Non-Credit and Continuing Education Units Procedure

Purpose:

This procedure articulates the processes to be used at Winona State University (WSU) on the development and funding of Non-Credit (NC) and Continuing Education Unit (CEU) offerings. The primary result of the implementation of this policy will be:

1. The creation of records of educational experience for learners to document their efforts at self­ improvement, increased vocational competence, and a commitment to lifelong learning;

2. The creation of an institutional planning, implementation and recording capability for demonstrating an ongoing commitment to continuing education and community service functions’; and

3. The recognition of Adult & Continuing Education (ACE) as the central office for NC and CEU programs.

Procedure:

A. Implementation

1. Responsibility for administration of the NC and CEU programs is assigned to Adult & Continuing Education (ACE).

2. Ideas for NC and CEU courses and activities may be generated by individual faculty members, departments or persons not affiliated with WSU. All actual offerings must be approved by the Director of ACE following the guidelines of this policy.

3. The number of contact/clock hours and appropriate CEUs must be determined prior to the beginning of the activity according the guidelines of Section 2 of this policy and procedure. Partial CEUs may be awarded on the basis of total contact hours involved. For example, for an activity of seventeen (17), seventeen and a half (17 1/2), or seventeen and three quarters (17 %) contact hours, one point seven (1.7) CEIJs are assigned. Activities involving fewer than ten (10) contact hours of instruction (less than one CEU) should not be approved for awarding CEOs without careful evaluation to insure that all CEU criteria have been met.

4. ACE will provide the process and mechanism for establishing, maintaining, and transmitting individual student transcripts of CEIJs and NC hour based offerings.

5. The rate to be paid individual instructors shall be set based on the program budget developed cooperatively between ACE and the instructor. The rate should be established prior to the start of the course or activity, but may be renegotiated to accommodate smaller enrollments or program needs. The current daily rate guidelines should be consulted when establishing the initial rate of pay.

6. All offerings shall be self-supporting except in those instances when all parties involved in the activity believe the activity should be offered at a loss because of future potential, necessary sequencing for completion of a program, public commitment, or contractual agreements.

7. If a course/activity does not meet its minimum enrollment, there are three (3) options:

1. Cancel the course/activity;

2. Agree to operate the course/activity at a loss; or

3. Renegotiate the contract with the instructor.

The decision on which alternative to follow will be made by ACE in collaboration with all involved parties including but not limited to the instructor and sponsoring agency.

1. A. WSU departments or employees offering NC or CEU activities will work through ACE in order to have a centralized schedule and source of information for the public, to have standardized procedures uniform across the university, and to utilize the services provided by ACE. ACE is the WSU department authorized to award CEUs and noncredit clock hours on behalf of the university.

2. ACE will provide the following:

• Consulting (includes assistance on the creation of an estimated budget and a noncredit Term Course Form TCF)

• Building an online registration site

• Recording the data which creates the transcript for CEU or permanent record for all NC registrations

• Record keeping (includes establishing a non-credit (12XXX) cost center)

• Issuing Certificates of Completion, as needed

• Generating a final report and reconciling budgets

3. ACE can provide, upon request and if resources allow, professional expertise in the following:

• Planning (using principles of adult learning, to arrange facilities, schedule events, etc.)

• Promotion (designing brochures or fliers, mailings, ads, etc.)

• Implementation (registering participants, managing third-party payments, confirmation emails, email and phone inquiries, nametags, program schedules, hand-outs, sign-in / out sheets, etc.)

• Evaluation (assistance in designing evaluation forms, summarizing, etc.)

• Follow up (any additional mailings, answering questions, etc.)

4. Contact an ACE NC/CEU coordinator as far in advance as possible. This person will assist you in the necessary steps to set up an activity, begin the process and provide valuable advice and assistance for management of the activity. E-marketing printing, mailing, reservations, etc. often require substantial lead-time. The Program Budget should be completed and signed by all parties prior to the completion of the Term Course Form (TCF). The Term Course Form provides a framework for the various tasks related to the activity and information to build the registration site. The registration site will be reviewed and approved by all parties prior to accepting registrations.

5. When establishing the budget, if at all possible use actual dollar amounts for direct costs for items such as salary, printing, copy machine, travel, breaks/meals, postage, purchase of materials, student help, registration expenses, certificates, rent, consultation, and any other budget items. State accounting regulations must be followed. Indirect costs for the sponsor and ACE should be determined in advance either as a percentage of the anticipated revenue as a management fee, and/or part of the participant fee. Indirect costs should be considered as a part of the total cost of the activity and reflected in the charge for the activity. Costs incurred in activities that are cancelled will be paid as agreed upon by the sponsor and ACE. A record of expenses and income will be maintained by the ACE coordinator and a final report will be available.

6. Work with ACE to plan, publicize, implement and evaluate the activity along appropriate timelines in order to have a successful activity.

Related definitions:

[3-3] Continuing Education Unit (CEU):

One (1) continuing education unit (CEU) is defined as ten (10) contact/clock hours of participation in an organized educational experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction. When it is possible, instructional content in put will be sought from the potential consumers of an activity prior to the time the final learning objectives are established, and in contrast to credit programs where individual participants are evaluated, CEU activities will be evaluated by participants for program relevance and quality, and will bear no relationship to credit units associated with university coursework.

Authorizing Policy:

• 3-3 Non-Credit and Continuing Education Units Policy

History:

Date of Revisions: 8/18/88, 3/16/82, 8/18/88.

Adoption date: 08/18/1988
Implementation date: 05/17/2023