UPCEA Updates

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

Look no further for your benchmarking and research needs

By UPCEA | May 4, 2020

Today I’m writing to shine a light on UPCEA’s best kept secret: the Center for Research and Strategy led by Jim Fong and featuring some of the best consultants in the industry. The Center provides actionable research and benchmarking free of charge for all members; and high value custom consulting across the entire spectrum of…

Digital Learning Pulse Survey: 90% of U.S. Higher Ed Institutions Used Emergency Distance Education to Complete Spring 2020 Term

By UPCEA | April 23, 2020

The survey of higher education’s immediate priorities related to the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted April 6-19 by Bay View Analytics on behalf of OLC, WCET, UPCEA, CDLRA and Every Learner Everywhere, and underwritten by Cengage; findings will be discussed in a webinar, this Friday, April 24. APRIL 22, 2020 A new survey of U.S. higher…

Regional conferences go virtual ⁠— and are free for members!

By UPCEA | April 23, 2020

Exciting news: All five of our 2020 UPCEA Regional Conferences this fall will now be fully virtual AND are free of charge to our members! Choose one or all five regions for this new conference experience—Virtually Together: 2020 UPCEA Regional Conference Series. All are open and complimentary for members this year. Gather your team and…

Survey: Emergency Move Online Forced More than Half of Faculty to Learn New Teaching Methods (Campus Technology)

By UPCEA | April 23, 2020

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all higher education institutions (90 percent) in a recent survey used some form of emergency distance education to complete the Spring 2020 term. And 56 percent of faculty who moved courses online were using teaching methods they had never used before. That’s according to “Digital Learning Pulse…

2020 UPCEA Benchmarking Research Agenda

By UPCEA | April 7, 2020

Did you know that each year, UPCEA members receive benchmarking data from the Center for Research and Strategy, directed by Jim Fong? UPCEA benchmarking research is not just the industry standard—it is also a nonprofit service designed for institutions like yours. Look out for these forthcoming studies to benchmark your unit to others in the…

Gen Z Takeover: Could online colleges gain traction with young students? (Education Dive)

By UPCEA | April 4, 2020

Four-year universities have long encouraged students coming straight from high school to enroll in their campus-based programs while guiding older learners to their online divisions, creating a divide between the two groups. But Generation Z, whose members were born in 1997 or later, may prove to be the force that can break down those barriers.…

Online Education Advocacy Group Launches as Dept. of Ed Proposes Loosening Regulations (EdSurge)

By UPCEA | April 3, 2020

To advocate for and on behalf of effective online teaching and learning practices, four organizations are joining forces to establish the National Council for Online Education. The partnership linking the Online Learning Consortium, Quality Matters, University Professional and Continuing Education Association and WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies has been in the works for about a year,…

UPCEA Welcomes Seven New Board Members

By UPCEA | April 2, 2020

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2020 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed two new officers and five new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors during a virtual Board meeting on March 18. “On behalf of the Board Development committee and the entire…

Other Blogs and News:

UPCEA Virtual Forum Recap: Expanding Institutional Capacity for Employer Engagement in Credential Innovation

September 17, 2025 marked UPCEA’s first-ever Virtual Forum on Employer Engagement and Credential Innovation. The event, curated by Amy Heitzman, Ph.D., UPCEA’s Deputy CEO and Chief Learning Officer, brought together senior leaders in professional, continuing, and online education to examine how institutions can strengthen partnerships with employers and scale credentialing strategies that align with workforce…

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UPCEA Publishes “The Future Is Now: Essential Conversations for Building Tomorrow’s University Today” to Guide Higher Education Leaders into a New Era

Advocacy piece serves as a guide for institutional leaders to navigate challenging times WASHINGTON, D.C., ISSUED OCTOBER 6, 2025…UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today announces the release of its latest advocacy piece, “The Future Is Now: Essential Conversations for Building Tomorrow’s University Today.”  Designed to raise awareness of critical questions every campus leader…

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Trump Administration Gives Harvard 20 Days to Turn Over Admissions Data | Policy Matters (September 2025)

Major Updates Trump Administration Gives Harvard 20 Days to Turn Over Admissions Data The U.S. Department of Education has given Harvard University 20 days to turn over detailed admissions data in connection with an ongoing federal review of selective admissions practices. While focused on one institution, this move signals heightened scrutiny across higher education. Administrators…

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Preparing Four-Year Institutions for Workforce Pell

Institutions must begin preparing now for 2026 implementation.  On July 4, 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a sweeping legislative package that reshapes federal student aid and accountability policy. Among many consequential provisions for higher education is the creation of Workforce Pell, which will extend Pell Grant eligibility to some short-term,…

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How AI Is Rewriting the Playbook for Enrollment Management

Introduction Enrollment managers face a paradox: students demand personalized service, yet resources are shrinking. While AI is exciting, it is also an expensive endeavor for enrollment management divisions already stretched by staffing and resource challenges. Traditional methods—manual file reviews, siloed systems, and lagging indicators—simply can’t keep up. The solution lies in determining how to leverage…

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Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. James P. Pappas

UPCEA joins colleagues, friends, and the broader higher education community in mourning the passing of Dr. James P. Pappas, who dedicated his career to advancing the reach, relevance, and impact of online, professional and continuing education. Dr. Pappas, a former President of UPCEA, was the 1999 Walton S. Bittner Service Citation Award recipient and 2006…

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