CEUs for Conference Tutorials/Seminars

by Thomas G. Habetler,

Educational Activities Chair

The Power Electronics Society may now apply to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for short courses, tutorials, professional seminars and workshops. The IEEE has been authorized to offer CEUs by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

The CEU can be a valuable incentive to potential attendees at our tutorial offerings. Given the current trend of state-mandated continuing education for licensed professionals, the CEU, which equals 10 Professional Development Hours (PDHs), provides a strong incentive for those wishing to document professional development activities. Conference chairs are strongly encouraged to see that the application process is completed for awarding CEUs for the tutorials associated with PELS conferences and workshops.

The CEU is customarily used to measure attendance in continuing education courses. One CEU equals 10 contact hours (60 minutes per hour) of instruction in a continuing education activity, as defined by IACET. Any activity less than one hour in duration is not eligible for CEUs.

As an authorized CEU sponsor member, IEEE has adopted IACET guidelines and criteria for all of its continuing professional development programs. Any IEEE entity wishing to offer CEUs must abide by IACET guidelines. The IEEE Educational Activities Board is responsible for assuring compliance with these guidelines. A detailed copy of these guidelines can be obtained from the Educational Activities Board, or from me.

Since IEEE has joined IACET as an authorized CEU sponsor member, PELS conferences are entitled to place the IACET logo, with the following statement, on any materials promoting the educational activity:

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., is an Authorized CEU Sponsor Member of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training.

By placing this statement on promotional materials, the IEEE pledges to follow IACET guidelines. In order to ensure that PELS activities comply with the IACET guidelines, IEEE requires an application process. To this end, conference chairs are requested to have a suitable conference representative (typically the Tutorial Chair), forward a completed IEEE CEU request form to IEEE Educational Activities, indicating an intention to offer CEUs. This must be done one month prior to publication of any advertising material such as the advance program. Request forms may be obtained from me.

Staff at IEEE Educational Activities may consult with you by telephone or electronic mail to make sure that the design of your program falls within IACET guidelines.

Once you receive approval from Educational Activities, you will be sent the IACET camera-ready logo, which may be used in publicity.

IEEE Educational Activities has established a CEU registry. The standard fee for processing CEU certificates and for maintaining records is $5 per individual registrant. Following the tutorial, a conference representative should submit a list of attendees (complete names and addresses) together with the fee payment. IEEE will then maintain records for the individual attendees and provide a certificate to the attendees awarding them the appropriate CEUs.

If you have any questions concerning this procedure please feel free to contact me at Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA, TEL +1-404-894-9828, FAX +1-404-894-4641, e-mail thabetler@ee. gatech.edu.

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