The next competitive advantage in online education. Vice President of Academic Innovation and Strategic Partnerships Adam Fein and Vice President of Business Development Andre Payne-Singleton represent 2U at UPCEA's 2026 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration (SOLAR) Adam Fein, Vice President of Academic Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at 2U, reflects on how online education has become an integral part of institution-wide strategies and why alignment and partnership are increasingly important to its success. Online education has always required many parts of a university to work together: admissions, financial aid, academics, advising, career services, and technology, among others. What's new is how central it has become to an institution's long-term strategy. What was once treated as a specialized afterthought is now core to how universities reach learners, build their academic catalog, respond to workforce needs, and ultimately create new revenue streams. You can see that shift in the diversity of what institutions are bringing online. Degree programs are now one component of a broader portfolio that can include certificates, microcredentials, enterprise partnerships, and other forms of learning. As online learning takes on a bigger role, the success of an institution's portfolio depends on more than the strength of any individual program. It requires a perspective shift, in which online strategy becomes inseparable from institutional strategy. Universities able to align around this shift will increasingly develop a competitive advantage. I heard this firsthand at UPCEA's 2026 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration (SOLAR), where I moderated a panel aptly titled "No Lone Wolves: Why Online Programs Thrive on Campus-Wide Alliances." With about 50 institutions represented in the room, the questions varied, but they pointed to a common need: leaders who bring people together around shared goals, build strong relationships across the institution, and know when to bring in expertise from beyond campus. Start with alignment inside the institution Let's start with the learner experience. The teams responsible for each part of that experience may sit in different corners of the university, but learners don't experience them that way. They experience one institution. That means online leaders need to intentionally cultivate collaboration: shared ownership of the strategy, goals, and a clear understanding of how everyone contributes to them. What are learners looking for? Where is the workforce headed? What does the institution do particularly well? Bringing those perspectives together helps connect decisions about programs, enrollment, and student support that might otherwise happen independently. Getting there may require some "spicy" conversations, especially when the team you need at the table is already stretched thin. My view is that you can and should push for change. However you'll have far more success when you build trust and bring colleagues alongside that change, rather than bulldozing through existing structures. But trust alone isn't enough. Sunay Palsole of Texas A&M made a point during its panel that takes that idea one step further: while trust gets the people you need to the table, lasting partnerships need structure. Define responsibilities, deliverables, and service levels so everyone knows what they own and what success looks like. That's how alignment becomes part of the way an institution operates rather than something dependent on individual relationships. The "No Lone Wolves: Why Online Programs Thrive on Campus-Wide Alliances" panelists from left to right: Adam Fein, 2U; Sunay Palsole, Texas A&M University; Melissa Vito, The University of Texas at San Antonio; Beth Brunk, University of Texas at El Paso Extend partnership beyond campus The same principle applies outside the institution. Universities are making different choices about what they build and manage themselves and where they seek external support. There isn't one model that works for everyone. Knowing what your institution does well, where another perspective could help, and what problem a partner could help solve are all key factors to weigh when evaluating external options. The right external partner can bring insight into learner demand and workforce trends, lessons learned across institutions, and experience translating those signals into action. Trust matters outside the institution, too. From the partner side, that means listening first, understanding the institution and the problem it's trying to solve, and earning the opportunity to become a trusted thought partner. The goal here isn't to outsource institutional strategy, but to make that strategy stronger and easier to execute. Lead differently as the strategy evolves Online education is no longer peripheral to how many universities think about their learners - especially adult learners - programs, and future. That's progress, but it also means 2U can't lead it as though it still operates independently from the rest of the institution. That, to me, is the bigger meaning behind "No Lone Wolves." Build trusted relationships across operating units. Give them structure. Bring the right people and perspectives to the table. Keep everyone working toward the same institutional goals. Get this right, and the opportunity is bigger than online growth. It's a university that can make better decisions, adapt faster, and serve learners more effectively. In this time of significant change in higher education, the ability to work together nimbly - inside and beyond campus - to meet the moment, is the competitive advantage. Latest. At 2U, 2U is on a mission - to make learning limitless. To learn more about who 2U is and what 2U do, follow the links below.

Turning market intelligence into action for its partners. Forty percent of online graduate learners say they plan to pursue another degree within the next two years. That suggests demand for continued education remains strong. Yet, the same learners report growing concerns about affordability, economic uncertainty, and changing financial aid policies - factors that are increasingly shaping whether and how they enroll. To better understand those dynamics, 2U partnered with Hanover Research to survey 1,000 current and prospective online graduate learners across the United States. The findings reveal a market defined by competing forces: learners want the flexibility to balance studies with life and work, but they also seek personal connection with peers and faculty. They expect programs to deliver strong career outcomes, but are making critical funding decisions earlier due to concerns about cost and policies. While interest in continued learning is high, emerging barriers present new challenges that institutions cannot afford to ignore. The study is part of a broader market intelligence initiative at 2U, designed to help partners better understand learner behavior, improve program competitiveness, identify growth opportunities, and support stronger student outcomes. 2u sat down with Amy Zalatan, 2U's Director of Market Insights, to discuss what the research revealed and what it means for institutions navigating a rapidly evolving market. 1) Let's start with introductions. Amy, you're relatively new to 2U. Tell 2u a little about your background and what brought you here. The throughline of my career has been a passion for uncovering what makes people tick - why they make the decisions they do, and what influences their purchasing behavior. I've worked across industries, from B2B technology and ecommerce to consumer goods, but always through the lens of market research and insights. When I saw the role at 2U, I was super excited about the prospect to help lead the market insights function and bring the voice of the learner front and center. 2u make big decisions in higher ed based on what 2u think learners want. I was drawn to the opportunity to replace more of those assumptions with clear evidence and help universities make decisions with greater confidence. 2) Why is market research such an important focus for 2U? Market insights drive growth. The more 2u understand what learners want, the better equipped 2u is to build learning products that meet their needs, connect those learners with the right opportunities, and help its partners stay competitive. At 2U, market intelligence is a critical enabler. It helps 2u and its partners see around corners, make smarter decisions, and better support learners. 3) What made this Hanover study worth pursuing? 2u wanted to take a step back and look at the online graduate degree market holistically. The State of the Online Graduate Learner study with Hanover allowed 2u to do just that - examine the full learner journey from motivations for pursuing a degree all the way through to their reactions to major policy changes, like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It provides a valuable snapshot of where the market is today, establishes a benchmark 2u can measure against over time, and creates a foundation for understanding how factors like a macroeconomic climate are influencing enrollment decisions year after year. 4) The survey looked at recent federal financial aid changes. Why was that important? The federal financial aid changes taking effect July 1 as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are significant. There's still uncertainty around what the full impact will be for learners. 2u has its point of view on what it means, but 2u wanted to gauge whether learners were familiar with the impending changes and what aspects concern them most. Understanding what learners - both current and potential - care about helps 2u work alongside its partners to directly address their concerns and provide the information learners need to make informed decisions. Ultimately, the better institutions understand what learners are worried about, the better positioned they are to support enrollment and retention while navigating the new normal. 5) If flexibility and outcomes are table stakes for online programs, where can institutions truly differentiate? Flexibility is the built in expectation and key driver of why a learner chooses to pursue an online program in the first place. Differentiation comes down to an ownable position in the market - what to highlight in your go-to-market campaigns to interested potential learners. Some learners are looking for affordable programs with a strong career-skills focus and a fast path to completion. Others are passionate lifelong learners who prioritize academic quality and prestige. Institutions that understand which audience they're serving and communicate that value proposition clearly are the ones most likely to stand out. 6) Cost has always mattered in higher ed. What did the research uncover about how students think about affordability? Program cost remains incredibly important - in its market study, affordability ranked just below flexibility when learners were making a program decision. But what stood out to me in the research was how early learners are making financial decisions in their research process. Many learners determine how they'll pay for a degree before they ever engage with a program, which makes cost transparency critical. The earlier institutions can provide clear information about tuition, financial aid, and funding pathways, the better. What's also interesting is that affordability isn't the only consideration. In its parallel survey of current learners across 18 of its partner universities, 2u saw the importance of affordability dip among learners in favor of prestige, reputation, and program quality. Learners are weighing tradeoffs. Some prioritize speed and affordability, while others are willing to invest more for a highly-regarded program and an experience that closely mirrors the quality of an on-campus education. Both can and do exist in the market. 7) This survey is described as the first phase of a broader effort. What's next? This is just the beginning. 2u has a robust research agenda underway across its portfolio, including studies focused on trends within particular degree verticals 2u serve, understanding the evolving edX learner, identifying what factors drive learners to choose one university over another, and modernizing some of its always-on learner feedback surveys. Its goal is to build a stronger, more continuous understanding of learner behavior across its portfolio. 8) If you could leave university leaders with one message from this research, what would it be? Online graduate degree learners want the convenience and flexibility that come with choosing online, but they also want to feel a part of your university community. Figuring out how to serve both flexibility and belonging is the key to unlocking a great online graduate degree experience. Finding ways to build meaningful community in an online environment may be one of the most important opportunities in graduate education today. 9) Why is 2U uniquely positioned to conduct this kind of research and help institutions act on it? 2U sits at the intersection of learners, universities, and employers. That position gives 2u a unique perspective on the needs and expectations of each group. When 2u commission and undertake research, 2u is not looking at the market through a single lens. 2u is focused on understanding how all of these stakeholders interact and how 2u can create the best possible experiences across the ecosystem. This perspective allows 2u to identify opportunities that a traditional research agency or an individual institution might not see on its own. Its goal is to translate those insights into actions that then help its partners serve learners and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Latest. At 2U, 2u is on a mission - to make learning limitless. To learn more about who 2u is and what 2u do, follow the links below.