UPCEA Updates

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

UPCEA Announces 2023 Association Award Recipients

By UPCEA | February 1, 2023

8 Individuals and 8 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors   WASHINGTON, February 1, 2023 – UPCEA, the leader in online and professional continuing education, has announced the recipients of the 2023 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized…

Innovation and Creation in Ever-Advancing Artificial Intelligence (The European Business Review)

By UPCEA | February 1, 2023

Read Ray Schroeder’s perspective on what artificial intelligence means for the future.  We understand that artificial intelligence (AI) resulted in the loss of many blue-collar jobs as smart robots took over the manufacturing process. However, we now know that this generation of AI will have even greater impact in truly creative fields, including art and…

UPCEA Welcomes New Board and DEI Committee Members

By UPCEA | December 15, 2022

WASHINGTON, December 15, 2022 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, 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…

UPCEA Announces Retirement of Chief Membership Officer Kimberly Zaski, New Staff Additions

By UPCEA | October 28, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 28, 2022 – UPCEA, the association for leaders in online and professional continuing education, has announced a number of key staff changes. Chief Membership Officer and Vice President, Corporate Partnerships Kimberly Zaski is retiring at the end of the calendar year. She will be replaced by Kathleen Ives, formerly CEO of the…

New Book Turns Lens on Online Education’s ROI Imperative

By UPCEA | October 25, 2022

‘Using ROI for Strategic Planning of Online Education’ explores process for shifting to an ROI mindset amid pressure for higher ed to prove value and relevance WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 25, 2022 — Higher education has rarely employed return on investment (ROI) methodology in strategic planning for online education. This may be about to…

2022 UPCEA MEMS Award Recipients Announced

By UPCEA | October 20, 2022

15 Recipients Chosen For Three Award Categories WASHINGTON, D.C., October 20, 2022 — UPCEA, the leader in online and professional continuing education, has announced the recipients of the 2022 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award, and the new Excellence in Marketing Award.  All…

In-House or Outsource? UPCEA/University of Louisville study explores factors at play in deciding to work with an OPM

By UPCEA | October 6, 2022

New Research Offers Insights into the Criteria and Contractual Agreements Chief Online Learning Officers (COLOs) Consider When Deciding to Work With an OPM LOUISVILLE, KY and WASHINGTON, DC (October 6, 2022) — With the explosive growth of online learning and the accompanying rise of online program managers (OPMs), Chief Online Learning Officers (COLOs) at higher…

Building the University of Tomorrow

By UPCEA | September 28, 2022

In the recent opinion piece, “Imagine We Are Starting a University Now,” UPCEA Senior Fellow Ray Schroeder reflects on what will be necessary to prepare higher education institutions for the future through an engaging thought exercise of starting a higher education institution from scratch in 2022. Where would you begin? Central to the thought exercise…

Other Blogs and News:

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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UPCEA Releases 2026 Predictions for Higher Education

Report highlights the accelerating transformation of higher education, from AI-driven infrastructure to lifelong learning pathways. WASHINGTON (Dec. 8, 2025) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today announced the release of its “Predictions 2026: Insights for Online & Professional Education.” This year’s report brings together expert perspectives from across the association to examine the…

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UPCEA Announces Release of New Secret Shopper Benchmarking Study at UPCEA MEMS 2025

Findings unveiled during the conference’s closing keynote reveal major gaps and opportunities in enrollment responsiveness. WASHINGTON and BOSTON (Dec. 4, 2025) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today announced the release of its newest research report, Enrollment Process Review: Secret Shopper Analysis, during the closing session at the 2025 UPCEA Marketing, Enrollment Management,…

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