UPCEA Updates

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

New Survey Suggests Three Strategies To Re-Enroll Adults Who’ve Dropped Out Of College (Forbes)

By UPCEA | November 1, 2023

A new survey of adults who’ve dropped out of college finds that 57% have completed about half or more of the credits needed to complete a degree program. Of this group, the majority indicated they wanted to return to college to finish their degrees. Those are two of the main finding from a survey conducted…

Survey: More than 50 Percent of College Stop-Outs Were at Least Halfway to Finishing at the Time of Withdrawal

By UPCEA | October 31, 2023

New survey commissioned by StraighterLine and UPCEA delves into barriers to re-enrollment; opportunities for institutions seeking to re-engage adults with some college, but no degree  WASHINGTON, (OCTOBER 31, 2023)  — UPCEA , the online and professional education association, and StraighterLine today released the findings of a new survey focusing on the complex barriers and opportunities…

2023 UPCEA MEMS Award Recipients Announced

By UPCEA | October 20, 2023

21 Recipients Chosen For Three Award Categories WASHINGTON, D.C., October 20, 2023 — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced the recipients of the 2023 Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, the Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award, and the Excellence in Marketing Award.  All three awards…

UPCEA Announces Selection of Credential Innovation Consortium Members

By UPCEA | October 11, 2023

10 institutions selected for grant-funded pilot consortium WASHINGTON (October 11, 2023) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is thrilled to announce the selection of ten institutions to be part of a small pilot consortium fueled by UPCEA’s “Building Capacity, Expanding Pathways: Accelerating the Growth of Credential Innovation in Higher Education” project. The project…

Advisory Boards Aid in Alleviating AI Anxiety (Inside Higher Ed)

By UPCEA | September 29, 2023

When it comes to artificial intelligence and higher ed, the excitement and hype are matched by the uncertainties and need for guidance. One solution: creating an AI advisory board that brings together students, faculty and staff for open conversations about the new technology. That was a key idea presented at the University of Central Florida’s…

University of Texas System Bets Big on Microcredentials (Inside Higher Ed)

By UPCEA | September 14, 2023

As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas. And now going big applies to microcredentials. The University of Texas System, spanning nine academic campuses with roughly 240,000 students, is expanding its partnership with microcredential provider Coursera. The initiative announced last month is Coursera’s largest, aiming to reach 30,000 students with 35 courses by 2025.…

UPCEA’s Research and Consulting Group Grows, Welcomes Stacy Chiaramonte, and Offers Exciting Career Opportunity

By UPCEA | September 8, 2023

UPCEA Research and Consulting is Growing: As a leader in Professional, Continuing, and Online (PCO) education, UPCEA’s Research and Consulting group continues to expand, aligning with the evolving needs of higher education institutions. Our industry experts bring years of experience to provide unparalleled value in the industry. Welcome Stacy Chiaramonte: UPCEA proudly welcomes Stacy Chiaramonte…

Listen to Derek Bruff’s Intentional Teaching podcast, now sponsored by UPCEA!

By UPCEA | August 31, 2023

UPCEA is excited to announce that we are now sponsoring the Intentional Teaching podcast hosted by Derek Bruff. Derek is an educator, author, and higher ed consultant. He directed the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching for more than a decade, where he helped faculty and other instructors develop foundational teaching skills and explore new ideas…

Other Blogs and News:

AI Readiness and Its Relationship to Enrollment Management in Continuing Education

Enrollment management plays a pivotal role in the success of any online and professional continuing education units through impact on revenue generation, learner engagement, and program sustainability. AI-driven business process automation (BPA) offers transformative solutions to streamline enrollment workflows, enhance recruitment strategies, and improve the overall student experience through allowing staff to focus on human…

Read More

Proposed Distance Education Rules Are Now Likely To Be Finalized Before the End of the Current Presidential Term | Policy Matters (December 2024)

Proposed Distance Education Rules Are Now Likely To Be Finalized Before the End of the Current Presidential Term On December 30, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) shared the final, unofficial version of its new program integrity and distance education regulations, which call for the collection of new but yet-to-be-established distance education and correspondence course enrollment data…

Read More

Reflections from Convergence 2024: Credential Innovation in Higher Education, hosted by UPCEA and AACRAO

The running joke was that this fall’s Convergence, UPCEA’s second collaboration with thoughtful partner AACRAO, was referred to as Convergence Two: Electric Boogaloo, for the verve and excitement around bringing together another sold-out/SRO gathering of credential innovators–in the buzzy city of New Orleans, no less. And though I am fairly certain that pop-y, choreographed dancing…

Read More

Degrees on Hold: Bringing “Some College, No Credential” Learners Back

Higher education is facing a real challenge—and yes, I said challenge. (Because let’s face it, we really do love a good “opportunity” in higher ed, don’t we?) With over 41 million people in the U.S. who’ve started college and left without a degree, there exists a massive group of learners who are unfinished, yet far…

Read More

According To the New UPCEA and Collegis Report, 71% of Prospective Graduate Students Prefer Fully Online Programs

Findings highlight the need for strategic outreach to address master’s degree enrollment challenges in a competitive market [Washington and Illinois] – December 16, 2024 –  A new report released today by UPCEA, the online and professional education association, and Collegis Education, a higher education solutions tech-enabler, highlights the growing interest in online master’s degree programs…

Read More

Building the Future of Credentials: Explore the LER Accelerator Inventory

By the LER Accelerator coalition We are excited to share the official launch of the LER Accelerator Inventory, a comprehensive collection of resources designed to support institutions in adopting and implementing Learning and Employment Records (LERs). As members of the LER Accelerator coalition, we are proud to contribute to this valuable initiative to create a more transparent, interoperable, and…

Read More