UPCEA Updates

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

Report: Limited Resources Hinder Continuing Education (Government Technology)

By UPCEA | April 21, 2022

[…] Jim Fong, founding director of UPCEA’s Center for Research and Strategy, said the study found neither adequate staffing nor resources focused on continuing education at these institutions. He said that the systems for the typical two- and four-year enrollment process and the continuing-ed systems aren’t necessarily tied together, adding that many institutions are using…

UPCEA Welcomes 13 New Board Members

By UPCEA | April 14, 2022

WASHINGTON, April 14, 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 four new officers and nine new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected in November 2021, these individuals assumed their roles at the conclusion…

Universities’ continuing ed teams need more data, resources (EdScoop)

By UPCEA | April 12, 2022

Universities are building out continuing education teams to meet demand, but workers say they lack easy access to real-time metrics like enrollment, according to a survey released Monday by the edtech company Modern Campus and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. According to the report, continuing and professional education professionals see lack of resources…

Student Coaching and Best Practices

By UPCEA | March 23, 2022

Student coaching is a critical role to supporting a student’s wellbeing and growth during the time they are enrolled in an academic program. Today’s students are no longer fresh out of high school kids. They hold a variety of titles like first generation college student, active military service member, veterans, working professionals, and everything in…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

By UPCEA | February 10, 2022

21 of Top 25 Ranked Institutions are UPCEA Members WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 10, 2022) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in online and professional continuing education, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include more…

UPCEA Announces 2022 Association Award Recipients

By UPCEA | February 9, 2022

8 Individuals and 8 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, February 9, 2022 – UPCEA, the leader in online and professional continuing education, has announced the recipients of the 2022 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its…

Emergency Remote Instruction Is Not Quality Online Learning (Inside Higher Ed)

By UPCEA | February 4, 2022

Widespread misconceptions have arisen, write members of the National Council for Online Education, but when done correctly, online courses can be as effective as face-to-face ones. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, students, faculty and administrators faced challenges amid the urgent pivot to emergency remote instruction. The pandemic and resulting quarantines are…

UPCEA Announces Leadership Teams for New Council for Credential Innovation and Alternative Credentials Network

By UPCEA | January 26, 2022

UPCEA welcomes 31 leaders in alternative credentials to volunteer roles WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 26, 2022) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in online and professional continuing education, announced today the inaugural leadership team for the Council for Credential Innovation (CCI).  The Council for Credential Innovation is composed of senior leaders charged with…

Other Blogs and News:

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Student Recruitment

I recently contributed a chapter in the recently released book, AI Applications in Online Higher Education Administration: Strategies for Maximizing Returns and Improving Outcomes edited by Kathleen Ives, Marie Cini, and Ray Schroeder. This blog highlights key take-aways from my chapter. Higher education recruitment is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades. Traditional…

Public Comment Period Opens on Workforce Pell Implementation Rules (Due April 8) | Policy Matters (March 2026)

Major Updates Public Comment Period Opens on Workforce Pell Implementation Rules (Due April 8) The U.S. Department of Education has officially opened the public comment period on proposed regulations to implement Workforce Pell Grants, with comments due April 8, 2026. These grants offer a new federal financial aid pathway that will allow students to use…

Leading Change in a Time of Financial Pressure: Insights from UPCEA Senior Leaders

In March 2026, UPCEA convened senior leaders from across higher education for a timely conversation about how institutions are navigating one of the most challenging periods the sector has faced in decades. Hosted in partnership with the UPCEA Council for Chief Online Learning Officers and the UPCEA Council for Credential Innovation, the 2026 Senior Leader…

Microcredentials at an Inflection Point

Microcredentials remain firmly embedded in the higher education landscape, but institutional momentum appears to be leveling off. In the recently released 2026 Institutional Perspectives on Microcredentials Report, jointly produced by UPCEA, The EvoLLLution, and Modern Campus, institutional leaders describe a sector that is committed to workforce alignment but constrained by structural and strategic barriers. Based…

New Book Explores How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Online Higher Education Administration

Release offers practical strategies for ethical, student-centered AI integration WASHINGTON, DC — March 11, 2026 — Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping higher education, particularly in online and professional continuing education. A new book published by Routledge in association with UPCEA, the online and professional education association, examines how institutions can thoughtfully integrate AI into administrative…

UPCEA’s Corporate Member Blog Series #2 | Fixing the Machine: How Corporate Partners Can Address COLO Needs in 2026

The current environment for online higher education is defined by what the 2026 Landscape of Higher Education Report calls a decade of “structural change,” making the job of a Chief Online Learning Officer (COLO) complex and intensely stressful. COLOs are not operating in a vacuum; they must manage a landscape of operational complexity. The Benchmarking…