UPCEA Updates

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

Our commitment to your safety

By UPCEA | November 17, 2021

Dear Colleagues, We are looking forward to gathering with you in-person this spring for UPCEA’s Annual Conference and the Summit for Online Leadership and Administration + Roundtable (SOLA+R), April 11-14, 2022 in Orlando, FL, at Disney’s Coronado Springs.  For many of us, the Annual Conference and SOLA+R will be the first in-person events since before…

Apply now for free enrollment in January 2022 PCO Pro courses

By UPCEA | November 11, 2021

I’m pleased to share with you a special offer for UPCEA members: a complimentary opportunity for you and your colleagues to join us for an UPCEA professional development course. Our professional development courses and certificates have been enthusiastically endorsed and highly rated by participants. Students have appreciated the opportunity to learn from leaders in the…

UPCEA Announces 2021 Regional Award Recipients

By UPCEA | September 29, 2021

17 Individuals and 21 Programs Honored Across 5 Regions WASHINGTON, September 29, 2021 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2021 Regional Awards. Each of UPCEA’s five Regions recognizes both individual and institutional achievement of the UPCEA members within the Region.  Award recipients will be honored…

UPCEA Launches Alternative Credentials Community to Advance Quality Standards, Policy, Best Practices

By UPCEA | September 27, 2021

Dedicated resources include benchmarking research, peer learnings and networking via new Council for Credential Innovation and Alternative Credentials Network WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 27, 2021 — The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) today launched its Council for Credential Innovation and Alternative Credentials Network, providing dedicated resources to advance quality standards, policy and…

Data Privacy Regulations Set to Impact Higher Education Marketing and Enrollment

By UPCEA | September 24, 2021

For 25 years, the collection and trading of financial, social, personal, and location data via digital means has been a booming, multi-billion-dollar business. Web cookies and other tracking technologies, such as personal identifiable information (PII), have basically followed digital users almost everywhere they went, and they rarely had much control over what was collected and…

UPCEA Seeks Part-Time Data Analyst to Join Center for Research and Strategy Team

By UPCEA | September 24, 2021

UPCEA is currently seeking a part-time Data Analyst for a fully remote position with our Center for Research and Strategy team.   The Data Analyst is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and transforming data into actionable insights on various projects for UPCEA. Role responsibilities include identifying, gathering, and analyzing data to produce understandable and insightful figures and…

In Memoriam: Karen Swan

By UPCEA | September 9, 2021

Long-time UPCEA member and colleague Karen Swan passed away in early September 2021. Dr. Swan served as professor of education at the University of Illinois at Springfield’s Center for Online Learning, Research and Service. Previously, she served as research professor at Kent State University’s Research Center for Educational Technology. Dr. Swan completed her doctorate in…

Reflections on trends in student success

By UPCEA | August 27, 2021

While many of our colleagues across the country are in the throes of fall orientation, the first weeks of classes, and maybe even a little bit of college football, those of us on the quarter system have well over a month until our fall courses start. And if I’m being honest, I’m still knee deep…

Other Blogs and News:

From Programs to Ecosystems: Reflections from Misericordia’s Workforce Symposium

Recently, I had the privilege of keynoting UPCEA member Misericordia University’s 2026 Workforce Symposium—an event that brought together institutional leaders, employers, and regional partners to wrestle with one of the most urgent questions facing higher education today: What does it mean to truly align with the workforce—not just in programs, but in purpose? First, deep…

UPCEA’s Corporate Member Blog Series #3 | The Partner Playbook: 5 Ways to Help Universities Win the “Modern Learner”

The “traditional” student is quickly becoming a relic of a bygone era. The future of enrollment is concentrated in new, non-traditional markets: adult learners seeking rapid re-skilling, dual-enrolled high school students, and the millions of Americans with “some college, no credential” who represent a significant scalable opportunity for growth. Universities know they must pivot decisively…

Higher Education at a Crossroads: Leadership, Strategy, and Stewardship

Reflections from a Fireside Chat with President Jon Alger on March 18, 2026 There are moments in this fellowship year that feel distinctly formative—where the conversation you’re facilitating is also, quietly, shaping you. Last week’s fireside chat with American University President Jon Alger was one of those moments for me. As part of my ACE…

The 41 Million SCNC: Why Higher Ed’s Greatest Failure is the Refusal to Recognize Real Life

There has been much discussion about the more than 41 million US learners with “Some College No Credential” (SCNC) over the past several years. Despite a strategic focus by higher education institutions to re-enroll these learners, and with some success, the population has continued to grow. UPCEA hosted a strategic conversation with the Council for…

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…