UPCEA Updates

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

10 Types of Credentials You Can Earn Online (Yahoo! Sports)

By UPCEA | November 3, 2016

When it comes to online learning, students should choose a credential that fulfills their goals while providing flexibility — whether it’s a single course certificate or a full degree. “There’s such a wide range of offerings to them at economical prices that allow them to target their education specifically to their career plan,” says Ray…

Helix Education and UPCEA Publish New Research Showing the Extent to Which Data Analytics are Underutilized throughout Higher Education (PRWeb)

By UPCEA | October 17, 2016

According to new research published by UPCEA and Helix Education, 83 percent of higher education professionals surveyed have no knowledge of the cost-per-inquiry of their most effective marketing channel for undergraduate inquiry, and more than half made the same indication for graduate inquiry. Additionally, less than half of higher education professionals go through a formalized…

230 Recipients Receive Honors Across 26 Categories for Excellence in Marketing

By admin | September 27, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 27, 2016 — UPCEA, the leader in professional alongside SMR Digital, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2016 Marketing Awards. The UPCEA Marketing Awards program recognizes the top marketing and creative work across the UPCEA membership. This year, UPCEA is honoring 230 recipients for their excellence in 26…

Millennial demand drives higher ed badging expansion (University Business)

By UPCEA | August 24, 2016

“Almost all U.S. colleges and universities now award certificates, digital badges and other forms of microcredentials so students can quickly show an employer specialized skills they’ve acquired. Driving this fast-growing trend are workforce millennials who want to learn, for instance, how to operate an Amazon delivery drone or repair a self-driving car without having to…

7 new standards for excellent online learning leadership (eCampusNews)

By UPCEA | August 22, 2016

“As online learning evolves from amateur experimentation to a mainstream professional entity on campus, new standards for quality online learning leadership are emerging in order to not only sustain these distance programs, but ensure they meet the growing demands of 21st-century academe. The UPCEA has released a report detailing seven hallmarks of excellence in online…

Can Associations Attract Millennials with Credentialing? (Associations Now)

By UPCEA | August 5, 2016

“The degree will always be an important credential, but it won’t always be the gold standard,” said Jim Fong, director of UPCEA’s Center for Research and Marketing strategy, in a press release. “As millennials enter the prime years of their career and move into positions of greater power, we’ll see more alternative credentials for specific…

Alternative credentials now a must-have for traditional universities (eCampusNews)

By UPCEA | July 11, 2016

Millennials prefer badging and certificates to traditional degrees, according to researchers from UPCEA, Penn State and Pearson. More than half of higher education institutions (64 percent) participating in a recent survey said alternative credentials are an important strategy for institutions’ futures. That same survey also found that millennial students are likely to support the use…

Millennials prefer credentialing programs to traditional degrees (Education Dive)

By UPCEA | June 29, 2016

A new study reveals that more than 90% of American colleges and universities offer alternative credential or badging programs for certification in industry-specific careers. The University Professional and Continuing Education Association says millennial survey respondents prefer certifications to bachelor’s degrees, and schools are responding with increased development of professional training silos. Read the full story.

Other Blogs and News:

International-Student Crackdown Escalates; UPCEA Joins Opposition to Broad Changes | Policy Matters (May 2025)

Major Updates International-Student Crackdown Escalates | UPCEA Joins Opposition to Broad Changes After weeks of public sparring, the Department of Homeland Security formally revoked Harvard’s authority to host F-1 and J-1 students on May 22, citing non-compliance with new federal demands around campus protests and DEI programs. More than 6,800 students, about a quarter of Harvard’s…

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Why Credential Terminology Matters in Higher Education and Workforce Development

In the fast-evolving landscape of higher education and workforce alignment, non-degree credentials are surging in popularity. This trend is largely a result of baccalaureate degrees that are not adapting quickly to address more immediate market needs, coupled with a skepticism about the value of the degree. In place of bachelor’s degrees, students are seeking more…

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Microcredentials, Modularity, and Mission: Insights from UPCEA’s Coffee Chat on Innovation in Healthcare Education

In partnership with the HELIX Summit on Continuing Medical Education  How are institutions navigating the dynamic intersection of workforce demands, digital learning, and credentialing innovation—especially in healthcare? That’s exactly what we explored in a recent Coffee Chat, where UPCEA leaders from across the higher education landscape gathered for an unrecorded but powerfully candid conversation on…

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Leading with Values-Based Influence in Higher Education

Why Values-Based Influence Matters Now  Higher education is undergoing seismic shifts—demographic changes, budget constraints, AI disruption, and questions of relevance. In this environment, how we lead and why we lead matters as much as what we do as leaders. Leaders who operate from a strong internal compass—those grounded in values—offer clarity, stability, and hope.  Values-based…

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Accreditation + Skill-Based Learning Addressed in New Executive Orders | Policy Matters (April 2025)

Major Updates Accreditation, Foreign Support, Skill-Based Learning Addressed in New Trump Executive Orders The Trump administration has continued issuing an unprecedented number of executive orders with recent directives directly impacting colleges and universities, addressing topics like accreditation reform, foreign influence, skills-based learning (including alternative credentials), and support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Two…

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Online education booms in an era of lifelong learning (WorkingNation)

‘Strictly online institutions tend to serve working-age or older adults requiring flexible schedules constructed around family obligations and work. “Folks arrive at higher ed for a multitude of reasons,” says Julie Uranis, senior vice president of online and strategic initiatives for UPCEA (the Online and Professional Education Association), a resource for online university programs. “Online learning gives them…

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