From RISE to AHEAD: What We Learned and What Comes Next in Federal Rulemaking

Practice

Published by: WCET | 12/2/2025

When I was younger, and sleeping on the ground didn’t hurt quite so much, I liked to usher in the new year by camping. It offered a great opportunity to get away and find solitude to reflect on the previous year and contemplate the new year. I remember one New Year’s Eve when a huge […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 11/20/2025

Each year, I look forward to the WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Awards because they give us the chance to shine a light on the incredible innovations happening across our community. These awards celebrate the projects that push digital learning forward—the ones that tackle real challenges, expand access, improve quality, and deliver meaningful results for today’s […]

Policy

Published by: WCET | 11/13/2025

Like the “Mighty Yopp” from Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who! the first federal regulation on state authorization of distance education in 2010 echoed a powerful message from the states: “We’re here!” That Federal regulation affirmed that states have enforceable legal requirements that institutions must follow when engaging in activities within their borders. In April […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 11/7/2025

WCET was founded by leaders who were willing to “read the tea leaves” and recognize the potential of emerging technologies to transform higher education. Acting on that foresight, they built a community dedicated to collaboration and to expanding access and success for learners. That same spirit continues to guide WCET today as we help our […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 11/5/2025

I’m fascinated by tidepools. Perhaps it comes from growing up in a desert, where the idea of a self-contained aquatic world is both foreign and magical. Each pool is the perfect example of an interconnected system: seaweed, plankton, mussels, starfish, and even otters are all connected through these pools of water left behind by the […]

Policy

Published by: WCET | 10/30/2025

The U.S. Department of Education will soon enter the second and final week of negotiated rulemaking for the Re-imagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee, which is developing changes to the Federal student loan programs as directed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3). As we prepare for the final week of discussions, we […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 10/16/2025

Across higher education, we’re seeing tough headlines about campuses closing or programs being cut. It’s a challenging time for higher ed, and learners are often the ones most affected. In this post, our partners at Parchment by Instructure share how course sharing can help institutions work together to expand access, sustain programs, and keep campuses […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 10/9/2025

At WCET, we’re always inspired by the spaces where innovation in higher education moves from idea to action. From what we understand, the 2025 Badge Summit at the University of Colorado, Boulder, was exactly that kind of moment. What once may have felt like a specialized discussion about badges and digital credentials has grown into […]

Practice

Published by: WCET | 10/2/2025

I’ve been thinking a lot about community lately. A few months ago, I was catching up with my Netflix on a flight home, and I watched the documentary “Join or Die.” It’s about political scientist Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone. This seminal piece argues that in the 1960s and 1970s, Americans began to move away from […]