Earning Continuing Education Credits

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

NISOD recognizes the responsibility of educators to continue their educational and professional development and is excited to meet the needs of today’s faculty, administrators, and staff by providing Continuing Education Units (CEUs) as evidence of their professional development accomplishments. To that end, NISOD now awards CEUs to individuals who participate in NISOD Learning Experiences (i.e., webinars and workshops) and score a minimum of 80% on a post-learning experience assessment.

NISOD to Award Continuing Education Units for Its Learning Experiences 

Austin, Texas—May 9, 2022—Beginning in summer 2022, the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) will award Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to individuals who attend NISOD Learning Experiences (i.e., webinars and workshops) and score a minimum of 80% on a post-learning experience assessment. NISOD recognizes the responsibility of educators to continue their educational and professional development and is excited to meet the needs of today’s faculty, administrators, and staff by providing CEUs as evidence of their professional development accomplishments. 

NISOD offers several types of Learning Experiences designed to help individuals acquire or improve their skills. These Learning Experiences are a cost-effective way to stay on top of new trends, techniques, strategies, and issues affecting community and technical college educators. NISOD’s Learning Experiences are also an excellent way to network with other educators across North America and beyond. Learners benefit by earning CEUs as they gain new skills, improve current skills, and fulfill college-specific professional development requirements. Colleges benefit from their employees earning CEUs by gaining and retaining highly skilled employees, identifying future leaders, and improving student learning with highly-skilled instructors. 

NISOD is a part of The University of Texas at Austin, an accredited higher education institution. As such, NISOD will follow the standards established by the U.S. Department of Education for awarding CEUs. Adoption and use of NISOD CEUs by other organizations is strictly voluntary. Consequently, NISOD CEUs may not fulfill professional development requirements stipulated by a particular discipline, such as allied health, law, accounting, or social work.  

NISOD is also seeking talented individuals to facilitate two- and four-hour Virtual Workshops for which NISOD can award CEUs. Approved Virtual Workshops will be scheduled starting with January 2023 and beyond. NISOD strongly encourages individuals interested in serving as a Virtual Workshop facilitator to learn more and apply hereApplications to facilitate a NISOD Virtual Workshop are due October 31, 2022. 

For additional information, visit www.nisod.org/ceus or contact Dr. Edward Leach at ed@nisod.org. 

 About NISOD
NISOD provides budget-friendly, high-quality, and faculty-focused programs and resources for community and technical colleges that want to make the most of their professional development dollars. For over 40 years, NISOD has aligned a wide array of benefits with the needs of its members, which explains why the American Association of Community Colleges named NISOD, “The country’s leading provider of professional development for community college faculty, staff, and administrators.” 

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NISOD CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEU) GUIDELINES 

The field of education is constantly changing due to new approaches and new technologies that dramatically transform teaching and the student experience. Consequently, educators recognize that continuing their education is necessary to keep growing and evolving in their profession. Since its founding in 1978, the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) has provided educators with opportunities to continue their professional education via conferences, workshops, webinars, publications, and more. 

Recognizing the responsibility of educators to continue their educational and professional development, NISOD now awards Continuing Education Units (CEUs) — a nationally recognized method of quantifying time spent participating in professional development and training activities — to individuals according to the guidelines outlined below. The primary purpose of awarding CEUs is to provide a record of the professional development accomplishments of individuals who have completed educational and career enhancement experiences. 

JUSTIFICATION FOR AWARDING CEUs 

NISOD is a part of The University of Texas at Austin, an accredited higher education institution. The decision by an organization like NISOD to award CEUs does not require the approval of another agency. However, NISOD will follow the standards established by the U.S. Department of Education for awarding CEUs. 

BENEFIT OF CEUS TO THE LEARNER AND THEIR EMPLOYER 

Learner Benefits 

Employer Benefits 

  • Improve Skills for Current Job 
  • Learn New Skills for New Job 
  • Higher Salary Potential 
  • Increased Marketability 
  • Fulfill Professional Development Requirements 
  • Student Learning Directly Affected by Faculty Competence 
  • Highly Skilled Employees 
  • Retention of Quality Employees 
  • Identification of Future Leaders 

CEUs are often required as part of an individual’s professional development to maintain, develop, and increase competencies in their current role or as they transition to new responsibilities in a new role. NISOD offers several learning experiences designed to help individuals acquire or improve their skills. These learning experiences are a cost-effective way to stay on top of new trends, techniques, strategies, and issues affecting the teaching profession, especially those new ideas affecting community and technical college educators. NISOD’s learning experiences are also an excellent way to network with other educators across North America and beyond. 

Learners may participate in specified NISOD learning experiences to earn CEUs toward their professional development requirements. However, adoption and use of NISOD CEUs by other organizations are strictly voluntary. It is solely up to other organizations — not NISOD — whether to accept or decline NISOD CEUs. NISOD CEUs may not fulfill professional development requirements stipulated by a particular discipline, such as allied health, law, accounting, or social work. If an individual has such a requirement, they should work with an appropriate certifying body for approval. 

DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF APPROVED CEUS 

CEUs will be awarded based on the following calculation: One (1) CEU equals ten (10) contact hours (clock hours) of learner interaction with the learning activity’s content. It follows that one (1) contact hour (60 minutes) equals 0.1 CEU. 

Activities for which CEUs will not be awarded are, but not limited to: 

  1. Lunch or coffee breaks
  2. Archived online events, unless the learner successfully passes a learning assessment with a score of at least 80% in NISOD’s learning management system
  3. Non-NISOD-sponsored learning experiences
  4. Other activities not considered an active learning experience by NISOD 

CEU AWARDING PROCESS 

Every NISOD learning experience offering CUEs will have predetermined learning objectives. In addition to the description of topics to be covered, measurable learning objectives will clearly define what individuals will know or be able to do because of participating in the learning experience. 

  1. NISOD will announce learning experiences on its website, along with the intended learning outcomes, the number of CEUs to be awarded, and any other relevant information.
  2. Learners will register for, pay for (where applicable), and attend learning experiences. CEUs are only awarded to individuals who pass the post-experience learning assessment with a score of at least 80% in NISOD’s learning management system.
  3. Upon the conclusion of a learning experience, NISOD staff will verify the learner’s assessment score.
  4. If the learner passes the assessment, NISOD staff will send the learner a Certificate of Completion (and in some cases a digital badge) documenting the learning experience.
  5. Certificates of Completion (and digital badges where relevant) will include the number of CEUs earned and the number of contact hours, in addition to details about the learning experience.
  6. NISOD will maintain records of CEUs awarded according to the record maintenance guidelines below. 

RECORD MAINTENANCE 

As the provider of the learning experience and associated CEUs, NISOD agrees to keep record of participants’ attendance and awarded CEUs for a period of 10 years, as stipulated by the University of Texas at Austin. Upon request, NISOD will produce verification of attendance for the requesting individual for this duration. NISOD will not accept transfer of, nor will it maintain records of CEUs awarded for participation in non-NISOD sponsored learning experiences (i.e., learning experiences presented or sponsored by other organizations). 

CEU FEES 

All fees for CEUs awarded, where applicable, will be determined by NISOD and clearly indicated prior to registration for the associated learning experience. Where possible, NISOD will build CEU fees into the existing cost of the learning experience. 

Starting in summer 2022, learners will have the option to earn CEUs after successfully completing a learning assessment for the following learning experiences:

NISOD Webinars (CEUs available for webinars starting in summer 2022)

NISOD Virtual Workshops (CEUs available for workshops starting in fall 2022)

As NISOD continues to build out its Professional Learning Program, additional learning experiences will have associated CEUs. Stay tuned!

NISOD is currently seeking talented individuals to facilitate two- and four-hour Virtual Workshops for which NISOD can award CEUs. Approved Virtual Workshops will be scheduled starting with January 2023 and beyond. NISOD strongly encourages individuals interested in serving as a Virtual Workshop facilitator to learn more and apply here. Applications to facilitate a NISOD Virtual Workshop are due October 31, 2022. 

Questions?

Email us at
learning@nisod.org.