UPCEA Updates

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

Nearly Half of Faculty Say Pandemic Changes to Teaching Are Here to Stay (Campus Technology)

By UPCEA | April 1, 2021

In a recent survey, the majority of faculty (71 percent) reported that their teaching in Fall 2020 was “very different” or included a “number of changes” compared to pre-pandemic times. And almost half (47 percent) felt those changes would remain in place post-pandemic. That’s according to Cengage‘s third Digital Learning Pulse Survey, conducted by Bay View Analytics in partnership…

Plan to join us in-person for 2022 events!

By UPCEA | March 26, 2021

I’m pleased to share with you some exciting news: UPCEA’s industry-leading events will be back live and in-person in April 2022! Even better, we are combining the Annual Conference and the Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R), hosting both events in Orlando, FL, at Disney’s Coronado Springs April 11-14, 2022. For the…

Survey: About Half of Faculty are More Positive About Online Learning Today Than Pre-Pandemic, And Expect to Keep New Teaching Techniques and Digital Materials in Place Post-Pandemic

By UPCEA | March 24, 2021

The Third Digital Learning Pulse Survey, Conducted by Bay View Analytics on Behalf of OLC, WCET, UPCEA, CDLRA and Cengage, Looks at How Higher Education is Changing in the Wake of COVID-19 March 24, 2021—As the pandemic has moved U.S. higher education online, half of faculty (51 percent) are more positive about online learning today…

UPCEA Announces 2021 Association Award Recipients

UPCEA Announces 2021 Association Award Recipients

By UPCEA | March 2, 2021

7 Individuals Receive Association’s Highest Honors   WASHINGTON, March 2, 2021 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2021 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 members’…

UPCEA Welcomes Nine New Board Members

UPCEA Welcomes Nine New Board Members

By UPCEA | February 22, 2021

WASHINGTON, February 22, 2021 – 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 two new officers and seven new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected earlier in February, these individuals will assume their roles at the…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

By UPCEA | February 8, 2021

23 of 27 Institutions Ranked in Top 25 are UPCEA Members   WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 8, 2021) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings.   U.S.…

[Webinar Recording] Vision21: Key Predictions that Higher Education Can’t Afford to Ignore

By UPCEA | February 8, 2021

Originally held Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 1:00 PM ET In the midst of profound disruption rendered by the 2020 pandemic, agility, creativity, and acumen will serve as key strategic underpinnings for higher education in 2021. Institutions will need to look beyond 2020’s short-term solutions to more proactive approaches stemming from social, technological, curriculum, financial, and…

2021 Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar to be held virtually

By UPCEA | February 5, 2021

Exciting news — the Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar will again be held virtually in 2021. The 2020 Seminar was a great success, with many first-time attendees among the more than 1,250 registrants. We heard clearly from UPCEA members like you that institutional budget and travel restrictions would severely limit access to in-person events for…

Other Blogs and News:

Microcredentials, Modularity, and Mission: Insights from UPCEA’s Coffee Chat on Innovation in Healthcare Education

In partnership with the HELIX Summit on Continuing Medical Education  How are institutions navigating the dynamic intersection of workforce demands, digital learning, and credentialing innovation—especially in healthcare? That’s exactly what we explored in a recent Coffee Chat, where UPCEA leaders from across the higher education landscape gathered for an unrecorded but powerfully candid conversation on…

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Leading with Values-Based Influence in Higher Education

Why Values-Based Influence Matters Now  Higher education is undergoing seismic shifts—demographic changes, budget constraints, AI disruption, and questions of relevance. In this environment, how we lead and why we lead matters as much as what we do as leaders. Leaders who operate from a strong internal compass—those grounded in values—offer clarity, stability, and hope.  Values-based…

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Accreditation + Skill-Based Learning Addressed in New Executive Orders | Policy Matters (April 2025)

Major Updates Accreditation, Foreign Support, Skill-Based Learning Addressed in New Trump Executive Orders The Trump administration has continued issuing an unprecedented number of executive orders with recent directives directly impacting colleges and universities, addressing topics like accreditation reform, foreign influence, skills-based learning (including alternative credentials), and support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Two…

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Online education booms in an era of lifelong learning (WorkingNation)

‘Strictly online institutions tend to serve working-age or older adults requiring flexible schedules constructed around family obligations and work. “Folks arrive at higher ed for a multitude of reasons,” says Julie Uranis, senior vice president of online and strategic initiatives for UPCEA (the Online and Professional Education Association), a resource for online university programs. “Online learning gives them…

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Your Lifelong Learning Journey’s “Breadcrumbs” – How to Tell Your Story

As avid backcountry hikers, years ago my family decided it would be prudent to buy a GPS, even though we had a rescue dog with an incredible sense of direction. While many out-and-back or even loop hikes didn’t require high-powered digital GPS coordinates to find our way back to our vehicle, we did appreciate launching…

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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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