The Pulse of Higher Ed

By Dave Jarrat

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, but core institutional infrastructure vital to strategy, operations, workforce alignment, and long-term viability.

For UPCEA Corporate Members, this evolution carries profound implications. Online learning leaders are no longer looking for transactional software solution providers or one-size-fits-all outsourcing arrangements. They are seeking strategic collaborators who understand the governance, regulatory, technological, and pedagogical complexities of running a multi-modal digital enterprise. 

To help you align your solutions and client engagement strategies with the evolving needs of university leaders, here are eight essential takeaways from the 2026 Hallmarks report.

1. Commit to Seamless Interoperability and Open Data Standards

As institutions strive to move from isolated data silos to actionable intelligence, system interoperability has become a foundational requirement. Core platforms, including Learning Management Systems (LMS), Student Information Systems (SIS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, and predictive analytics, must communicate in real time.

Commit to open data standards, robust APIs, and frameworks like Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI). Solutions that lock data inside proprietary silos create friction for administrators and prevent institutions from gaining a holistic, 360-degree view of learner progress. By prioritizing seamless integration, corporate partners enable proactive student interventions and data-informed strategy.

2. Embed “Accessibility by Design” Across All Digital Touchpoints

Digital accessibility has moved from an after-the-fact accommodation workflow to a core institutional capability.  There are strict legal compliance requirements under ADA, Section 504, and WCAG standards. Accreditors and university leaders expect digital content, platforms, and third-party tools to be universally accessible from the moment of deployment.

Move beyond self-attested Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) and build accessibility directly into product architecture and development cycles. Delivering tools that proactively eliminate barriers for diverse learner populations protects institutions from regulatory risk while advancing educational equity.

3. Deliver Responsible, Transparent, and Ethical AI Solutions

Artificial intelligence has rapidly transitioned from speculative experimentation to core educational infrastructure. The 2026 Hallmarks report urges institutions to establish robust AI governance, fluency, and ethical frameworks that address transparency, data privacy, algorithmic bias, and human oversight.

Corporate Members developing or embedding generative and agentic AI tools must ensure their products adhere to these standards. Solution providers must provide clear disclosures on how student data is utilized.  They must safeguard intellectual property and ensure AI features augment faculty mentorship and learner agency. AI tools that prioritize trust, privacy, and academic integrity will stand out as essential assets for university leaders.

4. Co-Design Stackable, Market-Aligned Credential Pathways

Institutions are increasingly moving beyond traditional degree offerings toward stackable credentials, microcredentials, and non-degree certificates. The 2026 Hallmarks report emphasizes that sustainable growth depends on market-informed program portfolios that deliver measurable return on investment (ROI) for adult and post-traditional learners.

Corporate Members are uniquely positioned to serve as bridges between higher education and industry. By engaging with university leaders to validate competencies, co-design employer-sponsored training, and establish direct hiring pipelines, corporate partners help validate the real-world value of academic offerings. 

5. Support Learner Mobility through Verifiable Digital Credentials

Learning occurs in varied contexts, including prior work experience, non-credit training, and formal postsecondary coursework. To support learner mobility, the 2026 Hallmarks report advocates for digital ecosystems that issue discoverable, machine-readable, and portable evidence of achievement.

Corporate Members should align their badging, portfolio, and record-keeping platforms with emerging interoperability standards for Comprehensive Learner Records (CLR) and Learning and Employment Records (LER). Enabling learners to retain ownership of their verifiable credentials across career transitions strengthens public confidence in institutional outcomes and enhances graduate employability.

6. Act as Capacity-Building Allies in Regulatory and Licensure Compliance

The regulatory landscape governing distance education has never been more complex. Between state authorization reciprocity (NC-SARA), professional licensure disclosures, Title IV financial aid, and student location tracking, Chief Online Learning Officers (COLOs) frequently bear enterprise risk management responsibilities with constrained internal resources.

Corporate Members offering marketing, enrollment management, or course delivery services must operate with absolute transparency and strict regulatory compliance. Marketing claims, recruitment communications, and field placement tracking must align with consumer protection regulations and institutional oversight. Corporate partners who act as proactive compliance allies help institutions mitigate legal, financial, and reputational risk.

7. Guarantee Operational Reliability, Security, and Affordability

Digital learning infrastructure requires the same “always-on” operational resilience as physical campus utilities. Corporate Members must provide high system availability, redundant cloud architectures with automatic failover, and comprehensive technical support models tailored to non-traditional schedules.

Furthermore, cybersecurity and strict data privacy compliance (FERPA, GDPR, PIPL) are non-negotiable. Solution providers must also evaluate the total cost of ownership (TCO) and avoid imposing cumulative, hidden fee structures on students or institutions. Transparent pricing and reliable architecture reinforce the stability of digital enterprises.

8. Focus Holistically on Reducing Friction Across the Learner Journey

Ultimately, digital learning enterprises exist to foster learner success, persistence, and completion. The 2026 Hallmarks report highlights that for post-traditional and remote learners, a sense of belonging, intuitive navigation, and holistic support services (such as success coaching, virtual advising, and automated onboarding) are as critical to retention as classroom instruction.

Corporate Members should design customer-facing tools that eliminate administrative friction and streamline the user journey. When technology and third-party support services work seamlessly in the background, learners can focus on engaging deeply with their studies and achieving their goals.

A Partnership Blueprint

The 2026 Hallmarks report provides higher education leaders with a clear blueprint for building sustainable, mission-driven, and forward-looking digital enterprises. For Corporate Members, it offers an equally valuable roadmap for how to engage, support, and collaborate with institutional partners. By embracing shared governance, embedding accessibility and ethics, prioritizing open interoperability, and driving workforce alignment, corporate partners can move beyond basic service provider relationships to become indispensable co-architects of higher education’s digital future.

Dave Jarrat serves as a Senior Fellow for UPCEA and as a Strategic Advisor to a broad range of higher education institutions and organizations, including the University of Cambridge, Edquity and Scholarships360. He is a social impact executive focused on improving educational opportunities and outcomes for historically underrepresented populations.