What does it take to support today’s continuing education learners and prepare institutions for the future of enrollment?
In a recent FormAssembly webinar, higher ed and continuing education leaders explored how outdated, degree-centric infrastructure is holding institutions back as demand for non-degree programs, certificates, and workforce credentials continues to grow. The conversation focused on the realities institutions are facing today, common pitfalls that limit scale, and practical strategies for building learner-centered systems that can evolve over time.
The discussion was moderated by Josh Kim, Assistant Provost for Online Learning Strategy at Dartmouth College, and featured insights from Cindy Craig, Teaching Associate Professor, University of Denver College of Professional Studies, and Peter Bernardi, CEO and Co-Founder, Elevate Actual. Together, they examined how technology, data, and organizational mindset must come together to support modern continuing education pathways, particularly for teams responsible for driving enrollment growth outside of traditional degree programs.
Read on for a detailed re-cap of the webinar, or watch the presentation on demand here.
Learners Have Moved On. Institutional Infrastructure Hasn’t.
Continuing education learners today are more discerning, more outcome-oriented, and more price-sensitive than ever before. They are comparing higher education experiences not just to other institutions, but to consumer-grade digital experiences across industries.
As Cindy Craig noted, when learners encounter friction, application processes that are confusing, slow responses, or unclear pathways, they don’t complain. They leave.
“When there’s friction, learners don’t complain. They leave.” – Cindy Craig
Peter Bernardi reinforced that many institutions invest heavily in marketing compelling programs, only to lose prospective learners at the point of registration or purchase due to outdated systems, rigid academic terms, or disjointed handoffs between platforms.
The result? Institutions are struggling to convert interest into enrollment, even as demand for flexible, skills-based learning continues to rise.
Common Pitfalls That Limit Scale
As continuing education programs grow, institutions often encounter the same structural challenges:
- Fragmented or inaccessible learner data: Valuable insights are scattered across systems or are held by individuals rather than captured institutionally.
- Manual processes that don’t scale: Workarounds may function at small volumes but quickly break down as programs expand.
- Degree-centric systems: Traditional SIS platforms are not designed to support rolling starts, short-term credentials, or non-credit programs.
- Hidden learner frustration: Operational complexity on the backend quietly erodes trust and damages the learner experience.
Cindy emphasized an additional pitfall that resonates strongly for continuing education leaders: institutions often lose sight of the learner altogether while navigating internal processes, policies, and system constraints.
“We get so focused on processes that we forget the learner experience. That’s where everything starts to break.” – Cindy Craig
Practical Strategies for Building Modern Continuing Education Infrastructure
1. Decouple Enrollment from Academic Terms
One of the most impactful shifts institutions can make is separating continuing education enrollment from rigid academic calendars.
Peter explained that legacy SIS platforms can remain systems of record, while modern platforms should act as systems of execution.
“Your SIS can stay the system of record, but it can’t be the system of execution if you want to scale continuing education.” – Peter Bernardi
This approach allows institutions to support rolling starts, shorter sessions, and flexible cohorts while still passing essential records downstream when needed.
2. Design Continuing Education Like a Consumer Journey
Learners expect intuitive, mobile-first experiences that reduce friction and accelerate time to value. That doesn’t require rebuilding everything at once.
Both speakers emphasized starting small, launching a single program or credential, proving impact, and expanding incrementally, an approach that aligns well with how continuing education teams often pilot new offerings.
Early wins build internal confidence and create momentum for broader adoption.
3. Treat Learner Data as a Long-Term Asset
Speed and governance must be balanced carefully. Moving too fast without guardrails creates risk. Moving too slowly creates irrelevance.
The solution lies in intentional collaboration (especially with registrars, IT teams, and other governance stakeholders) to design systems that capture meaningful data, support compliance, and enable iteration over time.
4. Build for Iteration, Not Perfection
Rather than attempting institution-wide transformation all at once, Peter recommended an approach that is especially practical for continuing education leaders operating with limited budgets and staff:
- Start with non-credit or lower-risk programs
- Launch fast with a minimum viable experience
- Iterate based on real learner behavior and outcomes
This approach allows institutions to demonstrate value early while minimizing disruption.
Key Technology Considerations
On the topic of modernizing continuing education infrastructure, several technical priorities emerged:
- Mobile-first design: The majority of learners engage on mobile devices.
- Seamless data collection: Avoid asking learners to re-enter information unnecessarily.
- Integrated systems: Modern platforms should connect cleanly to legacy systems without being constrained by them.
- Security and compliance: Data protection and payment processing must be built in from the start.
Tools like Salesforce and FormAssembly can play a critical role in creating flexible, scalable experiences that reduce friction while preserving data integrity.
Key Takeaways
- Continuing education growth requires infrastructure that is built for speed. Systems designed around semester-based degree programs struggle to support rolling enrollment, shorter timelines, and rapid program launches.
- Learner experience is a revenue driver. Friction in registration, payment, or program navigation directly impacts conversion and retention for non-degree programs.
- Separate systems of record from systems of execution. Keep the SIS as the source of truth, but use flexible platforms to power front-end experiences and workflow automation.
- Start small and scale intentionally. Pilot one program or credential, prove value, and expand as momentum and internal alignment grow.
- Balance agility with governance. Clear data standards and ownership allow continuing education teams to move quickly without introducing risk.
Ready to explore more?
Want to see exactly how FormAssembly could help your institution evolve your continuing education infrastructure? Book a personalized demo or start a free trial today.
