Earning Professional Development Units (PDUs)
"Earning Acceptable PDUs is Easier Than You Think!"
Cynthia M. Smith
Former Chair, Council for Certification
The Council for Certification is committed to the continued
growth and development of the AAFCS Certification Program.
As such, one of the primary outcomes established for 2000
is to increase the number of professionals Certified in Family
and Consumer Sciences through planned marketing efforts to
retain, reclaim, and recruit program participants.
The Council is proud that historically (over the last 10
years) approximately one-third of the AAFCS members have
maintained their certification, as compared to 10% of members
in most other certification programs nationwide. On an average,
over the last 5 years, the AAFCS Certification Program has
retained 90% of its professional participants. However, the
90% retention rate is slowly dwindling, and for a variety
of reasons, including retirements, low number of new participants,
and yearly lapses leading to revocations.
When revocation letters are mailed from the Office of Certification,
surveys are mailed with each in an attempt to understand
the reason(s) precipitating the lapse in certification. Invariably,
of those returning the survey, one of the prevalent reasons
given includes "the inability to earn the required PDUs" because
of time constraints or lack of professional development opportunities
in the area.
Certified professionals, earning 75 PDUs over a 3-year period
is quite easy. Realizing the different backgrounds, locations,
and involvements of the potential pool of certified professionals,
a myriad of acceptable avenues were outlined early in the
development of the program to ensure that CFCS professionals
would be able to maintain their certification status... easily.
So, why are some finding it difficult to earn
the required PDUs? Perhaps, it is because many may not be
aware of the variety of acceptable activities through which
PDUs can be earned. Are you aware that PDUs can be earned
for academic courses, competitive educational fellowships,
continuing education, design competitions, educational travel,
juried exhibitions, exhibits, professional meetings/in-service
programs/workshops, poster sessions and curriculum showcases,
post baccalaureate internships, all sorts of publications,
and preapproved (by the Office of Certification) self studies?
Details concerning each of these ways of earning PDUs are
outlined at length in the CFCS publication, Maintaining Certification.
The information following is a simple summary of the details
elaborated on in the publication.
| For
a complete list of PDU opportunities please click
here. |
As revealed by this listing, earning acceptable
PDUs is easier than you think! As active professionals serving
individuals and families from many perspectives, the array
of acceptable activities indeed provide for individualization
and breadth consistent with the mission of Family and Consumer
Sciences. Review the acceptable activities.
Earning Professional Development Units
Acceptable activities for earning PDUs include the following:
- ACADEMIC COURSES
- COMPETITIVE EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
- CONTINUING EDUCATION
- DESIGN COMPETITIONS
- EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL
- EXHIBITIONS
- EXHIBITS
- LEADERSHIP
- PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS, IN-SERVICE PROGRAMS,
AND WORKSHOPS
- POSTER SESSIONS AND CURRICULUM SHOWCASES
- POST- BACCALAUREATE INTERNSHIPS
- PUBLICATIONS
- BOOKS
- JOURNAL ARTICLES
- RESEARCH ARTICLES
- EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
- COMPUTER PROGRAMS/SOFTWARE
- TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS
- ABSTRACTS
- INFORMATIONAL ARTICLES
- BOOK REVIEWS
SAMPLE PDU ACTIVITIES
Workshops
|
06/15/06-06/18/06
|
American Dietetics
Association
Infant Nutrition
|
5.0
|
Presentations
|
10/17/06
|
Marshall County
Teachers Association
Presenter: Effective Classroom Management
|
4.0
|
Self-Studies
|
08/01/06-08/28/06
|
Nutrition Dimensions
Self-Study: Diet, Emotions & Behavior
|
7.0
|
Publications
|
9/01/06
|
National Council
of Family Relations,
Journal of Marriage and the Family, Fall edition
Co-author - Research Article - "The Changing Family"
|
5.0
|
10/15/06
|
The Orlando Sentinel
Single Author - Informational Article - "Financial
Considerations When Purchasing a New Home"
|
2.0
|
06/1/07
|
The Berkeley Publishing
Group
Single Author: Raising a Teenager in Uncertain Times
|
45.0
|
Academic Courses
|
09/04/06-12/15/06
|
Green University
Computer Technology and Applications
|
45.0
|
Design Competitions
|
05/16/06
|
International Textile
and Apparel Association
2nd place - Design Competition - "Sleepwear for
Physically Challenged Infants"
|
|
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