The Pulse of Higher Ed

Perspectives on Online and Professional Education
from UPCEA’s Research and Consulting Experts

AI Augments, Never Replaces: What the Hybrid Advising Co-Op Teaches Us About Building an Equitable Future for Student Support

May 26, 2026

Will artificial intelligence close the student success gap or widen it into a permanent caste system? That is the question higher education leaders should be asking as AI advising tools move from pilot to procurement. The temptation is to treat AI as a cost-savings lever: deploy a chatbot, deflect the tickets, claim a productivity win.…

Spring Strategies: Leading AI-Driven Change in Higher Education

May 14, 2026

Each spring, campuses quietly rehearse a familiar transition. The cadence shifts. Energy returns. Commencement ceremonies are scheduled, and multiple beautification processes are underway, from reenergized flower beds to window washing and clean walkways.  What was dormant begins to move again. In higher education, this seasonal rhythm offers more than symbolism. It provides a useful leadership lens for…

Five Years In: What the 2026 State of Continuing Education Report Reveals

May 8, 2026

I have always appreciated how honest wood is. Look at a cut stump and the rings tell a story: good years, lean years, drought, recovery. That feels like the right way to read the newly released 2026 State of Continuing Education report from UPCEA, Modern Campus, and The EvoLLLution. As this partnership reaches its five-year…

Installation 101: Guidance for Launching On-Base Marketing to Military-Connected Students

May 8, 2026

In the world of online and professional continuing education, we often talk about “meeting students where they are.” When it comes to the military community, that isn’t just a metaphor, it’s often a physical location. For marketing teams at UPCEA member institutions, military installations are a unique ecosystem. To succeed here, you cannot simply port…

Starting Small: A 90-Day Framework for AI Adoption in Online and Professional Continuing Education Units

April 20, 2026

For many online and professional continuing education units, the primary barrier to adopting artificial intelligence is not access to tools, it is uncertainty about where to begin and how to proceed without disrupting daily operations. Leaders are often balancing innovation with stability, making it difficult to introduce new approaches without clear structure.  A focused, time-bound strategy can reduce that ambiguity. A 90-day adoption…

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