Continuing Education Policies and Guidelines

The following information is intended for certified individuals. If you are a program provider seeking CE credit recognition for your program, please click here.

More detailed information about continuing education policies and processes can also be found in the Candidate Handbook under the section "Maintaining Certification and Recertification." For questions about continuing education policies, processes, and credits, please email ce@studentaffairscertification.org. 

Types of Programs Eligible for CE Credit

CE credit programs must be approved in advance by the Consortium. Approved programs must include learning outcomes pertaining to the established domains of practice for Student Affairs Educator Certification. The educational content must support learning and development in at least one of the eight domains of practice:

  • Foundations of the Profession
  • Student Learning, Development, and Success
  • Assessment and Evaluation
  • Social Justice and Inclusion
  • Leadership
  • Talent Management
  • Crisis and Risk Management
  • Financial and Facility Management   

The following types of activities may qualify for CE credit:

  • Live in-person educational programs
  • Live virtual educational programs
  • On-demand/pre-recorded programs
  • Hybrid programs

The following types of activities are NOT eligible for CE Credit:

  • Networking events
  • Roundtable discussions
  • General software and technology training courses
  • Sales/marketing programs by student affairs-related vendors
  • Bootcamps and training specifically designed to prepare individuals for the CSAEd™ exams
  • Self-study/reading books or research articles
  • Engaging in research
  • Matriculating through an academic course offered by an institution of higher education
  • Volunteer service

Categories of CE Credits

There are three categories of CSAEd™ CE credits.

  • Core CE Credits: These are CE credits directly related to the domains of the Core Student Affairs Educator Certification and have a general focus; not on one particular functional area.
  • Specialty CE Credits: These are CE credits focused on the domains of Student Affairs Educator Certification as it particularly pertains to one of the six specialty areas. There are six types of specialty CE credits corresponding to the six specialty certifications. A certificant with a specialty certification must complete specialty area continuing education that corresponds to their particular specialty certification in addition to the Core CE requirement. Example: An individual who holds their certification in the Campus Recreation specialty must complete 50 Campus Recreation Specialty CE credits in five years to recertify. This is in addition to the 50 Core Certification CE requirement for the same individual.
  • Social Justice and Inclusion CE Credits: These are CE credits focused on the process, outcomes, and dynamic influence of individual and institutional awareness and action to foster inclusion, create equity, and ensure access grounded in the understanding of systems of oppression and privilege and how they are perpetuated in our practice and communities. A minimum of eight (8) Social Justice and Inclusion CE credits are required as part of the 50 Core Certification CE requirements to recertify.

Finding approved CE programs

The following links will provide an up-to-date listing of approved CE programs offering credit for the maintenance of the corresponding credentials:

You may also search for approved CE programs within the Prolydian portal using the instructions found in this guide.

Submitting completed CE credits online

Certificants must submit completed CE credits through the Prolydian portal. A brief instructional guide to this process can be found here. 

Continuing Education Frequently Asked Questions

What documentation do I need to submit to receive my CE credit?

You will need to upload official documentation to verify your completion of any CE program for which you submit credit. The program provider must provide you with this documentation and it must include a breakdown of how many and what category of CE credits you earned from that program. If you do not receive this documentation from the provider after the program, please reach out to them directly. 

I attended a large program or conference with multiple types of credits offered. How do I submit this?

Some multi-credit programs/large conferences will include credits for multiple categories. For example, a large conference may contain credits in the Core category, the Social Justice & Inclusion category, and in one or more of the specialty categories. Within the Prolydian platform, the program will be listed separately in each of the categories for which it offers credit. If you attended the conference you will need to submit your completion separately for each category of CE you earned through that program. You can find additional details on this process in the Prolydian Guide.

I attended a program/session that counts for two categories of credit. Can I receive credit for both types?

No. Some programs/sessions may qualify for more than one type of CE category. In this case, you will need to select (and the provider must verify in your proof of completion documentation) the single category in which you’d like to apply the credit. Certificants cannot “double dip” and receive dual credit for the same program. 

For example, if a 1.0 credit session was approved for both Social Justice & Inclusion credit and Housing & Residential Life specialty credit, you would need to choose the single category towards which you’d like to apply your completion of that credit.

How do I know how many CE credits I still need to earn to maintain my certification?

Your Prolydian account will show your progress toward recertification for each credential you hold. A guide to tracking this progress is in the Prolydian Guide.

I don’t see a program I am attending listed as an approved program in Prolydian. Can I submit this anyway?

No. Certificants are only able to earn CE credits through pre-approved programs. Please do not submit details for programs that are not listed in Prolydian - these submissions will not be approved. 

The Consortium currently recognizes continuing education programs through an online application and approval process where program providers must submit information about their programs for consideration. We know that because this is a new certification program, not all providers are aware of this opportunity. We are hopeful that as the certification program grows and we can conduct additional outreach, more organizations will apply for CE credit recognition. In the meantime, if you send us the organizer/provider’s contact name/email, we would be happy to reach out and let them know about the opportunity to apply for Consortium CE recognition. Information for CE program providers can be found here on our website as well.