UPCEA Updates

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

2021 Regional Conferences to be Virtual, Free for Members

By UPCEA | January 27, 2021

I’m pleased to share with you that UPCEA’s 2021 Regional Conferences this fall will again be completely virtual AND free of charge to our members! I invite you and your teams to connect, network, share and learn with us online in fall 2021. Until then, session recordings, slides, and other materials from the 2020 Regional…

[Webinar Recording] Beyond Self-Care – Mental Health in Times of COVID

By UPCEA | January 7, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic placed enormous stress on all aspects of the educational system. Technological and human resources were required to adopt at lighting speed in order to maintain continuity of delivery. One aspect that was especially stressed and often overlooked was the mental health and well-being of all participants, administrators, faculty, and students alike. This…

2020 UPCEA Marketing and Enrollment Award Recipients Announced

By UPCEA | December 7, 2020

20 Recipients Chosen For Special 2020 Awards WASHINGTON, D.C., December 7, 2020 — UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award and the 2020 UPCEA Crisis Management Marketing Award. In light of the challenges facing UPCEA members, who are leading their institutions…

In Memoriam: Keith Bailey

By UPCEA | December 7, 2020

Long-time UPCEA member and colleague Keith Bailey (1970-2020) passed away in early December 2020. Dr. Bailey served as Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning and Dean of WVU Online at West Virginia University. In this role, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of both WVU Online and the University’s Teaching and Learning Commons. Dr. Bailey previously…

Embedding Industry Certifications into Bachelor’s Degrees: New Framework Now Available

By UPCEA | December 1, 2020

Report Provides Guidance to Universities and Certification Bodies to Explore Certification-Degree Pathways December 1, 2020 – A new framework to support the development and scaling of certification-degree pathways has been published today by Workcred – an affiliate of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) – in partnership with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU),…

How Blockchain Can Streamline Recordkeeping at Universities (OnlineEducation)

By UPCEA | November 9, 2020

“What we see coming out of the pandemic is that the world is entering an environment for business and industry called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is a digitizing work. What that opens up for is that our delivery of documentation will change and will be delivered on the blockchain.” – Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow…

What Does the Blockchain Mean for University Partnerships? (Helix Education)

By UPCEA | November 8, 2020

COVID has accelerated the evolution and adoption of a lot of new technologies across higher ed. What has the pandemic done to the blockchain movement specifically?  Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor of online learning at University of Illinois Springfield, and senior fellow at UPCEA, returns to the Enrollment Growth University show to remark on the acceleration…

UPCEA Announces Online Leadership Roundtable Advisory Council Changes

By UPCEA | October 22, 2020

WASHINGTON, October 22, 2020 — UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, announced changes this month to its Online Leadership Roundtable Advisory Council.   The Online Leadership Roundtable (OLR) is the body for senior leaders charged with driving online strategy at the unit or campus level.…

Other Blogs and News:

Convergence in Action: Building Strategic Credential Frameworks Through Collaboration

At Convergence 2025, a conversation unfolded that perfectly captured the spirit of the event—collaboration across boundaries, disciplines, and traditions to create something more unified and learner-centered. In Convergence in Action: Strategic Credential Framework Collaborations Across Campus, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel featuring Elizabeth Kerr and Molly McDermott-Fallon of the University of Cincinnati…

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Don’t Bring a Brochure to a Robot Fight: Winning Page One and the AI Overview

Imagine your bellwether program stepping into a modern search arena with a glossy tri-fold and a storied reputation, ready to battle any challenger. Across the ring rolls a robotic rival as “The Imperial March” blares over the speakers. The ref signals start; a blinding spotlight from the robot makes your program vanish from view. The…

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Friday Focus: Nurture Your Career and Yourself

In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, UPCEA is highlighting key resources each day that showcase how online and professional education leaders continue to drive innovation, resilience, and transformation. It’s Friday—a perfect moment to pause, take a breath, and focus on you. Your career, your growth, and your well-being all deserve attention. UPCEA offers ways…

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Future-Forward: Trends and Strategic Directions in Online and Professional Education

In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, UPCEA is highlighting key resources each day that showcase how online and professional education leaders continue to drive innovation, resilience, and transformation. Higher education is standing at the edge of rapid transformation, where the choices made today will define the universities of tomorrow. From shifting learner demographics and…

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Online Leaders Have a Community — and It’s UPCEA

In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, UPCEA is highlighting key resources each day that showcase how online and professional education leaders continue to drive innovation, resilience, and transformation. Behind every successful online learning initiative is a strong community of leaders who share ideas, solve challenges, and push the field forward together. At UPCEA, that…

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Data-Informed Decisions: Why You Need Data and What Data You Should Curate

In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, UPCEA is highlighting key resources each day that showcase how online and professional education leaders continue to drive innovation, resilience, and transformation. Data is the language of modern leadership. In an era of constrained resources and heightened accountability, online and professional education leaders can no longer rely on…

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