Continuing Education Units
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) provide individuals with recognition for their efforts to update or broaden their knowledge base, skills, or aptitudes.
Records of CEUs awarded provide a framework within which individuals can develop and achieve long-range educational goals through a number of different options at the individuals own pace.
Progress toward such goals is verified and documented by official record of the CEU earned.
What are Continuing Education Units?
The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is defined as participation in a learning experience, which includes:
- a formally organized instructional activity
- responsible sponsorship
- capable direction
- qualified instruction
- one CEU is awarded for every ten contact hours of participation. (1.0 CEU = 10 contact hours exclusive of breaks; 0.4 CEU = 4 contact hours)
- verification of participation (actual contact hours)
- course content which is responsive to learner needs
- evaluation of instructor and course by each participant rather than evaluation of the participant
- a transcript record maintained in perpetuity
The CEU is different from traditional academic credit but provides a standard measure of non-credit learning and is used for record keeping. It is not equated with academic degree credit nor can it be converted to academic credit at a later date.
The CEU is designed as a measurement for life-long learning activities. Increasingly, CEUs are being accepted as evidence of educational attainment by employers, certification and licensing agencies as well as professional organizations.
A record of participation is maintained for all who earn CEUs at Winona State University.
How are CEU activities created?
Any person with knowledge of the educational needs of a group or individuals may originate a CEU activity.
Often, consultation between the client group and the Program Coordinator of the Adult and Continuing Education Department will initiate the creation of a CEU.
In other cases, faculty members who are aware of educational needs in the community may recommend a CEU activity to the Adult and Continuing Education Department.
How are CEU courses taught?
CEU courses may employ various educational formats and media. These formats include but are not limited to:
- workshops
- seminars
- symposiums
- conferences
- traditional face-to-face classes
- short courses
- teleconferences
- independent study
- in-house training
CEU activities may be taught by any person qualified to meet the needs of a specific client group. For that reason, recommendations by the client group are encouraged.
Some CEU activities will be taught by WSU faculty, some by community resource persons and others by visiting experts.
Is there funding available for CEU activities?
All CEU activities are self-supporting. Client groups can minimize the cost by helping to provide resource personnel to teach or assist in teaching, by making needed supplies available, by providing instructional materials or by offering meeting space.
How do I obtain a record of my CEU participation?
Verification of participation documentation will be provided on request by the Adult and Continuing Education Department.
Transcripts may be obtained upon request by contacting the Registrar's Office, Maxwell Hall, Warrior Hub, 507.457.5030. Participants must state that a transcript of CEU activities is desired.
The Registrars transcript fee policy applies to both credit courses and CEU activities.
Continuing Education Unit and Non-Credit Registration Form (PDF)
