Wayne Smutz, dean of continuing education and UCLA Extension, has been named president-elect of the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA). His new position became official on April 9 at the association's annual conference in San Diego.
The association serves more than 400 institutions, including most major public and private colleges and universities in North America.
Smutz said he believes that continuing and online education organizations need to be socially relevant while advancing the mission of their respective colleges and universities. “We are access points for people who need second or third chances at education, or who never had a chance,” he said. “In the context of the growing income inequality in our country, our ability to give students access to higher education and to help them be successful as students has become absolutely critical.”
Prior to joining UCLA in 2013, Smutz spent more than 30 years at Penn State Outreach in a variety of roles, including executive director of the World Campus. Smutz earned his Ph.D. in higher education and an M.A. in political science from Penn State. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in history from UC Berkeley.
“Wayne has been a valued UPCEA leader for many years,” said the association’s CEO Bob Hansen. “He brings deep experience in running large, high-quality online enterprises, which is timely for an association committed to the transformative power of online learning, as is his focus on the access mission of the association and our field.”