Updated March 9, 2020. Regarding the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: The UPCEA 2020 New England Regional Package, scheduled to take place in Boston, Massachusetts March 17-18, has been cancelled due to conditions stemming from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Cancelling the event allows members of our community to focus on supporting their own campuses during this unprecedented period of disruption and uncertainty.
Many members of our community—UPCEA staff, the New England leadership team and conference planning committee, volunteer leaders, speakers, and attendees—have been working for more than a year on planning for the event in Boston. We know that so many of you were looking forward to attending this month’s event, and the opportunities to learn from peers, connect with friends and colleagues old and new, find solutions, and celebrate accomplishments.
But it is our collective responsibility as a community to focus on the facts, to follow the advice of the relevant authorities and scientists, and above all to act in the best interests of our members. With these guiding principles in mind, it has become increasingly clear in the past few days that cancelling the event was the right thing to do for our members.
Because rescheduling the New England Regional Package is not feasible due to the upcoming fall conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, we will be fully refunding the New England event portion of all New England Regional Package registrations. Please bear with us as we work through the details of this process. In the coming weeks you will receive detailed information via email and online about the upcoming October 2020 New England Region Conference in Portsmouth.
Attending the New England Regional Package involves many logistics, and it is important to give you as much time as possible to make changes to your travel arrangements. To that end, please:
We are deeply appreciative of your flexibility and support as our association works through this challenging—and unprecedented—period in our 105-year history. This is a defining moment for our field. We wish all of our members the best as you navigate these challenging times with grace, creativity, and leadership.
Sincerely,
Bob Hansen
CEO
UPCEA
Nelson Baker
Georgia Institute of Technology
UPCEA President 2019-2020
Within higher education, we are continuously evolving to the meet the needs of our learners and educators. With both our learners and educators in mind, the UPCEA New England Region is excited to announce that the 2019 regional conference will be combined with the UPCEA Annual Conference in March 2020, forgoing the typical fall conference. The combination of both conferences is an exciting opportunity for the New England Region because it enables the region to focus on regionally specific content, while also providing participant the option to attend the UPCEA Annual Conference as well.
Don’t be alarmed that we have lost our regional feel! We will still have regional awards, regionally focused sessions, and networking opportunities. Also, within the regional package, we have an opportunity to attend the first part of the UPCEA 2020 Annual Conference, where we can learn and network on the national level.
Based on the feedback of the region, the 2020 UPCEA New England Regional Package will focus on continuously meeting the needs of our learners, while also implementing strategies to future proof our institutions. Within the New England region, we are noticing a trend of institutions closing because the traditional way of running an institution will no longer meet the current demands of our learners and the every changing needs of the global landscape. As a measure to help us prepare, we will expand our learning and discussions on the below areas.
Student marketing, recruitment and support
Future-proofing and alternative credentials
Student success methods and metrics
Quality of programs
Time is of the essence and our institutions must be innovative, agile, responsive, and proactive and we can only do this through collaborating and learning together. Join us March 17-18, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts, as we explore the opportunities meet the evolving needs of our learners and our institutions. See you at the Westin Boston Waterfront!
Regards,
Jasmeial “Jazz” Jackson, Ed.D.
UPCEA New England Region Chair
Southern New Hampshire University
About the New England Regional Package
The New England Regional Package is a mini-conference that leverages the UPCEA Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, with a specially-priced option for members in the New England region.
The New England Regional Package is being held March 17-18, 2020, at the Westin Boston Waterfront. The first of its kind for UPCEA, this event is a result of the 2017 UPCEA Presidential Task Force on Regional Conferences. The New England region will forgo the typical fall timing, and instead host a mini-conference along with the 2020 UPCEA Annual Conference in Boston.
This affordable and accessible mini-conference will feature New England awards, as well as regionally-focused sessions and networking opportunities, and includes attendance for the entire first day of the 2020 UPCEA Annual Conference.
Those in the New England region wishing to attend the New England Regional Package as well as the full 2020 UPCEA Annual Conference are encouraged to do so by “adding on” the full Annual Conference during registration for the New England Regional Package.
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