• 5.18.0 Definitions
• 5.18.1 Criteria for Applying the Continuing Education Unit
• 5.18.2 Required Records and Reports
   

Continuing Education programs are offered to enable adults in the region to continue their learning experiences. Programs include both credit and non-credit courses.

Continuing Education is a purposeful and systematic process of lifetime learning for individuals who are not enrolled in a formally structured curriculum. It is implemented by programs to further develop existing knowledge, latent human resources, and new insights and skills.

Continuing Education includes credit courses offered independent of a curriculum to enable individuals to continue their learning experiences and non-credit courses and specialized services provided for the educational needs of the region. These latter services include offerings separate from formalized classroom instruction and may consist of conferences, institutes, workshops, seminars, and special training programs.

In clarification of the above policy, it is noted that courses in the State Curriculum Guide may be offered for credit as continuing education courses. Non-credit courses designed by the College to meet area needs also may be offered as continuing education courses but do not require approval or listing in the State Curriculum Guide.

As required in Section 4.3 of the Criteria for Accreditation, Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, (re: 1992-93 Edition), the continuing education unit (c.e.u.) is to be used as the basic unit of measurement for an individual's participation in, and an institution's offering of non-credit classes, courses, and programs sponsored by Virginia community colleges or the System Office of the VCCS. Appropriate records, as set forth below, must be maintained on all non-credit activities for which c.e.u. credit is awarded.

The following distinction is made between non-credit continuing education activities and community service activities: non-credit activities for which c.e.u. credit is awarded are considered to be continuing education; non-credit activities for which no c.e.u. credit is awarded are considered to be community services.

5.18.0 Definitions

Definitions for Continuing Education programs are as follows:

Continuing Education Unit: The continuing education unit (c.e.u.) is defined as ten (10) contact hours in an organized continuing education (adult or extension) experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction. (A decimal fraction of a unit may be awarded for an offering of shorter duration.)

Full-time Equivalent Continuing Education Student: An annual full-time equivalent continuing education student is defined as forty-five (45) continuing education units.

Conference: A general type of meeting, usually of one or more day's duration, attended by a fairly large number of people. A conference may have a central theme, but is often loosely structured to cover a wide range of topics. The emphasis is on prepared presentations by authoritative speakers, although division into small group sessions for discussion purposes is often a related activity.

Institute: Generally similar to a conference, but more tightly structured to provide a more systematic development of its theme, with the emphasis more on providing instruction in principles and techniques than on general information. Participants are usually individuals who already have some competence in the field of interest. Institute programs may have certain continuity, meeting on a yearly basis for example.

Short Course: A sequential offering, as a rule under a single instructor, meeting on a regular basis for a stipulated number of class sessions over a short period of time (e.g., one to three weeks, etc.). Quizzes and examinations may be given -- depending upon the determination of requirements. The noncredit course under this definition may resemble the credit course in everything but the awarding of credit. It may also be more informal and more flexible in its approach in order to meet the needs of students.

Workshop: Usually meets for a continuous period of time over one or more days. The distinguishing feature of the workshop is that it combines instruction with laboratory or experimental activity for the participants. The emphasis is likely to be on skill training rather than on general principles.

Seminar: A small group of people with the primary emphasis on discussion under a leader or resource person or persons. In continuing higher education a seminar is more likely to be a one-time offering, although it may continue for several days.

Special Training Program: A skill program which offers a combination of instruction and practice. The approach is usually on a more individualized basis than a workshop.

Media Instruction: Media instruction includes any form of instruction offered in special activities through television, radio, computer assisted instruction (CAI), telewriter, telelecture and other forms of media instruction which may develop.


5.18.1 Criteria for Applying the Continuing Education Unit page top

Continuing Education Units are awarded only for educational programs which meet the basic criteria presented below. Programs can be classified in either of the following areas.

Area I: Programs which are wholly structured to provide skills and/or knowledge for occupational improvements in fields, such as:

Agriculture and Food Production
Business and Industry
Clerical Services
Education
Government
Health Services
Law and Law Enforcement
The Professions
Trades and Technologies

Area II: Programs specifically organized to provide help in the solution of problems confronting the State, such as:

Aging
Agriculture and Production
Citizenship
Community Development and Housing
Criminal Justice
Education
Environment
Health and Safety
Human Relations and Communications

Activities classified in the above categories for which Continuing Education Units are to be awarded will meet at least the following standards:

1. The non-credit activity is planned in response to an assessment of educational needs for a specific target population.
2. There is a statement of objectives and rationale.
3. Content is selected and is organized in a sequential manner.
4. There is evidence of pre-planning which should include the opportunity for input by the target group to be served, the faculty having content expertise, and continuing education personnel.
5. The activity is instructional and is approved by an academic or administrative unit of the institution best qualified to affect the quality of the program content and to approve the resource personnel utilized.
6. There is provision for registration for individual participants.
7. Evaluation procedures are utilized, and criteria are established for awarding Continuing Education Units to individual students prior to the beginning of the activity.

5.18.2 Required Records and Reports page top

VHCC is responsible for establishing and maintaining permanent records of Continuing Education Units awarded. These records shall contain at least the following:

For each individual student, a cumulative record showing:

• The name of the student
• Social security number of the student (or other student number assigned by the college)
• Title(s) of course(s)
• Starting and ending dates of activity(s)
• Number of C.E.U.s awarded

For each activity, an activity description showing:

• The title of the activity
• Description of the activity and comparative level
• Starting and ending dates of the activity
• Format of the activity
• Number of C.E.U.'s to be awarded for completion of the activity
• The name of the instructor(s)
• Any cooperating sponsors, companies, associations, agencies, institutions, etc.
• Activity classification, i.e., professional, liberal education, vocational, job entry, in service, etc.
• A roster of participants, showing at least the name and social security number of each participant and whether the participant satisfactorily completed the activity