2027 UPCEA Regional Awards | Call for Nominations

UPCEA's Regions are committed to providing expanded access for members and connecting peers across geographic boundaries. UPCEA's Regional Program Award recognizes exemplary and/or innovative programming that expands access for learners and/or connects across geographic boundaries and demonstrates regional impact. There is one award per UPCEA region, from one or more of the following areas of practice:

Educational Program that focuses on addressing a regional need
Administrative Practice that demonstrates regional impact
Collaborations and Partnerships across a region

Nominations are due August 28, 2026

Award Criteria

The nominated program, service, or practice must:

Be offered by a current UPCEA member institution.
Have been implemented within the past two years.
Have completed at least one full cycle prior to nomination.
Demonstrate a contribution to the field of online, professional, and continuing education.
Demonstrate practices or outcomes that could be replicated by other higher education institutions.

Nomination Procedure

To submit a nomination, complete the online nomination form, including a 250–500-word Nomination Summary, and upload one combined PDF (maximum: 10 pages) containing the required narrative statement and supporting documentation.

Supporting Document Requirements

Please organize your PDF using the following format:

Cover Page

Include:

UPCEA Region
Institution/Organization
Program/Service/Practice Title

Narrative Statement

Provide a narrative statement (maximum five pages) that addresses the following:

Describe the nominated program, service, or practice, including its purpose and objectives.
Explain how the program expanded the scope of the institution.
Demonstrate the program's regional impact.
Describe the return on investment, including measurable outcomes and evidence of effectiveness.
Explain how the program contributes to the field of online, professional, and continuing education.
Describe why the program is exemplary and/or innovative and how it could be replicated by other higher education institutions.

Supporting Documentation

Include only the materials that best demonstrate the program's impact and effectiveness. Examples may include:

Assessment reports or outcome data
Testimonials or letters of support
Marketing or program materials
Publications or media coverage
Other documentation supporting the nomination

Links to websites, videos, or other online resources may be included within the PDF when appropriate.

Note: Due to the volume of nominations received, supporting materials should be concise and focused on demonstrating the significance, innovation, and impact of the nomination.

Evaluation Process

Nominations are reviewed by volunteer reviewers using the Awards Scoring Rubric.

Reviewers evaluate nominations based on:

Alignment with Award Purpose
Award Criteria
Evidence and Supporting Materials
Impact
Overall Quality of the Nomination

We encourage nominators to review the scoring rubric before preparing their submission.

Award Recognition

Regional Award recipients will be invited to receive their award and be recognized at the following Annual Conference Regional Breakfast and at the respective virtual Regional Salon. If attendance is not feasible, a pre-recorded acceptance video may be submitted.

Recipients are responsible for conference registration, travel, and lodging expenses.

Questions?

Jacqueline Romero
Associate Director, Programs, UPCEA
jromero@upcea.edu

Nominations are due August 28, 2026

Interested in submitting a nomination for a 2027 UPCEA Association Award? Click here for more information and to submit.