Professional, Continuing, and Online Education Update by UPCEA

Montana Tech Names First Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer in Montana University System - Amanda Badovinac, Montana Tech

2026-08-07T06:10:00.000-04:00

Recognizing the transformative impact of emerging technologies on higher education and industry, Montana Technological University has appointed Professor Chad Okrusch, Ph.D. to serve as the university’s first chief artificial intelligence officer. The position is the first of its kind in the Montana University System (MUS). As chief artificial intelligence officer, Okrusch will lead Montana Tech’s strategic integration of artificial intelligence across campus, ensuring that students, faculty, and staff are equipped to navigate, utilize, and shape the future of AI responsibly.

https://mtech.edu/news/2026/07/montana-tech-names-first-chief-artificial-intelligence-officer-in-montana-university-system.html

Public health courses provide opportunities for international collaboration and learning - Mellissa Withers, Keck School of Medicine, USC

2026-08-07T06:05:00.000-04:00

Both of these courses are delivered online to facilitate international collaboration and participation across partner institutions, and are open to USC students in any modality or concentration. Students from outside of the MPH program are also welcome to enroll.

https://keck.usc.edu/news/public-health-courses-provide-opportunities-for-international-collaboration-and-learning/

Illinois Institute of Technology cuts 160 faculty and staff just before fall semester - Lisa Kurian Philip, Chicago Sun time

2026-08-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

The Illinois Institute of Technology has laid off approximately 160 faculty and staff just before the start of the fall semester, a university spokesperson said in a written statement. According to an email shared with WBEZ, the university’s president said Illinois Tech is facing research funding cuts and “severe restrictions on international students.” “The university has no choice but to pursue targeted reductions to address these challenges and protect our mission as an opportunity engine for all,” Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi wrote in an email to employees on Tuesday. Illinois Tech, which has its main campus in Bronzeville and a law center downtown, is not the only university with these struggles. The Trump administration has significantly cut federal funding for university research and tightened regulations on foreign students.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/07/31/illinois-institute-of-technology-cuts-160-faculty-and-staff-just-before-fall-semester

How to set up an effective internship program - Roopa Venkatesh, et al; Journal of Accountancy

2026-08-06T06:10:00.000-04:00

Learn what practitioners can do to attract stronger internship candidates and build a robust on-ramp for long-term accounting careers. Internships are important on-ramps into the accounting profession, but they’re not working equally well for everyone. Students are eager for experience. Many firms are eager for talent. And yet, a surprising number of qualified accounting students can’t land internships, while employers continue to report gaps in skills, communication, and readiness. To better understand how accounting internships are working and where they’re falling short, we surveyed two key groups: 100 undergraduate and graduate accounting majors and representatives of 22 employers from local firms to regional offices of national companies actively hiring and managing interns. The survey was conducted over several months beginning in late 2024 into 2025. Students were enrolled at a large, public university, and employers ranged in size from local to international firms and companies.

https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2026/aug/how-to-set-up-an-effective-internship-program/

Why outcomes now dominate the college search - Alcino Donadel, University Business

2026-08-06T06:05:00.000-04:00

Students are now turning down Ivy Leagues for institutions that better communicate ROI and affordability, says one leader in the college consulting space. Economic uncertainty, artificial intelligence and affordability have flipped recruitment on its head as today’s learners are far more interested in how a college will help them thrive after graduation than previous generations. “I think the current group of students is way more outcome-focused than at any time that I’ve been in this industry for almost three decades,” says Kevin Krebs, founder and managing director at HelloCollege. “Parents and students are nervous about a large investment not paying off.”

https://universitybusiness.com/why-outcomes-now-dominate-the-college-search/

Students as Conscientious Objectors to Generative AI: We should listen to them—and treat their objections with respect - Carla Fehr and Jennifer Saul, Inside Higher Ed

2026-08-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

When Carla explained the assignment, the first question raised was “What if we don’t want to use GenAI?” At first, she responded that it was part of the assignment and that whether or not they wanted to use generative AI, they should at least know how to use it. If they then chose to reject it, they could do so from a place of knowledge and experience. The class atmosphere became tense as more students pushed back against this required use of generative AI. They wanted to know what their classmates thought rather than what a large language model produced in response to prompting; they wanted to wrestle with difficult readings and complex ideas; they wanted to work together across their human differences to negotiate new ideas and find ways of expressing them. And they didn’t want to outsource any of this effort to generative AI. They wanted to do the work, even the mundane work.

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/career-advice/teaching/2026/07/30/students-conscientious-objectors-gen-ai-opinion

From Knowledge Building to Wisdom Building in Higher Education - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

2026-08-05T06:10:00.000-04:00

In years gone by, we said that students went to college to gather knowledge. Now, college is appropriately expected to be much more about building wisdom. The advent of the internet toward the end of the last century went a long way to stimulate this shift to the emphasis on wisdom. More recently, artificial intelligence has further accelerated the move. Those of us in higher education who still have our focus on knowledge gathering in our classes are a quarter of a century behind the times. Rote memorization of facts is out of date, supplanted by highly refined search and retrieval skills coupled with an ability to apply sophisticated critical and creative thinking to those data. We are at the turning point in higher learning where we must now shift our focus from memorization and recitation of facts to the synthesis and analysis of a much broader virtual “library” of knowledge. From this perspective, we will build wisdom among our students. This new level of learning will provide the platform for graduates and certificate completers to exercise leadership and vision in our society.

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2026/08/05/knowledge-building-wisdom-building-higher-ed

New faculty offered opportunities to enhance teaching with technology practices - Penn State University

2026-08-05T06:05:00.000-04:00

The New Faculty Discovery Series connects new Penn State faculty with timely, relevant educational technology topics that support teaching and learning. Through conversations and insights from content experts, faculty will explore the tools and resources available across the University. “Embracing Teaching and Learning with Technology for New Faculty to Penn State" provides access to key teaching and learning with technology resources and support for faculty who are early in their careers at Penn State. Faculty will strengthen their knowledge of essential teaching and learning technologies, connect with peers across the commonwealth who also are new to the University, and learn about administrative units that support and provide faculty resources to faculty. Faculty may elect to attend any of the professional development opportunities available through the TLT Provost Endorsement without signing up for the full endorsement.

https://www.psu.edu/news/university-libraries/story/new-faculty-offered-opportunities-enhance-teaching-technology-2

What Future-Proofing a Course Really Means - Gennadii Miroshnikov, Times Higher Ed

2026-08-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Instead of attempting to predict the future, future-proofing online courses is about making them easier to update, more inclusive and more useful to students, even as context changes. It is future-proof when the design is strong enough to cope with change. Links die. Readings date. Professional standards shift. Platforms change. Students arrive with different expectations, needs and levels of digital confidence. Artificial intelligence has moved from novelty to routine before many course teams agreed what to do about it. Of course, no course team can predict all of this in advance. But teams can design online courses that are easier to update, easier to access and more likely to remain meaningful when the context changes.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/what-futureproofing-course-really-means

UNH Announces New Flexible and Affordable College-in-3 Online Degree Programs - College of Professional Studies, University of New Hampshire

2026-08-04T06:10:00.000-04:00

For online students, the goal of earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of New Hampshire is now faster and more budget-friendly. The University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies (CPS) has announced that it will start offering two new online Applied Bachelor of Science (A.B.S.) degree programs specifically designed to help eligible students earn a bachelor’s degree in as little as three years. The online Applied Bachelor of Science in Management and Applied Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Technology degrees are newly designed programs that create opportunities for a broad range of students, including transfer students, working professionals, adult learners, military-affiliated students and community college graduates.

https://www.unh.edu/news/unh-announces-new-flexible-affordable-college-3-online-degree-programs

Inside the federal keyword lists that canceled billions in research funding - Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive

2026-08-04T06:05:00.000-04:00

In court documents, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and others shared which words they used to target grants. Those court documents offer insight into how the Trump administration undertook a swift campaign to revoke research funding for work related to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and other subjects at odds with its political agenda. Federal agencies relied heavily on keyword searches when terminating grants held by UC researchers, court documents revealed. While the searched terms varied across agencies, they focused on initiatives facing significant conservative opposition, such as DEI and green energy.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/inside-the-federal-keyword-lists-that-canceled-billions-in-research-funding/826203/

How can the public sector meet the AI moment? - McKinsey

2026-08-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

Achieving real impact, however, requires more than isolated pilots. Fully realizing AI’s potential demands organizations rewire by redesigning processes, ways of working, and operating models to make the technology part of everyday service delivery. This series explores how leaders can move beyond experimentation and take practical steps to scale AI responsibly, delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, service quality, and the experience of the people they serve. Our ambition is to help the public sector dramatically improve their capacity to deliver for residents by providing leaders with the insights and confidence needed to accelerate that journey.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/rewiring-public-sector

The 10 most valuable AI skills students want to learn - Alcino Donadel, University Business

2026-08-03T06:10:00.000-04:00

Participation in Coursera’s generative AI courses has increased by 234% over the last year, while professional certificate enrollment jumped by 91% as employers wish to verify what job candidates are learning.The fastest-growing, non-technical AI skill is creating content that promotes a business’ strategy or services. Courses that focus on critical thinking around responsible and ethical AI use have grown by 185%. Critical thinking is increasingly taught in STEM disciplines, including data, IT and software development.

Coursera analyzed its enrollment from 2023 to 2025 to identify these 10 most sought-after AI skills {see link).

https://universitybusiness.com/the-10-most-valuable-ai-skills-students-want-to-learn/

Beyond ChatGPT: How to create successful AI-ready students - Alcino Donadel, University Business

2026-08-03T06:05:00.000-04:00

Leaders agree that when—and when not—to rely on AI is the fundamental lesson students must learn when using technology. That focus is not fundamentally different from higher education’s traditional mission, says Carolyn Speer, director of the Office of Instructional Resources at Wichita State University. “It’s the same skillset: being able to make sound judgements and allow different ideas to compete internally,” she says. “Students are just using it in a new context.” Speer works with instructors across the university to identify resources and practices that improve teaching. As AI tools become more common in classrooms, she evaluates them through a familiar lens: whether they help students think more deeply and improve decision-making. Her first question is straightforward: Does this tool help students develop the ability to think critically about personal, professional and civic challenges?

https://universitybusiness.com/beyond-chatgpt-how-to-create-successful-ai-ready-students/

90% of students use AI in the classroom, Instructure poll finds - Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive

2026-08-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

A large majority of college students — 90% — report using artificial intelligence in class at least occasionally, according to new survey data from ed tech provider Instructure. Nearly two-thirds of college instructors, 61%, said the same. But the survey, released Tuesday, also found that only 11% of higher ed instructors received comprehensive AI training, while 41% said they had not received any formal training on AI. Educators are looking for support in the form of hands-on training, clear guidance from their institutions about AI use, and ongoing professional development on the topic, according to Instructure.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/90-of-students-use-ai-in-the-classroom-instructure-poll-finds/825714/

Harvard DCE Dean Nancy Coleman Receives UPCEA's Highest Honor for Online Learning Leadership - Harvard Division of Continuing Education

2026-07-31T06:10:00.000-04:00

Nancy Coleman, Dean of Harvard's Division of Continuing Education (DCE), today received the 2026 UPCEA Ray Schroeder Leadership Award for the Advancement of Digital Learning at the SOLAR conference, held at the Westin Seaport Hotel in Boston. The award, presented annually by UPCEA, the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education, recognizes exemplary leadership in advancing digital and online learning. Coleman was appointed Dean of DCE in 2020, becoming the first woman to serve in the role. She leads an institution whose engagement with distance and online learning spans more than six decades, from the first extension course broadcast on television in 1956 to the launch of Polaris University in 1960 that delivered coursework to Navy submarine crews, in-house hybrid learning technology that improved student persistence rates by four percent and was credited with enabling DCE to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic without emergency adaptation.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harvard-dce-dean-nancy-coleman-receives-upceas-highest-honor-for-online-learning-leadership-302839370.html

Why the AI era is making skills more valuable than degrees: Coursera - Manisha Sharma, DQIndia

2026-07-31T06:05:00.000-04:00

From salary premiums to faster pipelines, micro‑credentials are reshaping India’s job market, with universities and enterprises adapting to the shift. For years, careers followed a fairly predictable path. A university degree helped people enter the workforce, experience built expertise, and occasional training kept their skills relevant as technology changed. That pattern held through economic reforms, the internet boom, and the shift to cloud computing. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is disrupting that cadence. It is not simply creating a new category of jobs. It is changing the work people already do. Developers use coding assistants, marketers turn to generative AI for campaigns, finance teams use it to analyse data, and legal professionals rely on AI tools to speed up research. Skills that once remained useful for years can now lose relevance far more quickly. It recalls the old refrain, “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Video did not make radio disappear, but it changed the medium and forced those working in it to adapt. AI presents a similar paradox. It may not eliminate every role, but it is steadily rewriting what it takes to perform that role well.

https://www.dqindia.com/upskilling/why-the-ai-era-is-making-skills-more-valuable-than-degrees-coursera-12170045

A ‘buffet’ model of faculty development to support evolving use of AI - Ben Kei Daniel, Times Higher Education

2026-07-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

A flexible, agile approach to AI skills development allows faculty and students to choose the guidance, resources and learning opportunities that best fit their roles and contexts. A “buffet” approach recognises this and gives staff and students multiple pathways for responsible and meaningful engagement. Instead of relying on rigid, one-size-fits-all policies, the model provides flexible, context-based support that encourages responsible and effective AI use. It provides faculty and students with a high degree of choice in guidance, resources and learning with AI tools, allowing them to select the opportunities that best match their role, discipline, confidence and experience. Our experience shows that faculty and students gain confidence and competence in using AI over time through repeated engagement, practical work and dialogue with colleagues.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/buffet-model-faculty-development-support-evolving-use-ai

San Francisco Bay University launches $10K AI-enhanced MBA designed for a rapidly changing workforce - PR Newswire

2026-07-30T06:10:00.000-04:00

San Francisco Bay University (SFBU), a WASC-accredited, nonprofit institution in Silicon Valley, today announced the launch of MBA Pro+, an online Master of Business Administration designed specifically for today's workforce. Priced at $10,000 for the entire degree with a flexible pay-as-you-go model, the program combines personalized AI-enhanced learning experiences with one-on-one faculty mentorship to prepare the next generation of business leaders for the future. According to the latest GMAC Prospective Students Survey, prospective students are increasingly prioritizing affordability (37%), return on investment (37%), and career outcomes (30%) when selecting an MBA program. Responding to this demand, SFBU aligned the curriculum with the durable capabilities organizations consistently report lacking, including critical thinking, creative problem-solving, adaptability, communication, and responsible leadership.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/san-francisco-bay-university-launches-10k-ai-enhanced-mba-designed-for-a-rapidly-changing-workforce-302827785.html

New visa restrictions could hurt international enrollment - Alcino Donadel, University Business

2026-07-30T06:05:00.000-04:00

International students have four years to complete their studies in the U.S. or face a rigorous visa reapplication process, according to a new federal policy. The proposed Department of Homeland Security rule dismantles Duration of Status, a long-established policy that permitted students and scholars with F or J visas to remain in the U.S. as long as they made progress toward academic or research objectives. The new system will limit students’ stay to their program’s expected end date, which can last no more than four years. F-1 visa holders now have only 30 days (rather than 60) to depart the country or acquire new papers.

https://universitybusiness.com/why-this-new-policy-may-hurt-international-enrollment-even-more/

GPT 5.6 Frontier Intelligence that Scales with your Ambition - OpenAI

2026-07-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

GPT‑5.6 Sol sets a new standard for both intelligence and efficiency, achieving state-of-the-art results across coding, knowledge work, cybersecurity, and science while outperforming previous and competing frontier models with fewer tokens and at lower estimated cost. The result is stronger performance per dollar: more successful work for the same spend, or comparable results at a lower total cost. We also introduce a new way to accelerate the most demanding work: ultra is our highest-capability setting, coordinating multiple agents across parallel workstreams to finish complex tasks faster. Stronger computer use and design judgment make GPT‑5.6 Sol our most polished collaborator yet, helping it inspect, refine, and deliver ready-to-use results.

https://openai.com/index/gpt-5-6/

New legislative package would dramatically downsize Education Department - Micah Ward, University Busiiness

2026-07-29T06:10:00.000-04:00

The Trump administration is pushing legislation that could result in a major downsizing of the Education Department’s federal oversight of schools, putting Secretary Linda McMahon closer to her goal of dismantling the agency. For instance, H.R. 9611 gives Labor responsibility for: Title III institutional aid, such as Strengthening Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities; TRIO programs, which support low-income, first-generation and disabled students preparing for and succeeding in college

Federal Work-Study; GEAR Up, which helps middle and high school students prepare for college.

https://universitybusiness.com/new-legislative-package-would-dramatically-downsize-education-department/

Moody’s downgrades Brown University’s outlook to negative - Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive

2026-07-29T06:04:00.000-04:00

Moody’s Ratings lowered the credit outlook for Brown University to negative on Thursday, primarily citing “already thin operating performance” that could continue for several years. The credit ratings agency pointed to the Rhode Island university’s high debt levels and to large lump sum payments it owes in the future. Together, these could throttle Brown’s future borrowing ability if it doesn’t see “significantly improved operating performance,” Moody’s said. Brown’s outlook hinges on the ability of its leaders to improve the Ivy League institution’s operating performance, according to the credit ratings agency. Although Moody’s reaffirmed Brown’s high credit rating, it said an inability to improve its margins by fiscal 2028 could result in “downward rating pressure.”

https://www.highereddive.com/news/moodys-downgrades-brown-universitys-outlook-to-negative/824525/

Skills (R)evolution: Preparing Employees for Tomorrow’s Jobs - SHRM

2026-07-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

A strong learning and development strategy helps organizations build workforce readiness, improve the employee experience, and drive better business outcomes.

Despite a rapidly changing skills environment, almost 3 in 4 HR professionals (72%) say their L&D strategy is primarily driven by current skills needs.

Participating in learning programs has a positive impact on engagement for 78% of global workers.

Organizations with more strategic L&D practices are 2.3 times more likely to achieve better financial outcomes.

As jobs change and skill needs evolve, this research examines how organizations can strengthen learning and development to build workforce readiness, support employee engagement, and improve business performance.

https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/research/skills-revolution-preparing-employees-tomorrows-jobs

Here’s why momentum for paid apprenticeships is surging - Alcino Donadel, University Business

2026-07-28T06:10:00.000-04:00

States and universities are providing new blueprints for making college-based, paid apprenticeships the backbone of new workforce pipelines. “Every year, millions of Americans turn down the promise of a degree because they need to work,” Joe Ross, president of Reach University, said at a June Congressional hearing on modernizing the nation’s apprenticeship system. “Many take jobs in the very schools and hospitals where employers can’t fill the higher-paying roles that require postsecondary credentials.” Stringent accreditation standards, state regulations and a lack of federal guidance have stymied degree-embedded apprenticeships. Witnesses at the U.S. House hearing last month argued that financial aid, employer buy-in and reduced administrative barriers can support uniform growth nationally. One way K12, community colleges and universities can better cultivate relationships with employers is by aligning curriculum and learner pathways with on-site workforce training programs.

https://universitybusiness.com/heres-why-momentum-for-paid-apprenticeships-is-surging/