UPCEA Updates

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

UPCEA Announces Four New Board Members

By UPCEA | March 26, 2018

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2018 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed two new officers and two new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors during the 2018 UPCEA Annual Conference. “This year’s deep pool of nominees was exceptionally talented, and it was a challenge…

University of Utah’s Assistant Vice President for Engagement Sandi Pershing To Serve As UPCEA President

By UPCEA | March 16, 2018

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2018 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Dr. Sandi Pershing as the association’s 2018-19 President during the 2018 UPCEA Annual Conference. Pershing is Assistant Vice President for Engagement and a professor in the Master of Public Administration program at the University of…

UPCEA Intros Digital Badges for Excellence in Online Learning (Campus Technology)

By UPCEA | March 15, 2018

The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) has launched a program to recognize excellence in online higher education: the Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review. The program evaluates online education programs based on seven key elements, such as internal advocacy, entrepreneurial initiative and faculty support, and then issues Credly digital badges to qualifying colleges and universities. “In…

UPCEA Taps Credly to Launch Digital Badges that Recognize Excellence in Online Learning

By UPCEA | March 14, 2018

Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program will award digital badges to high-quality online education programs   WASHINGTON, D.C. (MARCH 14, 2018) — The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) announced today the launch of the Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program to recognize colleges and universities that demonstrate consistent excellence throughout…

UPCEA Announces 2018 Association Award Recipients

By UPCEA | January 29, 2018

6 Individuals and 9 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2018 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’…

UPCEA Joins Cautionary Chorus on House HEA Legislation

By UPCEA | December 11, 2017

National Adult Learner Coalition weighs in on PROSPER Act House HEA Legislation movement UPCEA, along with the National Adult Learner Coalition, joined with many other higher education organizations to join in chorus to urge cautious and deliberative movement on the US House of Representative’s push for a re-authorization of the Higher Education Act, H.R. 4508,…

Tax Reform – UPCEA signs Letter Against Higher Education Cuts

By UPCEA | November 6, 2017

UPCEA joined with ACE and 44 other higher education associations to send this letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) on the higher education provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). The groups write that this legislation, taken in its entirety, would…

OPINION: 3 ways forward-thinking colleges usher in a new generation of students (The Hechinger Report)

By UPCEA | October 31, 2017

Higher education has undergone a sea change. For most of today’s students, the iconic image of lazy afternoons on the ivy-covered quad couldn’t be further from reality. A growing portion of traditional-age students are first-generation and low-income students who often lack the support and guidance needed to successfully navigate college. More working adults are turning…

Other Blogs and News:

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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UPCEA Announces Release of New Secret Shopper Benchmarking Study at UPCEA MEMS 2025

Findings unveiled during the conference’s closing keynote reveal major gaps and opportunities in enrollment responsiveness. WASHINGTON and BOSTON (Dec. 4, 2025) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today announced the release of its newest research report, Enrollment Process Review: Secret Shopper Analysis, during the closing session at the 2025 UPCEA Marketing, Enrollment Management,…

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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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