I. Authorization
The Department of Educational Outreach has the authority to award Continuing Education
Credit for non-credit programs.
II. Definition of Continuing Education Unit
A. The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a unit that certifies participation in non-
credit continuing education programs.
B. One Continuing Education Unit is defined as ten contact hours (one contact hour being
equal to 60 minutes of instruction) of participation in an approved and organized
continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction,
and qualified instruction. When appropriate, a decimal fractional part of a Continuing
Education Unit may be awarded but not less than 0.1 CEU per program.
III. Program Qualification
Non-credit programs for which individuals may be awarded Continuing Education Units
shall satisfy the following criteria:
A. The program shall be planned to meet the educational needs of a specific target population
of professionally trained individuals.
B. The following program elements shall be determined during the planning stages and
prior to the time the program is approved for implementation: program purposes and
objectives; student performance requirements; evaluation procedures suitable for measuring
the effectiveness of program design and operation; and the number of contact hours
to be recommended for satisfactory completion of performance requirements.
C. The program shall be of an instructional nature sponsored or approved by an academic
unit of the campus most appropriate for determining the quality of program content
and resource personnel.
D. Provisions made for student registration shall include the gathering of sufficient
information from the student to ensure a permanent record of individual participation.
IV. Program Review and Approval Procedure
A. Program review and approval shall be the responsibility of the Department of Educational
Outreach. The most appropriate academic unit shall recommend to the Department of
Educational Outreach whether CEUs are to be awarded for a program, after determining
that the program meets the criteria outlined in Section III. The review and approval
shall be consistent with procedures utilized in connection with other non-credit programs
sponsored by the college.
B. Upon receiving the approved program, the Director of Educational Outreach will review
the proposed program to determine compliance with CEU policy.
C. Programs must be submitted for review and approval no later than two weeks prior
to the program start date. A decision to award the CEUs cannot be made after the program has been offered.
V. Administration
A. At Coahoma Community College, the administrative responsibility for all programs
awarding CEUs shall rest with the Department of Educational Outreach.
B. The Department of Educational Outreach shall maintain records of all CEUs awarded
no less than seven (7) years, along with a complete listing of all approved CEU programs.
The form and content of these records should be consistent with nationally recognized
standards for the maintenance of Continuing Education Unit records for students and
programs. Procedures for recording CEUs shall be established by the Office of Academic
Affairs/Chief Academic Office and the Department of Educational Outreach at Coahoma
Community College.
VI. Calculating CEUs
A. In computing the number of Continuing Education Units to be awarded, only the number
of complete instructional hours, or the equivalent, shall be considered (for example,
a program involving 15, 15.25, or 15.5 contact hours would award a maximum of 1.5
CEU). Approval procedures for “equivalent" activities shall be the same as procedures
for program approval. CEUs may be awarded for up to a maximum of 10 hours of instruction
per day, assuming that students have no work commitment during the day, and for up
to a maximum of 5 hours per day, after working hours.
B. Calculations of contact hours involved in a continuing education experience may include
the following elements:
- Classroom or meeting session time with direct participation between the learner and
instructor or discussion leader.
- Field trips (minus travel and other administrative time) and other experiential course
activities may be awarded CEUs, but only on a basis of at least two experiential hours
required for each contact hour of instruction.
C. Following are activities for which CEUs may not be awarded:
- Credit programs carrying academic credit, either secondary or collegiate.
- Orientation programs that deal with such internal topics.
- Committee meetings or other business activities.
- Policy assignments, conferences, delegate assemblies, or similar meetings for policy-making
purposes.
- Attendance at entertainment or recreational lecture series, cultural performances,
and social activities.
- Work experience, on-the-job training or apprenticeships do not qualify for the award
of CEUs, unless structured as part of a planned educational experience that fulfills
these program criteria.
- Study, assigned readings, reports, written assignments, and other related activities
outside of the class or meeting schedule.
VII. Procedure for Awarding of CEUs
At the completion of the program, the instructor must submit acomplete packet of the information listed below. All incomplete packets will be returned to the program director/instructor. All material must be submitted to the Department
of Educational Outreach within five business days of the non-credit program’s conclusion.
A. A completed Participant Application for CEU Credit.
B. A typed alphabetized Attendance Verification Roster to include activity title,location, date of activity, name of program director, name of instructor and number of CEUs to be awarded. The roster should include every participant's name. The roster must be signed by
the instructor that attendees met the minimum requirements for satisfactorily completing
the program.
C.Program Evaluation Forms
D. Daily Sign-in Forms
VIII. CEU Fees
A. All fees for Continuing Education Units shall be determined by the Department of
Educational Outreach.
B.The fee for Continuing Education Units is $15.00 dollars per certificate.
C.The fee for a duplicate Continuing Education Units certificate is $15.00.