Become an ASA Approved Continuing Education Provider
The ASA Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP) program will provide CSP™ and TSC™ certified professionals with a preapproved curriculum specifically designed to satisfy their continuing education obligations (PDF 90 KB) under the CSP and TSC programs. CSP and TSC holders must renew their certifications every three years by completing 30 hours of continuing education as set forth in the CSP–TSC program rules (PDF 140 KB). By offering courses that are preapproved for CE credit and taking the guesswork out of the course selection process, the ACEP program will help staffing professionals renew their certifications in a timely manner.
Under the ACEP program, ASA reviews and approves staffing-related continuing education programs to ensure content quality and to apprise certificate holders as to which CE providers have been preapproved for awarding credits. All organizations that wish to participate in the ACEP program must first be approved by ASA.
In designing the approved provider program, ASA relied upon the authorized provider criteria of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training.
Each approved CE provider will
- Receive a certificate acknowledging its approved CE provider status and the period for which the approved provider status has been granted
- Be listed on the ASA Web site with a link directly to the provider's homepage, affording renewal candidates easy access to quality CE programs
- Receive an ACEP logo for use in the organization's marketing materials and on its Web pages
- Receive a listing of the subject matter upon which candidates will be tested
To apply to become an approved provider, organizations should
The authorization process begins when ASA receives a completed application. Incomplete applications will be returned to the contact person listed on the application form.
The authorization process takes approximately four to six weeks from the time the application is received. After reviewing the application, ASA will either approve or deny the application.
If approved, the provider will be notified, provided with the ACEP logo, and afforded all the other benefits discussed above. ASA approved CE providers are encouraged to use the ACEP logo on their marketing and other promotional materials where appropriate. The logo will be supplied to the approved provider electronically as a JPG file for Web applications and as a TIFF file for print applications.
If the application is approved, ASA will award approved CE provider status for a period of three years from the date the application is approved.
If ASA determines that the applying organization and its events and programs do not meet ASA-established criteria, ASA will deny the application. The reasons for the denial will be specified in writing and the applicant will be given two weeks from the date of the denial to appeal the decision. Applicants denied approved provider status are welcome to resubmit an application after reasons for the previous denial are addressed.
Approved provider fees will cover a three-year period and must be submitted at the time of application. Fees are based on ASA membership status. Should the company's membership status change during the three-year period, the applicant will be invoiced accordingly. Fees are subject to change at the sole discretion of ASA. The introductory program fees are
- ASA associate members: $200
- Nonmembers: $700
Become an ASA associate member
To continue to participate in the program after a three-year term has ended, approved providers must submit a new ASA Approved Continuing Education Provider application (PDF 56 KB), adhere to the established event and program criteria, and pay the applicable approved provider fee.
When an application is denied, ASA will refund the entire application fee paid following the two-week period permitted for the appeal process.
By completing and signing the approved continuing education provider application (PDF 56 KB), applicants agree to adhere to the ASA approved provider criteria described in detail below.
Before completing the application, prospective approved providers should read and understand the criteria. If you have any questions, contact Karen Donald at 703-253-2032 or kdonald@americanstaffing.net.
ASA established the following criteria based on IACET recommendations.
A. Organization Criteria
1. The provider must have an identifiable CE or training unit or group with responsibility for administering events or programs.
2. The provider, through its CE or training unit, must ensure that ASA criteria are met. One person from the organization must be identified and responsible for ensuring that ASA criteria are met.
3. The provider must have a system in place to accurately calculate CE hours (for more information about how to award ASA CE hours, see the section below on calculating CE hours. When a partial CE hour is awarded to program participants who attend a portion of an event or program, the provider must have a system to track, calculate, and award variable credit hours.
4. It is recommended (though not required) that providers retain records documenting attendance, and maintain a written record retention policy and a written privacy policy that ensures the security and privacy of each participant's CE activities.
5. The provider must be responsible for tracking and documenting attendance at staffing-related events.
6. The provider must include the ACEP logo in its on-site program or event materials, or on a certificate of successful completion.
7. The provider must ensure that events are held in handicapped accessible locations, the environment is conducive to learning, and that the provider complies with all federal, state, and local disability laws, including the Americans With Disabilities Act. For online activities, the provider must clearly inform participants of software, hardware, or minimum modem requirements prior to registration.
B. Learning Event Development
1. The provider must assess and identify learning needs of the target audience; this process identifies the gaps between a learner's current level and some desired level of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or performance.
2. Identifiable Learning Outcomes: For each program or event, the provider must draft and maintain clear and concise written statements of intended learning outcomes based on the needs-identification process. Learning outcomes must be communicated to participants before the relevant program or event.
3. The provider must ensure that all instructors and presenters are qualified to plan and conduct each learning event. Instructors or presenters must be competent in the subject matter, understand the learning event's purpose and learning outcomes, and have the requisite knowledge and skills in applicable instructional methods and learning processes. Instructor qualifications should be clearly communicated to participants before each event takes place.
4. Content and instructional materials should be appropriate for the learning outcomes of each event.
C. Evaluation Activities
1. Assessment of Learning Outcomes: When feasible and when planning an event, the provider should establish procedures for participants to assess achievement of learning outcomes for such event. Assessments can take many forms, and may include written examinations, written reports, and participant surveys and assessments. Event participants should be informed of any assessment in advance of an event, and should complete such assessment before or at the end of the event. Assessments are not required, but are strongly recommended.
2. Post-event evaluations must be created during the event planning process. Participants should be afforded the opportunity to provide an assessment of the instructor's performance at the conclusion of each learning event. Post-event evaluations must include written reports summarizing each event, and such reports should address, at a minimum, whether the learning experience and the instructional methods used accomplished the stated learning outcomes, and whether the participants felt the learning outcomes were appropriate for the event. Each report must also indicate whether the participants felt that the event execution was effective and efficient. Evaluation results should be considered when planning future programs and events. Approved providers must provide copies of such reports to ASA upon request.
The CSP and TSC programs require that all learning events and programs must be staffing related. They must be a minimum of one hour in length, and abide by all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including but not limited to the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Certified individuals are given a detailed description of the CE requirements they must meet to maintain their designation. Below is a summary of those requirements for approved providers to consider when planning educational programs.
1. Up to 12 of the required 30 CE hours for certification renewal may be satisfied by completing approved “passive” learning programs. The remaining 18 CE hours must be satisfied through “active” learning programs. In addition, six hours must pertain to employment law.
2. Passive learning involves programs in which participants have no real-time interaction with an instructor or other students. Examples include audio programs (e.g., audiocassettes or CDs of Staffing World workshops) and CD-or Web-based training that students complete at their own pace.
3. Active learning involves programs in which the instructor and students interact in real-time, and includes in-person, telephonic, and Internet-based conferences and training seminars. Other examples include ASA's Staffing World workshops, ASA InterAction Webinars, and chapter meetings that have been approved for CE credit.
4. Examples of events and programs that may be counted toward CSP and TSC continuing education credit include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Classroom or meeting session led by a qualified instructor or discussion leader
- Activities in which the participant is engaged in a planned activity, course, or learning program; the participant's progress is monitored; and the participant receives feedback—examples may include independent study, computer-assisted instruction, interactive video, and Web-based learning
5. The following may not be counted toward CSP and TSC continuing education credit:
- Events such as those described above, but that are not staffing-related or in accordance with ASA program requirements
- Unplanned or unsupervised events
- Mass media activities, courses, or programs—learning events delivered through the mass media (television, radio, newspaper, Web sites, etc.) do not qualify for renewal credit unless they are an integral part of a learning event that otherwise meets ASA program requirements
- Some portions of meetings, conferences, and exhibitions that are non-instructional, such as optional events, entertainment, meals, and exhibit halls
ASA awards CE hours for actual time spent attending or participating in an educational event or program. Time spent for breaks, meals, attendance in exhibit halls, etc., shall not be not counted toward renewal credit.
To determine continuing education credit for programs or events, each provider shall
- Determine the full length of the program or event
- Determine if the program is considered active or passive education (see Continuing Education Requirements (PDF 38 KB))
- Subtract all non-educational time, including time spent for breaks, meals, attendance in exhibit halls, etc.
- Ensure that all topics and material covered during an event or program are staffing-related and in accordance with event and program content requirements determined by ASA. If any portion of an event or program is devoted to topics or material that are not in accordance with such event and program content requirements, time devoted to such topics or material must not be included in calculating participants' CE credit.
Providers may award CE credit in quarter-hour increments. Any part of an hour more than 15 minutes should not be rounded up. For example, a program that last 80 minutes would earn 1.25 and not 1.5, continuing education credits.
To calculate CE hours for self-paced programs, the approved provider should establish the CE hours based on the actual time it takes to complete a program under reasonable circumstances.
In some cases, approved providers may have previously established relationships with other organizations that award CE credits for related industries. For example, staffing professionals may attend events for which CLE (continuing legal education) credits are awarded. ASA uses the following guidelines for staffing-related learning activities
- One IACET CEU equals 10 continuing education credits.
- One CLE equals one CE credit.
- One staffing-related semester course at an accredited college or university equals 15 CE credits.
- One staffing-related quarter course at an accredited college or university equals 12 CE credits.
- One staffing-related audited college course equals 10 CE credits.
- National Technical Services Association CEU equals one CE credit.
- The California Accredited Consultant exam offered by the California Staffing Professionals association equals six employment law CE credits.
ASA reserves the right to audit approved providers to ensure compliance with the established criteria and to investigate allegations of violations. The audit may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to
- Requests to review an authorized provider's records, including but not limited to documents related to needs assessments, planning, evaluations, and record-keeping requirements
- Visits during and assessments of specific educational programs and events
When the audit has been completed, ASA will forward a copy of the written report to the provider.
ASA reserves the right to revoke any approved provider authorization at its discretion.
By way of example and not limitation, ASA may revoke provider authorization if it is determined that the authorized provider
- Provided false information on the application
- Failed to conduct educational or training activities in compliance with the established ASA authorized provider criteria
- Failed to maintain the organizational and record keeping requirements necessary for authorization
In case of revocation, ASA will notify the provider of the duration of that revocation. Providers whose authorization has been revoked may appeal by contacting ASA.
Contact
Karen Donald
Certification Manager
703-253-2032
kdonald@americanstaffing.net
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