UPCEA Updates

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

UPCEA Seeks Nominations for 2022 Leadership Positions

By UPCEA | August 2, 2021

The UPCEA Governance and Nominations Committee invites nominations for the following positions: Board positions: Board President-Elect 2022-2023, serving as the Board President in 2023-2024 Secretary-Treasurer, 2022-2024 Network Senate Chair, 2022-2024 Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee Co-Chair (2022-2024) Board Director At-Large (7), 2022-2024 Non-Board Positions: Finance Committee members (2), 2022-2023 Diversity & Inclusive Excellence Committee members…

Falling Gracefully Into Fall Semester

By UPCEA | July 27, 2021

August is fast-approaching. We look in the rearview and wonder, “Where did summer go?”.  We start bringing ourselves to terms with the reality that the lofty project list we created at the start of summer is going to end the season with some (and maybe many) boxes left unchecked.  This transitionary time from summer to…

92% of Higher Education Leaders Say Microcredentials Support Institutional Competitiveness New study from UPCEA and Modern Campus

92% of Higher Education Leaders Say Microcredentials Support Institutional Competitiveness

By UPCEA | July 20, 2021

New study from UPCEA and Modern Campus highlights the opportunity for colleges and universities to improve enrollments and student workforce readiness TORONTO and WASHINGTON, D.C., July 20, 2021 — Higher education leaders across North America are citing the value of alternative and microcredentials to support competitiveness and enrollment growth, according to a survey conducted by…

The Benefits of Higher-Order Multiple-Choice Tests (Inside Higher Ed)

By UPCEA | June 24, 2021

In an excellent column, Ray Schroeder, senior fellow for the Association of Leaders in Online and Professional Education, laments the tendency for many instructors to rely on text-specific test banks as source material for student assessment. Not only are these inquiries susceptible to cheating, he says, they assess lower-order, nonlocalized and therefore less relevant knowledge like…

Announcing the Council for Chief Online Learning Officers (C-COLO)! The body for senior leaders charged with driving online strategy at the unit or campus level

UPCEA Announces New Leadership and Name for Chief Online Learning Officer Group

By UPCEA | June 23, 2021

Council for Chief Online Learning Officers (C-COLO) is the body for senior leaders charged with driving online strategy at the unit or campus level WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 23, 2021) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, announced today that its body for chief online learning officers is…

Could a quantum leap someday aid ethical AI? (Pew Research Center)

By UPCEA | June 17, 2021

As they considered the potential evolution of ethical AI design, the people responding to this canvassing were given the opportunity to speculate as to whether quantum computing (QC), which is still in its early days of development, might somehow be employed in the future in support of  the development of ethical AI systems. […] Ray Schroeder, associate vice…

Is the Future of Higher Education a Subscription Model? (MarketScale)

By UPCEA | June 14, 2021

Online learning was steadily growing pre-pandemic. Then it reached a considerable acceleration, but universities are taking a new look at their model to continue gaining new students and remaining solvent. The answer could be subscription-based learning. Discussing this topic and more, Voices of eLearning host JW Marshall spoke with Ray Schroeder, Associate Vice-Chancellor, University of…

MindEdge Learning and UPCEA Study: Academic Institutions See Value in Non-Credit to Credit Pathways

By UPCEA | May 20, 2021

Nontraditional pathways are a big help to adult learners May 20, 2021 — North American colleges and universities are beginning to recognize the value of non-credit to credit pathways, according to new research by UPCEA (the University Professional and Continuing Education Association) in partnership with MindEdge Learning. But most of these institutions have yet to implement these…

Other Blogs and News:

Key Findings from 2024 UPCEA Marketing Survey

As more and more institutions face internal and external pressures to identify and cultivate new revenue streams, many are turning to online and professional continuing education to attract new learners and address fiscal shortfalls. While this continued increase in supply undoubtedly benefits the student, it makes an already saturated market even more competitive. UPCEA’s 2024…

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UPCEA Announces Retirement of Chief Research Officer Jim Fong, Reinforces Strength of Research and Consulting Division

Washington, D.C. – April 7, 2025 – UPCEA, the leading association for online and professional education, today announced the upcoming retirement of Jim Fong, its founding Chief Research Officer, after years of transformative leadership in the field of higher education research and consulting.  Fong first became involved with UPCEA as a volunteer leader while at…

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Observations from a (Pretend) Prospective Student: The Do’s and Don’ts of Enrollment Communication

I’ve been through the college enrollment process before, and to be honest, it’s not exactly something that I wish to do again. And yet, as part of my role at UPCEA, I regularly step into the shoes of a prospective student during our Enrollment Process Reviews. These “secret shopper” exercises involve posing as potential applicants…

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Data and Insights from the State of Continuing Education 2025 Report

The 2025 State of Continuing Education study examines the evolving role of online and professional continuing education (PCE) units in higher education, focusing on program offerings, institutional support, technology integration, and collaboration across academic units. This year’s findings highlight a growing emphasis on workforce-aligned education, with institutions increasingly prioritizing corporate training, industry credentials, and employer…

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Annual Conference Follow Up: Translating PCOE Innovation into the Future of Higher Education

In an era of heightened urgency, higher education institutions find themselves at a pivotal crossroads—confronting enrollment cliffs, shifting demographics, and growing skepticism about the value of a degree. Further, shifting federal policy and changes at the Department of Education will challenge postsecondary leaders like never before. Amid this turbulence, one area consistently demonstrates adaptability, innovation,…

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New report from UPCEA – 2024 Staffing & Structure Survey Results

Amid growing demand for flexible and career-oriented education, online and Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) units are at the forefront of institutional innovation and revenue sustainability. Whether through degree programs, microcredentials, corporate training, or other non-credit offerings, these units play a critical role in expanding access to education and meeting the evolving needs of learners…

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