UPCEA Updates

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

Identifying Local Skills Gaps (Inside Higher Ed)

By UPCEA | February 29, 2020

Cities in California and Minnesota both have growing medical technology manufacturing industries, but job seekers in those states need different skills to be competitive in the industry. In California, the jobs focus more on programming and life science skills, while the jobs in Minnesota focus more on product development and industrial engineering. […] This may…

UPCEA Releases Competency Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners

By UPCEA | February 18, 2020

WASHINGTON, February 18, 2020 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to announce the release of the association’s Competency and Attribute Statements for Professional, Continuing, and Online Practitioners.  The competency and attribute statements consist of the essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions required of Professional, Continuing, and Online (PCO) Education practitioners,…

UPCEA Announces 2020 Association Award Recipients

By UPCEA | February 10, 2020

10 Individuals and 6 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, February 10, 2020 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2020 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…

UPCEA Outstanding Service in Postsecondary Instructional Design Award Recipient Announced

By UPCEA | February 5, 2020

Inaugural award bestowed at 2020 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration WASHINGTON, February 5, 2020 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the 2020 Outstanding Service in Postsecondary Instructional Design Award recipient, Penny Ralston-Berg of the Pennsylvania State University. The Outstanding Service in Postsecondary Instructional Design Award recognizes outstanding service…

Call for Talent: UPCEA Online Professional Development

By UPCEA | January 30, 2020

UPCEA is seeking talented collaborators for its new online Professional Development initiative, which will feature certificate programs in the field of professional, continuing, and online education. This is an opportunity to play a pioneering role in the launch of this exciting effort. Specifically, UPCEA is sourcing talent to join our learning community in the following…

In Memoriam: Bruce Davis and Von Pittman

By UPCEA | January 16, 2020

Bruce Davis (1954-2019) died in December 2019. Dr. Davis served as Vice Provost and Dean of Online & Continuing Education at Weber State University. He worked at Weber State for nearly 30 years, starting in 1990 as director for the center for business and economic development at the John B. Goddard School of Business and…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

By UPCEA | January 16, 2020

All Top 10-ranked institutions are members of UPCEA WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 16, 2020) — UPCEA, the association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include more than…

Where Competency-Based Education is Headed in 2020 and Beyond

By UPCEA | January 10, 2020

By SmartBrief Editors This post is produced in partnership with UPCEA. Barbara Kopp Miller is at the forefront of competency-based approaches to education. As the Dean of University College in Toledo, Ohio, she leads one of the most progressive CBE programs in the nation. She sat down with UPCEA to share her thoughts on the…

Other Blogs and News:

UPCEA’s Corporate Member Blog Series #1 | Follow the Budget: 5 Areas Where Higher Ed is Spending (and struggling) in 2026

The higher education landscape is arguably the toughest it has been in a generation, marked by economic instability, demographic decline, and the constant imperative for greater efficiency. The 2026 Landscape of Higher Education Report confirms this volatile reality: beginning in 2026, many institutions will face a sustained decline in traditional-aged undergraduates. Enrollment growth is now…

Workforce Pell Is Here and Data Readiness Is the Real Test for Credential Innovation

The expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to short-term, non-degree programs—commonly known as Workforce Pell—has become a defining moment for credential innovation. In a strategic conversation hosted by UPCEA in December 2025, higher education leaders made one thing clear: access to Workforce Pell is not primarily a policy challenge. It is a data challenge. As institutions…

Reduced-Credit Degrees: Leading with Learners While Preparing for Disruption

As questions about the value, cost, and structure of a traditional bachelor’s degree continue to intensify, higher education leaders are confronting a reality that has remained largely unchanged for decades: the 120-credit-hour degree is more a historical artifact than a learner-centered design choice. During a recent conversation with UPCEA Institutional Representatives, panelists and participants explored…

Pack Light, Go Far: Hiking the Enrollment Trail

There’s a moment from my college days I remember more clearly than any midterm I ever took. I had stepped away from my bachelor’s degree at Penn State because I wanted to live a little. I’d grown up in the same town that I went to college and I just needed an extended reprieve, something…

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…

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…