UPCEA Updates

The latest association offerings and updates. UPCEA is your association!

People & Programs: UCLA Dean of Continuing Education and Extension Wayne Smutz to Retire

Dr. Wayne Smutz, Dean of Continuing Education and Extension at the University of California, Los Angeles, has announced that he is retiring effective October 31, 2018.

Smutz has served as the Dean of Continuing Education and UCLA Extension since October 2013. UCLA Extension is the continuing education division of the University of California, Los Angeles. Courses range from business, arts, engineering, and IT to entertainment studies, public policy, public health, the humanities, and more. Each year, nearly 2,000 UCLA Extension students graduate from more than 170 certificate programs.

With over 38,000 students, UCLA Extension offers more than 5,000 classes and programs per year. UCLA Extension serves the professional development, continuing education, and personal enrichment needs of alumni and professionals and the employees of public and private companies in Los Angeles, the U.S. as well as internationally. As Dean, Smutz led the academic, financial, and operational efforts of this self-supporting enterprise, which delivers programs via face-to-face, online, and hybrid methodologies.

Prior to joining UCLA in 2013, Smutz spent more than 30 years at Penn State Outreach in a variety of roles, most recently as Executive Director of the World Campus. Smutz’s involvement with UPCEA spanned the association, and he most recently served as the association’s 2017-18 President.

A native Californian, Smutz is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate with a BA in History from the University of California at Berkeley, and the recipient of an MA in political science, along with a Ph.D. in higher education, both from Penn State.

Read more here.

Other UPCEA Updates + Blogs

Migrating the Headwinds of Higher Education: How UPCEA-Partnered Research Helps Guide the Way

March 22, 2024

Higher education has been in a state of flux for the past five years, trying to maintain the strengths of…

Read More

Navigating the Wonderland of Higher Education: The Importance of Transparent Pathways

March 22, 2024

In the classic Disney movie Alice in Wonderland, one scene captivated me as a child: Alice, lost and bewildered in…

Read More
23109270222_913907ae48_k

Get Involved with UPCEA

Professional development isn't just about attending sessions. Get involved with UPCEA to meet members from other institutions, share the great work your institution is doing, and hone your own skills. From submitting a session proposal for a conference or an article for a publication to serving as a volunteer on a conference planning committee, there are as many ways to engage with us!

22705011037_217e9a2505_k

Awards of Excellence

Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its members' outstanding contributions to the Association and the field, as well as their achievements in innovative programming, marketing and promotion, community development and services, research and publications, and many other areas.