2020 UPCEA Annual ConferenceWelcome Letter From the Chair |
Welcome to a new decade, colleagues!
It’s 2020, are you where you want to be? Remember those articles from just a few years ago that predicted what higher education would look like in 2020? Well, for all intents and purposes, we have arrived, and the only thing we know for certain is that change is a constant. The nature of students is changing. The nature of work is changing. The way we teach and learn is changing. Technology both unites and divides us. Society itself is changing at an unprecedented rate. It’s hard to predict what effect these changes will have beyond our metaphorical ivy-covered walls.
Be innovative. Do it better, faster and cheaper, with fewer people. Educate an evolving workforce for challenges we don’t even know exist yet. As professional, continuing and online educators, these are our daily directives. It’s imperative that as this new decade unfolds, we work together more effectively, share insights more broadly, and face our challenges more cohesively. In turn, we will be better able to serve our ever-evolving students with relevant knowledge that enables them to make a difference in their lives and in the world around them. No matter the size or type of our institution, we must step up and into our roles as leaders of innovation.
There’s no better place to do that than at the UPCEA Annual Conference in Boston this spring. Boston is no stranger to change and innovation. In fact, in 2020, we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing in Plymouth, thus expanding the boundaries of the world as it was known at that time. Fast-forward to today and Boston remains a center for innovation, especially in transformative industries such as biotechnology, healthcare, and yes, higher education.
UPCEA is our professional connector, touchstone and catalyst providing our members the opportunity to learn from the collective wisdom of the whole. As you prepare to attend the 105th convening of our annual conference, I encourage you to bring examples of the innovative work you are doing on campus, and to open your mind to exploring new horizons with your colleagues. Perhaps then, we can all begin to see with the clarity of 20/20 vision.
I look forward to seeing you in Boston!
All my best,
Nancy Coleman
Wellesley College
Chair, 2020 UPCEA Annual Conference Advisory Committee