By: Emily Fodge
The Name Caught Up to the Work
Sometimes the most meaningful changes aren't about becoming something new. They're about finding a better way to describe who you've been all along.
On July 1, 2026, UCR University Extension became UCR Professional and Global Education, a name that more clearly reflects the students, employers, partners, and communities the organization serves today.
For Dean Kevin Vaughn, the change was less about a new direction and more about recognizing one that has been underway for years.
"We have offered professional and global education for years," Vaughn said. "It has just taken some time for our name to catch up with our work."
The change comes at a time when learning looks very different than it did even a decade ago.
The learners who turn to UCR Professional and Global Education don't fit neatly into a single category, and neither do their goals. Some are experienced professionals looking to advance their careers. Some are building businesses while balancing family responsibilities. Others are traveling thousands of miles to study, gain professional experience, and build skills they can take back to their communities.
The new name reflects the people it has been serving for years.
A Broader Definition of Learning
Today's learners aren't pressing pause on life to go back to school. They're bringing school into lives already in motion.
Learning happens between work meetings, family responsibilities, business plans, and the goals people haven't given up on yet.
That shift can be seen across the institution's flexible professional programs.
Some working adults return to the classroom after years away, looking to sharpen existing skills or prepare for new opportunities. Others are taking the first steps toward launching a business or moving into leadership roles.
Entrepreneur and lifelong learner Magdalena Zepeda Selegue is one example. Like many adult learners, she pursued education alongside the family responsibilities and career ambitions that already filled her days. Her education didn't happen separate from life—it happened alongside it.
Professional education also extends beyond the classroom. Through customized workforce training programs, UCR Professional and Global Education partners with organizations and communities to help employees build new skills and prepare for the future. In the City of Coachella, employees participated in professional development and leadership training designed to help employees grow as leaders while strengthening the communities they serve.
The details may vary, but the desire is often the same: to keep growing.
That commitment is reflected in the first half of the new name. "Professional highlights our focus on career advancement, workforce development, industry-aligned programs, and professional credentials," Vaughn said.
A Community That Extends Beyond Borders
The second half of the name, Global, captures another defining part of the institution's identity.
Every year, students from around the world come to Riverside to pursue professional certificates, postgraduate diplomas with internships, university pathway programs, English language programs, and other educational opportunities.
Some arrive seeking specialized knowledge. Others come looking for the opportunity to combine classroom learning with internships, apply what they learn in a real-world, global environment, and broaden their perspective along the way.
Students like Max Keller traveled from Germany to study in Southern California, where academic coursework became part of a broader experience that included community, connection, and cultural immersion. PGD in Sports Management student Hasnain Haider came from Pakistan seeking global exposure and firsthand experience working with a professional sports organization, with the goal of bringing that knowledge and experience back to his home country.
Their reasons for studying in Southern California were different. What they found was an opportunity to learn alongside people whose experiences looked very different from their own.
"Global reflects the international scope of our partnerships, student populations, and educational activities," Vaughn said.
For many students, the classroom is only one part of the experience. The conversations, international perspectives, and connections they gain along the way often become just as meaningful.
What Isn't Changing
While the name is evolving, the mission remains the same.
The programs, partnerships, and commitment that have defined UCR University Extension will continue under a name that more accurately describes the people and communities they serve.
"We are the same organization we were before the name change," Vaughn said. "Our mission, programs, and commitment to learners remain unchanged."
Students will continue finding pathways to new careers. Employers will continue developing their workforce. International students will continue arriving in Riverside to pursue educational and professional opportunities.
The new name simply helps people understand the full scope of that work.
Looking Ahead
For Vaughn, the new name is ultimately about alignment.
It speaks to who the organization serves today and where it hopes to grow in the future.
"I'm really excited about this name change because UCR Professional and Global Education better reflects who we are, aligns with our strategic direction, and positions the university more effectively for future growth," he said.
Names matter because they help people understand who you are.
For years, the organization's mission has centered on helping people move forward—whether that meant advancing a career, strengthening a workforce, launching a business, or pursuing opportunities across the globe.
The work was already there. Now the name tells that story more clearly.
Where Growth Meets Opportunity
Whether you're advancing your career, developing your workforce, pursuing global experiences, or exploring a new direction, UCR Professional and Global Education offers programs designed to drive you forward.