CEUs & Transcripts for Non-Credit Courses

The Lifelong Learning office maintains a permanent record of participation in offerings approved for WKU CEUs and can provide official transcripts to you or your employer. Requests for Lifelong Learning (non-credit classes) transcripts must be made by the participant/student to ensure compliance with FERPA.

Note: Transcripts showing coursework that counts toward a university degree or for coursework completed by students officially admitted to the university must be requested from the WKU Office of the Registrar. 

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There is a $3 charge per transcript. To request a transcript, please complete form below:

• Transcript Request Form 

Then send it, along with a check or money order (made payable to Western Kentucky University), to:

• CEU Administrator/Lifelong Learning
  WKU Continuing & Professional Development
  Knicely Conference Center 123
  2355 Nashville Road
  Bowling Green, KY 42101

Questions can be directed to:
(270) 745-1912 or LL@wku.edu

The criteria for determining if Continuing Education Units can be granted by an institution are prescribed by the Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. These criteria are officially administered at Western Kentucky University by the Lifelong Learning office, in cooperation with Western Kentucky University academic departments.

The purpose of the oversight of the CEU process by the Lifelong Learning office is to ensure consistency for the granting of Continuing Education Units across all departments of the university. Please use the below information to plan any continuing education activity that may involve the granting of CEUs. Please note that no CEUs will be awarded if all guidelines are not followed in order to maintain the credibility of the program.

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Criteria for Official CEU Programs:

Needs Identification
The non-credit program is planned in response to the identified needs of a target audience. The topic should have relevance to the learners, educational goals and/or job requirements.

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Planning

There should be evidence of pre-planning that includes participation by the representatives of the target group to be served and the faculty/presenter having the content expertise. IT is suggested that a representative from Lifelong Learning be included in the pre-planning phase to assist with the logistical aspects of the activity.

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Determining the Number of CEUs

The number of contact hours of instruction and appropriate CEUs to be awarded are determined prior to conducting a learning experience. Proposed programs with less than ten hours of instruction (1.0 CEU) should be carefully considered against the required criteria to ensure that sufficient time is available to build a measurable competency that can be considered a significant continuing education experience.
To maintain accuracy and consistency, final determination of the number of CEUs rests with the designated department for administering the Institution’s CEU system. At Western Kentucky University, Lifelong Learning is responsible for oversight of all official CEU programs.

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Learning Outcomes

The program materials have clear and concise written statements of intended learning outcomes. Determination is made through what skills, knowledge and/or attitudes the learner can demonstrate at the conclusion of the program. These outcomes should be listed in the promotional materials.

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Providers of the Instruction

The instructional staff for the program should have the following qualifications:
• Competence in the subject matter.
• Understanding of the purposes and intended learning outcomes of the continuing education activity.
• Knowledge and skills in the instructional methodologies to be used.
• Ability to communicate the educational content to the participants at the appropriate level of understanding.

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Program Structure

The content and instructional methodologies are consistent with the stated learning outcomes, sequenced from basic to advanced levels to facilitate learning and structured to permit opportunities for the learner to participate and receive feedback.

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Assessment for Satisfactory Completion

The requirements for satisfactory completion of the program and awarding of the CEU are established prior to the offering of the program by the mutual agreement of the course or event coordinator, the instructor and Lifelong Learning. The requirements should be based on either the ability of the participants to demonstrate what they have learned, predetermined levels of attendance at sessions or a combination of performance and attendance.
Performance-based achievements should be based on a match with the intended learning outcomes. Formal results should be reported and maintained on the CEU transcript.

Currently, assessment may take several forms:

• Performance demonstrations under real or simulated conditions
  
• Written or oral exams
  
• Written reports
  
• Completion of reports or projects
  
• Self-assessment
  
• Standardized examinations
  
• Attendance *
  

*When used, attendance-based achievements should be set at a high level(a minimum of 90%) and must be documented by attendance rosters or sign-in sheets. Copies of attendance rosters must be furnished to Lifelong Learning.

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Evaluation of the Program

There is a distinction between assessment and evaluation. Assessment refers to the measurement of individual learning outcomes based on the objectives. Evaluation refers to the measure of the quality of the program and the continuing education experience as a whole. A standardized evaluation from can be provided by Lifelong Learning with an opportunity for the sponsoring organization to add additional questions, if desired.

1. Consider contacting the CEU Administrator/Lifelong Learning to discuss the request process at LL@wku.edu
   
   
2. Complete the WKU CEU Request Packet including:
   • Checklist for CEU Course Offerings
   • Course Proposal Form
   • List of Learning Objectives and their Outcomes
   • A Blank Course Evaluation Form
   • Estimated Number of Participants
   • Itinerary or Agenda of Event(s) (that includes times and dates)
     
     
3. Submit the packet to Lifelong Learning at least one month before the offering will occur or will be advertised- whichever is earlier. This will allow time for any changes or clarifications.
   
   
4. A signed copy of the packet will be returned to you approving the program as a WKU CEU activity. Individual participant CEU request forms are provided by Lifelong Learning. DO NOT alter the forms in any way.
   
   
5. At the conclusion of the program, the following items must be returned to Lifelong Learning no later than two (2) weeks after program completion:
   • a. All completed participant CEU request forms, in alphabetical order.
   • b. A roster with the session title at the top, session date below the title, a numbered alphabetical list of all persons requesting CEUs, and the signature of the program coordinator.
   • c. Any other information or documents- such as attendance records or confirmation that the participant passed the assessment- designated in the approved packet.
   • d. Copies of participant certificates not produced by Lifelong Learning. See #7, below.
     
     
6. The cost of the WKU CEU registration charged by Lifelong Learning is $15.00 per person/per approved offering for domestic programs and $25.00 per person/per approved offering for international programs. This fee is for the processing of CEU requests and maintenance of the student’s file with Western Kentucky University.
   
   
7. CEU certificates for participants will be returned to the offering organizer for distribution. Organizations or departments wishing to use their own certificates may do so as long as an approved copy is kept on file in the Lifelong Learning office for audit purposes. If the Department/Sponsor would like additional services, such as mailing certificates individually, an additional fee of $2.00 - $5.00 may be added to the initial cost.

In some cases, industry-specific CEU credit is desired. For example, this would be helpful assisting participants to maintain a credential that requires pre-approved continuing education.

The process of securing CEU credit varies from organization to organization, but often has underlying similarities. Lifelong Learning can help with this process. Contact us at LL@wku.edu.