The Office of Professional Education was established by the Provost’s Office in Aug. 2021 to expand the university’s non-degree offerings, developing professional programs that provide educational opportunities for those seeking to deepen their knowledge in an area or transition to new careers. These programs will increase the impact, scale, scope, efficiency, and sustainability of the university’s professional education activities, including graduate certificates, professional master’s degree programs, non-credit courses, and collaborative external partnerships.
Professional education is a priority of the Illinois Leads strategic plan. Our stakeholders “detailed that the modern workforce requires flexible educational opportunities and university life experiences that not only respond to industry and societal needs but anticipate them.” Our strategy for preparing future leaders is to “provide the tools, structures, and opportunities that support lifelong learning to strengthen a more welcoming university environment for all” by developing “accessible and relevant educational pathways and experiences for learners at every stage of life.” One of our priority areas is to expand lifelong learning opportunities, and to “build and clarify flexible educational pathways that support learners at every stage of life, including up-skilling opportunities, professional education, and other forms of continuing learning.”
People
The Office for Professional Education coordinates its activities with the support of faculty, staff and leadership across the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. We work together on the shared goal of expanding educational offerings from Illinois beyond degrees, and on making these opportunities available to the general public.
| Director | John C. Hart | Director of the Office for Professional Education |
| Marketing | Kelly Birky | Director of Marketing Strategy, Strategic Communications & Marketing |
| Non-Degree Programs | Erika Albin | Non-Degree Registration Services Coordinator, Office of the Registrar |
| Platforms Team | Scott Cimarusti | Manager, Enterprise Teaching and Learning Technologies, Tech Services |
| Amy E. Merkley | Application Services Specialist, Tech Services | |
| Rachel Martiniak | Senior E-Learning Specialist, Tech Services | |
| Gaby Venatta | Senior E-Learning Specialist, Tech Services | |
| Coursera Partnership | Nerissa Brown | Executive Associate Dean of Academic Programs, Gies College of Business |
Professional Organizations
UPCEA is the online and professional education association. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is an institutional member, and this membership is managed by the Office for Professional Education. UPCEA focuses on professional and continuing education, as well as the alternative credentials that can be earned in such programs and the marketing, enrollment management and student success needed for such programs to thrive.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign belongs to other organizations that can also be useful for professional education.
- Council of Graduate Schools – Graduate certificates and other professional education opportunities can be important for graduate students, and CGS maintains data and reports on professional development, career pathways and microcredentials. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign institutional membership to CGS is maintained by the Graduate College.
- Memberships in the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) and the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technology (WCET) are maintained through the Office of Online Learning.