Your ARPAS meter requires 16 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) each year to stay in the black. If it is not fed, the numbers become red and you get a ticket. Every year in January, the ARPAS traffic cops send out a notice to the negligent few who have not fed the meter. This notice is in the form of a letter or e-mail saying, “Earn and report your CEUs or you will be suspended from ARPAS membership.”
We have had a great response from some of our members who had not been diligent in reporting ARPAS CEUs. Our persuasive ultimatum regarding suspension prompted them to report large amounts of heretofore unused CEUs. They are now in full compliance. It can be done.
Earning CEUs each year is an obligation you incurred when you became an ARPAS member and is clearly written in our bylaws:
ARTICLE II. Continuing Education Requirements for Maintenance of Registration.
Section 1. Training. Continual training and education is required of professionals to keep abreast of rapidly changing technology in their field. Therefore, to ensure validity and integrity of registration, each member must submit evidence of continuing education to maintain registration status. Registration will be granted on the basis of the registrant's continuing education activities to maintain professional competency in the specialty area(s) for which the member is registered. Registrants will be expected to participate in conferences, meetings, schools, or programs that contribute to their professional competency. Educational events that may contribute toward registration must be approved by the Examining Board. The Examining Board will establish a list of approved educational events and/or types of events that are held regularly and clearly meet criteria for an appropriate educational experience. A listing of such events will be published in the ARPAS newsletter or circulated among the membership. Other events may be approved by the Examining Board upon request, by submitting a description and agenda to the Business Office.
Section 2. Verification of credits. Verification of continuing education credit normally shall be satisfied by submission of a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Reporting Form. The Examining Board reserves the right to request additional documentation. The continuing education requirements are 16 CEUs per year. One CEU equals one hour of participation in an approved activity. A surplus of CEUs (over 16) in a given year may be carried over to the subsequent year up to a maximum of 16.
Section 3. Maintenance of registration. Upon review, if the minimum credits have been completed for the specialty or specialties for which the member is registered, registration will be granted by the Examining Board. If the minimum CEUs have not been completed, registration of the individual will be revoked until such time as the CEU requirements are satisfied.
It is your responsibility to report your attendance and participation in CEU rewarding events. There are many meetings, seminars, conferences, webinars, and correspondence opportunities available to you each year that can provide the “coinage” to feed this meter. Your reporting may currently be done by mail or online using our Web site www.arpas.org.
A major problem with our system is that many of these events have not been preapproved for ARPAS credit. We can preapprove some major events such as the national meetings, but many of the regional and local meetings must be evaluated on an annual basis. You can help us by reminding those involved in the management of these activities to please submit the agenda to us for evaluation and assignment of ARPAS CEUs. If a meeting you attended was not approved for ARPAS credit, you will be asked to send in a copy of the program for evaluation. It is much more efficient for us and less hassle for you if a meeting is approved for ARPAS credit.
Our goal is to make sure that all members are fully rewarded for participation in events that are worthy of ARPAS credit and to provide a system for reporting those CEUs that provides minimal discomfort to you. Please remember, the responsibility for reporting CEUs belongs to you.