UPCEA Updates

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

UPCEA Supports New Community College Workforce Education Study

By UPCEA | October 6, 2020

UPCEA is excited to be supporting a new study of community college workforce education, funded by Lumina Foundation and spearheaded by Opportunity America. Opportunity America and Lumina Foundation are partnering with Wilder Research to conduct this national study.   What. The study aims to answer the following questions: How extensive is the workforce education offered…

New to Teaching Online? Avoid Reinventing the Wheel: Interview Results From Experienced Online Instructors

By UPCEA | October 1, 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote education has become increasingly relevant for large numbers of instructors, students, and higher education professionals. Many have found remote teaching to be daunting, and have wondered how to provide equivalent learning opportunities to students without the face-to-face contact, as well as resources, offered in classroom settings. However, professionals in online…

Supporting Faculty and Staff in the Development of High Quality Online Experiences: Crowdsourced Resources for the 2020-2021 Academic Year

By UPCEA | September 28, 2020

Earlier this summer, at the suggestion of Aaron Brower and Ryan Anderson of the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus, UPCEA led the crowdsourcing of resources to support higher quality remote teaching for the 2020-2021 academic year. The project was bold, audacious, and one that proved to be challenging for a host of reasons, mainly due…

College Faculty and Administrators Feel Prepared to Teach Online This Fall and Are Optimistic about the Future of Higher Education, According to New Survey

By UPCEA | September 22, 2020

The Second Digital Learning Pulse Survey, Conducted by Bay View Analytics on Behalf of OLC, WCET, UPCEA, CDLRA and Cengage, Looks at the Needs of Higher Education Institutions in the Wake of COVID-19 September 22, 2020 — U.S. higher education faculty and administrators agree that they are prepared to teach online this fall, and while…

UPCEA Announces New Vice President of Finance & Administration

By UPCEA | September 8, 2020

UPCEA is pleased to announce the hiring of Jessie Daniels, MBA, as the association’s new Vice President of Finance & Administration. Daniels, formerly of the University of Maine, joins the UPCEA staff as of September 15.  As Vice President of Finance & Administration, Daniels is responsible for the overall management of financial, business and administrative…

UPCEA Announces Diversity in Leadership Scholars

By UPCEA | August 27, 2020

UPCEA is pleased to announce the inaugural and 2020 cohort of Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars. These 13 individuals are leading this new initiative on behalf of our profession. Representative and diverse leadership is a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. The goal of the Diversity Scholars program is to…

UPCEA Seeks VP of Finance & Administration

By UPCEA | July 23, 2020

UPCEA is currently seeking a Vice President of Finance & Administration for a fully remote position. I am turning to the UPCEA community for help in filling this spot on our team at headquarters. If you know anyone in the finance and accounting areas of the non-profit or higher education sectors who might be interested…

Application Now Open: The Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars program

By UPCEA | July 22, 2020

In an effort to professionalize and elevate the field of Professional, Continuing, and Online Education (PCO), UPCEA is launching a series of Online Professional Development programs. As we examined the unique challenges of the profession, the importance of representative and diverse leadership—a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence—came to the forefront. To…

Other Blogs and News:

Preparing the Workforce for an AI-Driven Economy: An Online and Professional Continuing Education Imperative

Is your online and professional continuing education unit looking for ways to improve job-market outcomes for graduates and alumni? Are you exploring strategies that better align your program portfolio with the skills business and industry leaders say they need both for new hires and for upskilling current employees?  Recent employer data provides a clear signal that high-demand employees are ones with verified AI skills and practical experience. A 2025…

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Workforce Pell Grants: Primer and Update from Negotiated Rulemaking | Policy Matters (December 2025)

Major Updates Workforce Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs: A Primer and Update from Negotiated Rulemaking: Consensus Reached – What’s in the Draft Regulations We’ve developed a blog that provides a primer and overview of the recent negotiated rulemaking work on Workforce Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs, focusing on the first week of sessions held by…

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Workforce Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs: A Primer and Update from Negotiated Rulemaking: Consensus Reached – What’s in the Draft Regulations

What Online and Professional Continuing Higher Education Leaders Should Know In early December, the Department of Education kicked off negotiated rulemaking with the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) committee, focusing most of its efforts in the first week on new Workforce Pell regulations and loss of Pell eligibility as…

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The Resilient Local Network: How to Ditch the ‘Best Practice’ Blueprint for Adult Learner Success

The Replication Dilemma Today, higher education leaders face intense pressure: prove the value of credentials, raise attainment rates for adult learners, and do it all on shrinking budgets. We have access to high-leverage frameworks—like integrated student support or the guided pathways model—which identify proven principles for success often derived from successful regional or national initiatives.…

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UPCEA Welcomes New Board and Committee Members for 2026 Terms

WASHINGTON, December 12, 2025 – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to announce the election of new officers and new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected in November, these individuals will assume their roles at the conclusion of the 2026 UPCEA Annual Conference in New Orleans, La. on…

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UPCEA Releases 2026 Predictions for Higher Education

Report highlights the accelerating transformation of higher education, from AI-driven infrastructure to lifelong learning pathways. WASHINGTON (Dec. 8, 2025) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today announced the release of its “Predictions 2026: Insights for Online & Professional Education.” This year’s report brings together expert perspectives from across the association to examine the…

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