Some conferences feel long. This one flew by. And still, I kept thinking I wish I could have attended even more sessions.
Over the past few days at the UPCEA Annual Conference, a few very clear themes kept coming back. Not just in presentations, but in conversations with people across institutions.
Yes, AI is still very much front and center. But what stood out more to me was a different question. How do we enable our people to actually use technology in a way that improves learning? Not just AI, but everything around it. How do we help teams deliver better courses, better experiences, better continuing education?
And closely connected to that, one of the biggest questions I kept hearing was about scale. How do you grow continuing education in a way that is sustainable, relevant, and connected to the workforce?
When institutions and industry truly work together
I heard some incredible stories. One that really stayed with me was Furman University’s collaboration with Michelin, spanning both the US and France. A true cross-border example of what is possible when institutions and industry work together. It also reinforced something I strongly believe. There may be differences between countries, but there are far more commonalities than we often assume. I was also very fortunate in this situation to offer Furman the Award from the International community on their exceptional work – congrats Furman team!
The courage to share not just the wins, but the challenges too
At the same time, there was a lot of honesty. And that is what makes this community so strong. Not just sharing successes, but also the challenges. Because building for diverse, non-traditional learners is not easy. Different needs, different expectations, different lives outside of learning. Flexibility is no longer a nice to have, it is essential.
The one thing that kept coming back: do learners feel like they belong?
One theme that came back again and again was connection. How do you make learners feel like they belong? Whether they are online, in a short course, or in a full degree. That sense of belonging directly impacts completion, engagement, and overall experience. Technology plays a role, but the human aspect is what truly makes the difference.
Four sessions we were proud to be part of
From a personal perspective, this conference was also special because we were able to contribute to four sessions, which I am incredibly grateful for.
We kicked off with a panel together with San Diego State University, where Shweta and Lindsay shared their model for international learners. Starting from their home country, easing into US education, and then transitioning on campus. Not only a strong learning model, but it also reduces cost by around $30,000. That is real impact. But then we were also joined by Dr. William Lee from the University of Hong Kong, who shared how they have been able to build very long-lasting relationships with other institutions across the world and what the success factors for that have been. On both of their sides, I wish I could’ve heard more, so I did end up having a longer conversation with both parties because making these kinds of things possible in their own educational ecosystem is nothing short of inspirational and definitely something I wanted to learn more about.
Later, I had the chance to present during an industry insights session, focusing on the human side of successful technology implementations. Not the systems themselves, but what actually makes them work in practice. The people, the mindset, the way change is approached. The responses afterward meant a lot to me, so thank you to everyone who came up to share their thoughts.
On Wednesday, I moderated a session on instructional design with Texas A&M and Utah Valley University, which turned into a highly interactive conversation. Exactly what makes these conferences so valuable. People do not just listen, they engage, challenge, and learn from each other.
We also co-presented with the University of South California, Kennedy & Company – the experts of Slate, and UC Merced in a session that really showcased what operational transformation can look like in continuing education. Seeing how they are scaling, optimizing processes, and enabling their teams to focus on what they do best was incredibly powerful. Also, in the case of UC Merced, it was really nice to hear how Eduframe is helping them with scaling their CE and specifically being able to have their people work on the things they were originally hired to do and are really good at, creating engaging content and courses, and working on strategic partnerships.
And then there was the final stop & share session early in the morning on Friday. One of those moments where you are not sure what to expect, but it turned into meaningful roundtable conversations. Honest questions, practical discussions, and real sharing between peers. Emily from the University of Illinois Springfield shared her story and also some things that were unexpected, and which things they are currently working. One thing I really appreciated in Emily’s story about their ideas of scaling their CE, that now that their CE ‘process’ is running well in it’s delivery through Eduframe and it’s automations and PowerBI reports, they are now taking a step back to really focus on the courses with a positive experience and the ones that are most wanted, not to not have the others come back again, but to focus initially on replicable success and refinement, I think that the thoughtfulness in this is really important and also something that often times scares institutions, because this would mean taking away for a while a ‘possible’ income stream, but in the case of UIS this is a very wise one as this will allow them the focus and expertise to offer the best and ‘know’ how that happened to generate more revenue in the short term future.
Where the most genuine conversations actually happened
Beyond the sessions, some of the most valuable moments happened in between. At the booth, during coffee, or in my case, tea, and especially during the evening networking in the exhibitor hall. Those more informal settings always lead to the most genuine conversations.
One highlight for me personally was the dinner we organized in New Orleans. Bringing together customers from different types of institutions and simply letting them talk to each other. The energy in that room, the laughter, the exchange of ideas. That is where the real magic happens. Not us presenting, but institutions learning from one another.
Leaving New Orleans feeling genuinely energized
Walking away from this conference, I feel energized. Not just because of the innovation I saw around AI, accessibility, and new program models. But because of the people behind it all.
Education does not move as slowly as people sometimes think. There is so much happening behind the scenes. So many teams are working hard to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more meaningful.
What stays with me is the real impact behind all the work, the collaboration that keeps pushing things forward, and the people you meet and keep meeting over the years.
A special thanks to the UPCEA team for having us again, Emily Keener from UIS and Annette Roberts Webb and Michael Pierick from UCMerced for sharing their story on the inspirational things they are doing in their continuing education using Eduframe.
I can’t wait to see everyone next year again in Anaheim, in the meantime – already looking forward to Convergence!
About the Author: Mieke Ridderhof
