of your institutional strategy rather than a separate initiative?

The answer to that question may identify your institution’s next leadership conversation.

The Hallmarks describe what excellent digital learning enterprises look like. Leadership determines whether institutions become excellent digital learning environments.

Continue the Conversation …

To explore Hallmark 1 in greater depth:

• Download the UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Digital Learning Enterprises.
• Review the Key Performance Indicators for Hallmark 1: Internal Advocacy and Leadership Within the Institution.
• Register for the upcoming Hallmarks webinar series:
  • August 12 at 1:00 PM Eastern: Internal Advocacy & Entrepreneurial Initiatives
  • August 26 at 1:00 PM Eastern: Instructional Support & Learner Support
  • September 9 at 1:00 PM Eastern: External Advocacy & Professionalism
  • September 22 at 1:00 PM Eastern: Technology & Digital Innovation

Vickie Cook is a nationally recognized higher education leader specializing in enrollment strategy, online and digital learning, organizational transformation, team development, and leadership growth. She currently serves as a Senior Fellow and Strategic Advisor for UPCEA, and is a Contributing Editor for the Hallmarks of Excellence in Digital Learning Enterprises.