CEA Tutorial Section 1: Overview of ASHA CE

This section provides a short introduction to ASHA and ASHA Continuing Education (CE).

Resources

What is ASHA?
What is the ASHA CE Program?
What is the Continuing Education Board (CEB)?
What are the requirements of the CEB for ASHA Approved CE Providers?
Who can offer courses for ASHA CEUs?
What course content is appropriate for ASHA CEUs?
What is the ASHA CE Registry?
Who is eligible to use the CE Registry?
Who can earn ASHA CEUs?
What is my role in determining eligibility to earn ASHA CEUs?
What are the steps for changing ASHA Approved CE personnel?
Who are my contacts at ASHA CE?
How will ASHA CE communicate with me?

What is ASHA?

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 234,000 members, certificate holders, and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students.

What is the ASHA CE Program?

The ASHA CE Program:

Approves Providers who offer CE courses
Assists Providers in planning and offering courses for ASHA CEUs
Registers Providers' courses
Awards ASHA CEUs
Recognizes CE participation with the ACE (Award for Continuing Education)

See the ASHA CE Data Report [PDF] for further information on ASHA CEU courses, offerings and participants from 2016–2018.

What is the Continuing Education Board (CEB)?

The CEB:

Develops and approves standards for ASHA's Continuing Education Program related to provider approval and provider course development and implementation;
Oversees the review, approval, and periodic re-approval of Providers of continuing education courses offered for ASHA CEUs;
Oversees the review, approval, and registration of Providers' courses offered for ASHA CEUs;
Formulates policies and procedures for the functions of the ASHA CE Registry; and
Sets requirements for the Award for Continuing Education.

What are the requirements of the CEB for ASHA Approved CE Providers?

Initial provider approval was based on your organization's agreement to meet and maintain the CE Provider Approval Requirements [PDF] developed by the ASHA CE Board. The CE Administrator must read the CEB manual and become familiar with the CEB Requirements. It is your responsibility as the CE Administrator to meet these requirements and follow the policies and procedures that are described in the CEB Manual (see Requirement 2). After reading the sections of the CE Administrator Tutorial each new CE Administrator is required to successfully complete the Tutorial Quizzes and the CE Administrator Orientation. Please see the roles and responsibilities of a CE Administrator (CEA) and CE Content Consultant outlined in the CEA job description and CE Content Consultant Job Description.

Who can offer courses for ASHA CEUs?

Only those organizations, such as yours, that have been approved by the Continuing Education Board (CEB) may offer courses for ASHA CEUs. These organizations are designated as ASHA Approved CE Providers. Currently, there are more than 540 such organizations.

ASHA's CEB approves organizations to offer ASHA CEUs based on the information provided in the ASHA Approved CE Provider application. Providers are required to report to ASHA CE within 30 days any organization, name, or ownership changes and/or changes in the role and responsibilities of the CE unit. (See CEB Manual, Requirement 1). There is a change of organization form that can be used for this purpose.

You can promote your organization's status as an ASHA Approved CE Provider with the Insignia image. See these guidelines on how to acquire an Insignia image and use it properly [PDF].

Please note that your organization, as an ASHA CE Provider, does not award ASHA CEUs. The CEB awards ASHA CEUs upon receipt of participant reporting from you.

What course content is appropriate for ASHA CEUs?

Only courses, or sessions within courses, related to one or more of the following:

Sciences as they pertain to speech-language pathology
Sciences as they pertain to audiology
Speech/language/hearing sciences
Contemporary practice of speech-language pathology
Contemporary practice of audiology

What is the ASHA CE Registry?

The ASHA CE Registry is the only service that tracks ASHA CEUs. ASHA CEUs earned are recorded on a transcript that lists all of the continuing education courses the participant has taken through ASHA's network of Approved Continuing Education Providers.

The ASHA CE Registry functions much like a college registrar. In addition to maintaining a permanent, cumulative record of courses and ASHA CEUs, the Registry issues official transcripts upon request. The CE Registry is open to ASHA/NSSLHA members, those who are ASHA certified, and other eligible individuals.

Who is eligible to use the CE Registry?

In order to be eligible to earn ASHA CEUs, the participant must meet at least one of the ASHA CEU eligibility criteria.

Who can earn ASHA CEUs?

ASHA CEUs are awarded only to eligible participants who are members of the CE Registry and pay the annual CE Registry fee. (The annual fee is $28 for members and $38 for nonmembers.)

What is my role in determining eligibility to earn ASHA CEUs?

Please communicate eligibility criteria to your course attendees. We encourage you to post ASHA CEU eligibility criteria on your website, in promotional materials, and at your live events. Please do not submit to the ASHA CE Registry information for individuals who are not eligible to earn ASHA CEUs.

If an attendee is not an ASHA member or CCC holder but meets any one of the other criteria, they may provide their eligibility by completing the Eligibility web form on our website. If your organization reports through the CE Provider Portal using our Excel Reporting Template or electronically submits participant reporting, please submit reporting for all eligible participants and direct attendees who are not an ASHA member or CCC holder but meet any one of the other criteria to complete the eligibility web form.

What are the steps for changing ASHA CE Provider personnel?

A request to change the personnel assigned as CE Administrator or CE Content Consultant should be sent to ASHA CE as soon as possible to maintain continuity and continue your active status as a CE Provider. ASHA provides online forms for you to use to notify us. If contact information for you, the CE Content Consultant, or Supervisor/Alternate Contact changes, please use the appropriate form to notify us.

Who are my contacts at ASHA CE?

You have been assigned a provider manager and an account manager who are your contacts at ASHA CE. They will work closely with you to ensure that communications are timely and accurate and that all of your questions are answered. You are the sole contact person for your organization.

CEA Carmen asks: How will ASHA CE communicate with me?

Policies and procedures evolve over time. We have set up several ways to communicate any changes, clarifications, or new information:

CE Provider section of the ASHA website: a one-stop shop for forms, procedures, and resources
Intersections: an electronic newsletter published quarterly and e-mailed directly to you
E-mail: messages with time-sensitive information: course registration confirmations, rosters of course completion information
Mailings: important documents that require signatures
CE Provider Community site: a CE Provider-only forum where you can ask questions of fellow CE Administrators and Consultants—posts are automatically e-mailed to you from ASHA