UPCEA Updates

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

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

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

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)

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

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…

Agile in Higher Ed Marketing

January 26, 2022

The Agile methodology has been around for more than 20 years, spearheaded and most well-known in software development and tech circles.  However, the Agile methodology and various frameworks can be applied to almost any discipline.  At NC State Online, embracing Agile has completely transformed our marketing process and allowed us to take on more projects…

UPCEA and the University of Wisconsin–Madison to Partner on Distance Teaching & Learning (DT&L) Conferences

January 12, 2022

Partnership brings UPCEA’s experience in online leadership and administration to UW–Madison’s highly valued annual DT&L conferences. WASHINGTON, D.C. and MADISON, WI (Jan. 12, 2022) – The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison) announced today they will partner on UW–Madison’s annual Distance Teaching & Learning (DT&L) conferences in 2022…

Growing ‘maze’ of education credentials is confusing consumers, employers (The Washington Post)

December 27, 2021

[…] There is, in fact, a “maze” of nearly a million unique education credentials in the United States, the nonprofit Credential Engine reports, including not only degrees but also badges, certificates, licenses, apprenticeships and industry certifications. More have popped up during the pandemic as career-switchers seek education and training. The result is confusion among employers…

In Memoriam: Gregory Milton

December 17, 2021

A Program Planning and Implementation Network Tribute to Gregory Milton, Ph.D. It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Greg Milton passed away last week. Greg Milton, Ph.D., was our colleague and friend and PPI’s former Chair (2018). Greg was instrumental to PPI for many years and helped the Network grow…

Other Blogs and News:

COLO Compass | Who Leads Next? Building the Pipeline of Online Leaders

COLO Compass: Evidence and practical direction for chief online learning officers. Throughout National Distance Learning Week, I’ve written about how much online learning leaders are now expected to handle: AI governance, the financial case for online education, relationships with policymakers, financial aid fraud, and operations that extend well beyond their own units. The question for…

COLO Compass | The COLO’s Job Got Bigger. Has the Authority Kept Up?

COLO Compass: Evidence and practical direction for chief online learning officers. When UPCEA published its 2016 Hallmarks, online education was still moving from innovation to mainstream adoption, and a central challenge was legitimizing it. The 2026 Hallmarks of Excellence in Digital Learning Enterprises begin from a different premise. As Vickie Cook, a contributing editor of…

COLO Compass | Sustaining Online Learning Takes Evidence Inside and Out

COLO Compass: Evidence and practical direction for chief online learning officers. National Distance Learning Week runs November 2 through 6, and one of USDLA’s themes this year is the “Sustainable Future of Distance Education.” For those responsible for online enterprises, sustainability means having the financial resources, operational capacity, and institutional support to continue serving learners. …

COLO Compass | The COLO as Institutional Integrator: When Online Learning Is Everyone’s Business, Who Leads It?

COLO Compass: Evidence and practical direction for chief online learning officers. For years, one of the challenges facing online learning leaders was convincing the institution that online education belonged in the mainstream of academic life. That argument is increasingly behind us. Online learning now intersects with enrollment strategy, academic planning, technology, student support, workforce development,…

COLO Compass | Advancing AI Starts With How Your Institution Decides

COLO Compass: Evidence and practical direction for chief online learning officers. National Distance Learning Week runs November 2 through 6 this year. USDLA’s 2026 theme includes advancing AI, global education through open educational resources, and the sustainable future of distance education. For those of us in online and digital learning, the past three years have…

ED Issues Workforce Pell FAQs; Courts Continue Changing Professional Degree List | Policy Matters (October 2026)

Major Updates U.S. Department of Education Provides Workforce Pell Grant FAQs The U.S. Department of Education has released FAQs on Workforce Pell Grants for short-term programs. The guidance covers items like the baseline eligibility standards: programs be at least 8 but fewer than 15 weeks or 150 to 599 clock hours and operational for a…