UPCEA Updates

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

People & Programs: UCLA Dean of Continuing Education and Extension Wayne Smutz to Retire

By UPCEA | October 12, 2018

Dr. Wayne Smutz, Dean of Continuing Education and Extension at the University of California, Los Angeles, has announced that he is retiring effective October 31, 2018. Smutz has served as the Dean of Continuing Education and UCLA Extension since October 2013. UCLA Extension is the continuing education division of the University of California, Los Angeles.…

Google Curriculum, College Credit (Inside Higher Ed)

By UPCEA | September 26, 2018

Google made its first substantial foray into postsecondary education in January, with the creation of a new online certificate program aimed at people who are interested in working in entry-level IT support roles. Necessity was a key motivator for the technology giant, which like most has struggled to find enough IT hires and also is seeking to…

The Seven Deadly Sins Of Digital Badging In Education (Forbes)

By UPCEA | September 16, 2018

An academic institution’s digital badging initiative is getting off the ground and students are “earning” badges, or micro-credentials, but are they actually providing value to the student toward his or her future career? Many academic institutions are going through this evolution process in deciding to certify learning through credentialing, otherwise known as digital badging to help…

The Commons: Next Generation Learning

By UPCEA | August 30, 2018

A new study forecasts the next generation learning environment. From the creators of Virtually Inspired, a website that showcases pockets of digital learning innovation worldwide, comes “The Classroom of the Future” whitepaper. This downloadable document examines next generation learning. To reimagine education of tomorrow, we must consider new methodologies augmented with technologies that enable us…

People & Programs: NC State University Vice Provost for Continuing Education Alice Warren to Retire

By UPCEA | August 22, 2018

Alice Warren, vice provost for continuing education at North Carolina State University, has announced that she is retiring effective October 1, 2018. Warren joined the McKimmon Center for Extension and Continuing Education at North Carolina State University in 1979. In 2008, she was appointed assistant vice chancellor and director of the division. Under Warren’s leadership…

The Commons: Ending Knowledge Discrimination

By UPCEA | August 17, 2018

As the continuing and online education community knows all too well, in American higher education, where you learn something is more important than how well you know and can apply it. The average adult spends over 700 hours a year engaged in purposeful learning outside of the formal college curriculum. And the knowledge, skills, and…

In Memoriam: Alexander N. Charters

By UPCEA | August 16, 2018

Alexander N. Charters (1916-2018) died in August 2018. Dr. Charters was an internationally-recognized American expert in the field of adult and continuing education. Dr. Charters was born in Verdant Valley, Alberta, Canada in 1916. He earned a B.A. in history and English from the University of British Colombia in 1938, and a Ph.D. in adult…

Webinar (August 8): Philanthropic Giving Patterns of Online Alumni

By UPCEA | July 17, 2018

Hosted by the Online Administration Network With the growing number of alumni completing online educational experiences, we need to be thinking about the long-term implications to higher education. The potential for development continues to grow with this population and in time could be a significant and badly needed source of revenue for colleges and universities…

Other Blogs and News:

Reflecting on the 2025 UPCEA CCI Convening: Designing Intentional, Learner-Centric Pathways

At the inaugural UPCEA Council for Credential Innovation (CCI) Convening, leaders from across UPCEA member institutions came together to explore what it means to build truly learner-centric, intentional credential ecosystems—ones that align with institutional mission, ensure financial sustainability, and elevate the student experience. Hosted as the first in-person gathering of CCI representatives, the event served…

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Federal Grant Opportunities: Funding for Workforce Pell Programs and AI | Policy Matters (November 2025)

Major Updates Federal Grant Opportunities: Funding for Workforce Pell Programs and AI (Applications Due December 3) The Department of Education has launched a rapid grant competition under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE–Special Projects), with applications due December 3, 2025. The program is designed in part to help institutions build or scale…

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Constructing the Future: Why Credential Innovation Needs Bold Leadership

The tagline for Convergence, Credential Innovation in Higher Education, raises two important questions: First, what kind of credentials are we talking about?  Is the scope of credentials unlimited, blue sky, or confined to incremental changes on the margins of the status quo?  And second, who is leading that innovation, and what do they need to…

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Learning Mobility in Action: Removing Barriers and Recognizing the Whole Learner

Learning Mobility: A Movement Taking Shape At this year’s AACRAO Technology & Transfer: A Learning Mobility Summit, higher education leaders from UPCEA member institutions gathered to explore a question at the heart of the learner mobility movement: How can postsecondary institutions recognize, record, and reward all learning—wherever and however it occurs? Moderating this conversation alongside…

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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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