UPCEA Updates

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

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…

Experts Predict More Digital Innovation by 2030 Aimed at Enhancing Democracy (Pew Research Center Internet & Technology)

By UPCEA | June 30, 2020

“Americans and many around the world are not terribly satisfied with the state of democracy and the institutions that undergird it. Experts who were canvassed about the relationship between people’s technology use and democracy also expressed serious concerns about how things will unfold in the next decade. […] Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor of online learning at the University…

Racial Justice and the Mission of Professional, Continuing, and Online Education

By UPCEA | June 5, 2020

UPCEA and its members are deeply troubled by the recent senseless killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, and the lives taken before him. Many others have been affected in the wake of these tragedies. This, combined with the health care disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, underscore the systemic racism that…

Other Blogs and News:

UPCEA Announces 2026 Association Award Recipients

9 Individuals and 6 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, February 9, 2026 – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced the recipients of the 2026 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 members’ outstanding…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

Nineteen of the twenty-three Top 20 Ranked Institutions are UPCEA Members WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 5, 2026) — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include nearly 1,850 online programs, covering bachelor’s…

New Research Highlights a Disconnect Between University Retention Strategies and Adult Learner Priorities

National study from Collegis Education and UPCEA highlights opportunity for institutions to strengthen student persistence through better alignment of strategy, systems, and support WASHINGTON, D.C. and CHICAGO, IL – February 4, 2026 — ​​ As adult learners account for a growing share of higher education enrollment, colleges and universities face increasing pressure to sustain persistence in…

When Institutions Shop Themselves: What We Learn—and Often Miss

As my retirement last year eases into a stage of semi-retirement or what some have labeled as “micro-retirement,” I have had eight months of reflection on my nearly four decades of doing research. After a few months of total abstention, I could no longer keep myself away from the higher education field that I so loved. I slowly eased myself back in by…

Institutional Adoption of Microcredentials Plateaus as Workforce Focus Accelerates, New Study Finds

New study from UPCEA, The EvoLLLution, and Modern Campus highlights the growing importance of strategic alignment to sustain credential innovation TORONTO and WASHINGTON, D.C., February 3, 2026 — Higher education leaders continue to recognize the value of microcredentials for workforce development and professional advancement, but institutional adoption and perceived fiscal impact have stalled, according to…

Consensus Achieved on New Accountability Metrics at AHEAD Negotiated Rulemaking | Policy Matters (January 2026)

Major Updates Education Department AHEAD Negotiated Rulemaking Wraps Up; Consensus Achieved on New Accountability Metrics The Department of Education’s AHEAD negotiated rulemaking committee has now wrapped its winter work with consensus language on the program accountability portion, following the committee’s earlier consensus on Workforce Pell regulatory text. Now that consensus has been reached, ED is…