UPCEA Updates

Your one-stop shop for the latest Association happenings, plus thoughts from the desk of CEO Bob Hansen.

How to Measure the Impact of Your Higher Education Programs

August 12, 2024

These days, students and prospective students are becoming increasingly critical of higher education programs—especially as the cost of higher learning continues to rise. Understandably, students want to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth before enrolling in (and committing to) a program. In other words, they want to know that the program they’re considering is effective and proven to…

UPCEA Releases Higher Ed Playbook for Accelerating Growth of Credential Innovation

August 12, 2024

Grant-funded project delivers promising practices to help institutions engage their local business community in the development of noncredit microcredentials WASHINGTON (Aug. 12, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today published a new higher education playbook, supported by a grant from Walmart, and aimed at accelerating the development and delivery of noncredit, short-term…

How to Use Technology to Enhance Leadership and Workforce Development

August 5, 2024

There’s no denying that the landscape of leadership and workforce development has evolved significantly over the past several years. As time progresses, it becomes apparent that technology has an increasingly present role in enhancing the quality and scope of higher education programs. If your institution is seeking practical ways to improve leadership development and educational…

How the Education Department Wants to Police Online Education (Inside Higher Ed)

July 30, 2024

The Education Department wants to collect much more information about distance education courses and the students enrolled in them as part of a broader effort to increase oversight of online programs. The department’s proposal would require colleges and universities to take attendance in distance education classes, which include those offered online or via correspondence. Institutions…

Major Gaps in Tracking of Higher Ed Marketing Metrics: New Report

July 30, 2024

Search Influence and UPCEA Establish Higher Ed Marketing Cost Benchmarks in Joint Industry Report NEW ORLEANS, LA., July 30, 2024 — Search Influence, a leading higher education digital marketing agency, and UPCEA, the online and professional education association, announced their co-authored Higher Ed Marketing Metrics Research Report. The study establishes industry-first benchmarks for marketing cost…

Developing Organizational Leaders in the Online, Continuing, and Professional Education Landscape

July 29, 2024

These days, educational institutions and organizations face a number of challenges when it comes to developing effective leaders—particularly in the online, continuing, and professional education realms. From difficulties catering to diverse learners to struggles adapting to emerging technologies, being able to navigate these challenges is crucial. Fortunately, with the right organizational leadership in place, it is possible…

UPCEA Receives Grant from Walmart to Scale Engagement Between Employers and Higher Ed

July 24, 2024

Significant second grant will drive adoption of new models for engaging employers in credential innovation WASHINGTON (July 24, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is honored to receive a $600,000 grant from Walmart to drive innovation in skills-based credentialing with a project titled, “Expanding Institutional Capacity for Employer Engagement in Credential Innovation.” …

Majority of Grads Wish They’d Been Taught AI in College (Inside Higher Ed)

July 23, 2024

A majority of college graduates believe generative artificial intelligence tools should be incorporated into college classrooms, with more than half saying they felt unprepared for the workforce, according to a new survey from Cengage Group, an education-technology company. The survey, released today, found that 70 percent of graduates believe basic generative AI training should be integrated…

Other Blogs and News:

AI Across Generations: What Leaders Should Know and What They Shouldn’t Assume

There are many assumptions about AI use across generations. Gen Z readily embraces artificial intelligence. Millennials are integrating it into their work. Gen X is more cautious and pragmatic. Baby Boomers are reluctant adopters.  Is it really that simple?  Perhaps not.  Generational differences in AI use appear to be real. What those differences mean is…

UPCEA’s Corporate Member Blog Series #5 | Partnership Blueprint: 8 Takeaways for Corporate Members from the 2026 UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Digital Learning Enterprises

When UPCEA released the original Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership in 2016, online education was widely viewed as an emerging modality. A decade later, the landscape has shifted. The newly released 2026 Hallmarks of Excellence in Digital Learning Enterprises (2026 Hallmarks) reflects a higher education ecosystem where digital capability is no longer an add-on,…

Workforce Pell Moves from Rules to Reality: State Pipelines, New Federal Training, and $65 Million from Labor | Policy Matters (September 2026)

Major Updates Workforce Pell Moves from Rules to Reality: State Approval Pipelines Mature, ED Launches Training, and Labor Awards $65 Million Nearly three months after Workforce Pell Grants (Pell awards for programs of 150–599 clock hours, or 8 to fewer than 15 weeks) became available on July 1, the rollout is moving at very different…

Leading Digital Learning Enterprises | Part 4: Beyond the Technology: Building a Digital Ecosystem with Purpose

Technology may be the most visible element of a digital learning enterprise. It is also one of the easiest to misunderstand. Institutions invest considerable resources in learning management systems, student information systems, customer relationship management platforms, analytics, communication tools, instructional technologies, cybersecurity, and an expanding array of emerging technologies. Each promises opportunities to improve some…

Trust, but Click: What Prospective Students Are Teaching Us About AI Search in 2026

During arms-control talks in the 1980s Ronald Reagan made “trust, but verify” one of the most quoted phrases of the era. Four decades later, prospective online and continuing education students appear to have quietly borrowed it back and pointed it directly at their search bar. Trust, but click. That is the story of AI Search…

2026 UPCEA MEMS Award Recipients Announced

26 recipients chosen across three award categories WASHINGTON, D.C., September 16, 2026 — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced the recipients of the 2026 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, the Excellence in Advancing Student Success Award, and the Excellence in Marketing Award. All three awards are sponsored by UPCEA’s Marketing, Enrollment Management,…