UPCEA Updates

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

Next for SNHU: Game-Based Learning and Digital Badges for Middle Schoolers (Inside Higher Ed)

October 19, 2018

Southern New Hampshire University is again trying to disrupt the status quo in higher ed — this time by attempting to link middle schoolers with college degrees. The nonprofit university, which has one of the largest online enrollments in the country, announced today that it is acquiring the nonprofit LRNG — a Chicago-based organization that helps young…

Tell your complete educational story to potential employers (FIU News)

October 16, 2018

Some skills are considered too “small” or specific to become a degree program and aren’t often listed on a student’s academic transcript. Yet, it’s a collection of these very skills that employers know are a big deal in the rapidly-changing 21st century workforce. This is where badges come in. These digital icons represent achievements or skills in a…

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

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)

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)

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

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

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

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…

Other Blogs and News:

Leadership Conversations in the Age of AI | An UPCEA Executive Briefing | Leading Human–AI Teams: How Should People and AI Work Together?

Artificial intelligence is becoming part of the everyday work of higher education. From enrollment management and student services to academic administration and continuing and professional education, AI is creating opportunities to rethink how work is accomplished. Much of the discussion has focused on what AI can do. For institutional leaders, however, a more important question…

AI Across Generations: What Leaders Should Know and What They Shouldn’t Assume

There are many assumptions about AI use across generations. Gen Z readily embraces artificial intelligence. Millennials are integrating it into their work. Gen X is more cautious and pragmatic. Baby Boomers are reluctant adopters.  Is it really that simple?  Perhaps not.  Generational differences in AI use appear to be real. What those differences mean is…

UPCEA’s Corporate Member Blog Series #5 | Partnership Blueprint: 8 Takeaways for Corporate Members from the 2026 UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Digital Learning Enterprises

When UPCEA released the original Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership in 2016, online education was widely viewed as an emerging modality. A decade later, the landscape has shifted. The newly released 2026 Hallmarks of Excellence in Digital Learning Enterprises (2026 Hallmarks) reflects a higher education ecosystem where digital capability is no longer an add-on,…

Workforce Pell Moves from Rules to Reality: State Pipelines, New Federal Training, and $65 Million from Labor | Policy Matters (September 2026)

Major Updates Workforce Pell Moves from Rules to Reality: State Approval Pipelines Mature, ED Launches Training, and Labor Awards $65 Million Nearly three months after Workforce Pell Grants (Pell awards for programs of 150–599 clock hours, or 8 to fewer than 15 weeks) became available on July 1, the rollout is moving at very different…

Leading Digital Learning Enterprises | Part 4: Beyond the Technology: Building a Digital Ecosystem with Purpose

Technology may be the most visible element of a digital learning enterprise. It is also one of the easiest to misunderstand. Institutions invest considerable resources in learning management systems, student information systems, customer relationship management platforms, analytics, communication tools, instructional technologies, cybersecurity, and an expanding array of emerging technologies. Each promises opportunities to improve some…

Trust, but Click: What Prospective Students Are Teaching Us About AI Search in 2026

During arms-control talks in the 1980s Ronald Reagan made “trust, but verify” one of the most quoted phrases of the era. Four decades later, prospective online and continuing education students appear to have quietly borrowed it back and pointed it directly at their search bar. Trust, but click. That is the story of AI Search…