UPCEA Updates

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

AGB Search and UPCEA Partner to Serve Growing Nontraditional Higher Learning Sector

By UPCEA | June 28, 2017

Partnership will focus on executive searches for professional, continuing, and online education.   WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 28, 2017 – AGB Search, the firm focused exclusively on all aspects of higher education executive search, has partnered with UPCEA, the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education, to provide executive search services for higher education…

The Future of Jobs and Jobs Training (Pew Research Center)

By UPCEA | May 3, 2017

The Future of Jobs and Jobs Training (Pew Research Center) May 3, 2017   Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor for online learning at the University of Illinois, Springfield, commented, “It is projected that those entering the workforce today will pursue four or five different careers (not just jobs) over their lifetime. These career changes will…

Many Voices are More Impactful Than One: The National Adult Learner Coalition (The EvoLLLution)

By UPCEA | April 10, 2017

Though non-traditional students have morphed into the new majority students on college and university campuses across the United States, public and institutional policy has largely remained focused on the “traditional” 18-22-year-old demographic. Unfortunately, this has created an environment that leaves the majority of students underserved on their own campuses, but a group of associations focused…

New Study Delves Into Unexplored Professional Development Benchmarking for Instructional Design and Technology Teams

By UPCEA | April 7, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 7, 2017 – A study released today by the UPCEA eDesign Collaborative maps the expertise and roles in instructional design teams throughout North America. The study, Instructional Design and Technology Teams: Work Experiences and Professional Development, establishes benchmarks for experience and salaries among members of instructional design team members, and also…

UCLA’s Dean Of Continuing Education And Extension Wayne Smutz To Serve As UPCEA President

By UPCEA | March 24, 2017

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 – UPCEA, the Washington, D.C.-based association for university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education, welcomed Dr. Wayne Smutz as the association’s 2017-18 President during the 2017 UPCEA Annual Conference. Smutz is Dean of Continuing Education and Extension at the University of California, Los Angeles. As UPCEA President, Smutz will encourage…

UPCEA Announces 2017 Association Award Recipients

By UPCEA | February 22, 2017

15 Individuals and 7 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 – UPCEA, the leader in professional, continuing, and online education, has announced the recipients of the 2017 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’…

New national adult learner coalition created to advance student success (eCampusNews)

By UPCEA | February 9, 2017

Four major associations recently joined together as a cohesive voice to advocate for adult students and the institutions that serve them. With support from Lumina Foundation, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), President’s Forum, and University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) are pleased to announce the National…

New Coalition Created to Advocate for Adult Learners (Campus Technology)

By UPCEA | February 8, 2017

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), Online Learning Consortium (OLC), Presidents’ Forum and University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) have joined forces to create the National Adult Learner Coalition, an organization devoted to advancing the adult learner agenda and expanding post-secondary education and credentialing opportunities. Supported by the Lumina Foundation, the coalition…

Other Blogs and News:

UPCEA Announces 2026-2027 Leadership Team for Council for Credential Innovation

UPCEA, the online and professional education association, announces the 2026-2027 leadership team for the Council for Credential Innovation (CCI). The association extends its gratitude to the 21 member volunteers serving in leadership roles for this body. The Council for Credential Innovation (CCI) and its members focus on leveraging the strategic potential of non-degree credentials, workforce-focused…

From Experimentation to Institutional AI: Early Lessons from UPCEA’s AI Study Groups

Across higher education, the conversation about artificial intelligence has moved rapidly from curiosity to consequence. Institutions are no longer asking only whether AI will affect their work; they are asking how to lead through that change responsibly, strategically, and in ways that advance mission.  That shift is at the center of UPCEA’s AI Study Groups,…

The Affordability Opportunity: Why Adult Learners Are Missing Out on Aid and How We Can Fix It

As leaders in online and professional continuing education, we often find ourselves at the intersection of hope and pragmatism. We see the transformative power of a postsecondary credential for an adult balancing career and family. Yet, we also hear a recurring, disheartening refrain from prospective students: “I simply can’t afford it.” There’s a persistent myth…

UPCEA Releases Guidebook on Employer Engagement and Credential Innovation

New resource provides practical frameworks and tools to help institutions strengthen workforce-aligned credential strategies WASHINGTON (June 2, 2026) — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today released a new guidebook designed to help colleges and universities strengthen employer partnerships and build institutional capacity for workforce-aligned credential innovation. Developed through a multi-year grant-funded initiative, Expanding…

Workforce Pell Final Regulations Released: What Changed from the Proposed Rule | Policy Matters (May 2026)

Major Updates Workforce Pell Final Regulations Released: What Changed from the Proposed Rule The Department of Education has released the final rule on Workforce Pell Grants and the new Pell Grant exclusion for students whose non-Federal grant and scholarship aid meets or exceeds their cost of attendance. The Department reviewed approximately 440 comments but, in…

AI Augments, Never Replaces: What the Hybrid Advising Co-Op Teaches Us About Building an Equitable Future for Student Support

Will artificial intelligence close the student success gap or widen it into a permanent caste system? That is the question higher education leaders should be asking as AI advising tools move from pilot to procurement. The temptation is to treat AI as a cost-savings lever: deploy a chatbot, deflect the tickets, claim a productivity win.…