Accredited Providers from the International Association for Continuing Education & Training (IACET) such as Business U; Harvard Graduate School of Education-Professional Education; NASA Safety Center; American Heart Association; and the Department of Veterans Affairs are the only organizations approved to offer IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that are recognized, accepted, and even required by many state agencies and credentialing organizations. Additionally, IACET accredited organizations meet requirements by more than half of the U.S. engineering licensing boards.
Not all Continuing Education Units are created equal. The term "CEU" is in the public domain. It is used by many organizations for their continuing education or professional training hours. However, these are not true IACET CEUs, the original creator of the CEU.
In 2015, Business U achieved and maintains in good standing accreditation by IACET, the highest level of accreditation for continuing education and training that awards CEUs. IACET is the preeminent leader in developing standards to advance and promote professional development programs that have undergone a peer-based accreditation process. Only organizations such as Business U and those mentioned above are awarded IACET accreditation that are found to be in compliance with the IACET/ANSI Standard.
In 2020, Business U was awarded reaccreditation from IACET for an additional five years. As an Accredited Provider, Business U joins an elite and global group of professional development training organizations and educators dedicated to excellence in continuing education and training. Our accreditation status is a symbol to our customers that Business U is committed to providing the highest quality in program development, delivery, and facilitation; and that it has demonstrated its commitment by measuring up to the IACET Standard.
Business U’s training philosophy serves to underpin its instructional methods, facilitation activities and the technical assistance and coaching we provide. Our accreditation status allows us to continue to set the gold standard for third-party validated learning outcomes and program design. And when your organization hires and partners with Business U to provide professional development training you will know that:
Business U has met a rigorous standard of excellence to design and deliver professional development programs.
Business U has dedicated resources to provide applicable and meaningful training.
Business U has demonstrated the ability to comply with all required categories as listed below to meet the ANSI/IACET Standard.
According to IACET, any organization can host a learning event, but it takes true commitment to become an accredited provider of IACET Continuing Education Units. IACET accredited organizations such as Business U tells the world:
Business U has committed to a rigorous accreditation application and review process, involving extensive hands-on evaluation and verification.
Business U’s policies and processes have been thoroughly benchmarked against the ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training.
Business U engaged the expertise of instructional professionals to develop the gold standard in training programs.
When a customer or learner makes a choice between two providers for training, if one provider has accreditation and the other does not and all other things are equal, who has the competitive advantage? Business U. Because in almost all circumstances, the provider who has accreditation by a reputable third-party has the advantage.
To receive accreditation from IACET, Business U had to undergo a rigorous 18-month process that measures and demonstrates expertise and sustainability across the following nine categories using the ANSI/IACET Standard to assure quality programming.
Planning & Instructional Personnel
Learning Environment & Support System
Program Evaluation
Content & Instructional Methods
Assessment Of Learning Outcomes
Continuing Education & Training Organization
Fiscal Control & Responsibility
Learning Event Planning
Maintain & Secure Data Records
What Is Third-Party Validation?
Third-party validation is an intensive process that requires ongoing dedication of the organization to maintain its accreditation status. There is a rigorous application requirement; documentation of evidence in meeting standards; and a continuous improvement process that must be adhered to. Organizations seeking accreditation require a site visit from the accreditor to validate that all standards are being met.
As an organization that strives for the gold standard in professional development, Business U has taken notice of how vendors market their professional development training programs, which has prompted us to provide you with information to fact check training organizations.
Below is a quick guide to help you differentiate key professional development industry terms to ask training providers before hiring them to train you and/or your staff, and as importantly, invest in their programs.
Accreditation (vetted by an impartial third-party) is validation awarded to an organization that has achieved a particular status by meeting standards set by external regulators. The participant receiving a certification that is accredited has demonstrated that she, he, or they have achieved the learning outcomes by mastering the knowledge and skills outlined in the program. The certification has been vetted by an impartial third-party to provide assurance that the awarding of a “certification” is only granted to the training organization by passing a rigorous peer review process. It is also proof that the learning outcomes have been developed using a proven instructional design methodology and bench-marked against industry best practices.
Professional Certification (not accredited or validated by an impartial third-party) is the culmination of a training program that states the participate who completed the program now has the knowledge and skills to perform a specific job and/or a combination of job duties.
Third-Party Validated Certificate Program is a training program about a topic for which participants receive a certificate after completing the course and passing an assessment instrument. This is not to be confused with the commonly used "certificate of attendance" or “certificate” given at the completion of many continuing education courses to validate attendance.
To verify the quality of the accrediting and/or certifying body, make sure to ask the training vendor if the certificate is attached to continuing education units? Not all CEUs are the same, this Article explains why.
To learn more about Business U’s accredited professional development programs, Click Here.