NASPA as a Continuing Education Provider

NASPA is an approved continuing education provider for multiple organizations that oversee various professional credentials. Individuals who hold these credentials may obtain continuing education credit for their participation in relevant NASPA professional development opportunities. These credits contribute to the continuing education requirements for the ongoing maintenance or renewal of an individual’s credential.

This includes the Certified Student Affairs Educator (CSAEd™) credential earned through the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification. NASPA is also a continuing education provider for multiple credentials in the field of counseling and mental health.

Learn more about these continuing education opportunities below.

Counseling and Mental Health Continuing Education

NASPA is approved as a continuing education provider for several organizations that focus on counseling and mental health. The NASPA Strategies Conferences offer the most opportunities for continuing education credit in this topic area. Held annually in January, the Strategies Conferences focus on alcohol, other drug, and violence prevention; mental health; peer education; sexual violence prevention and response; and well-being and health promotion leadership. 

National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

NASPA has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5120. 

NBCC credit is offered at many NASPA conferences, including the NASPA Strategies Conferences, the NASPA Annual Conference, the NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education, and more. Programs that offer continuing educatino for NBCC must be relevant to the continuing education of professional counselors; NASPA is only authorized to offer clock hours for programs that are consistent with the NBCC Continuing Education Provider Policy.

View a list of all upcoming events here. Detailed continuing education information may be found on individual event pages.

National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC)

NASPA is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. The NASPA Strategies Conference offers Category 1 continuing education contact hours for both Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES). All eligible programs must relate directly to one of the NCHEC Areas of Responsibility and Competencies for Health Education Specialists.

The NASPA Strategies Conferences and several Peer Education Initiatives webinars for advisors are currently the only events that offer continuing education for CHES/MCHES. Credits for NCHEC are reported to the agency and uploaded to certificant dashboards only once per quarter.

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

NASPA applies annually for approval from NASW to offer continuing education credit for social workers at the NASPA Strategies Conferences. To check the approval status of the upcoming Strategies Conferences, visit the event website.

The NASPA Strategies Conferences are currently the only events that offer continuing education for social workers.

American Psychological Association (APA)

NASPA thanks the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) for sponsoring continuing education for psychologists at the NASPA Strategies Conferences. AUCCCD is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. AUCCCD maintains responsibility for the program and its contents. 

The NASPA Strategies Conferences are currently the only events that offer continuing education for psychologists.

AUCCCD is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. AUCCCD will comply with all legal and ethical responsibilities to be non-discriminatory in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of program participants.

APA and AUCCCD Grievance Procedure

While AUCCCD and NASPA go to great lengths to assure fair treatment for all participants and make attempts to anticipate problems, there will be occasional issues which come to the attention of the educational programs staff which require intervention and/or action on the part of the staff. This procedural description serves as a guideline for handling such grievances.

When a participant, either orally or in written format, files a grievance and expects action on the complaint, the following actions will be taken.

  1. If the grievance concerns a speaker, the content presented by the speaker, or the style of presentation, the individual filing the grievance will be asked to put his/her comments in written format. The comments will then be passed along to the speaker, assuring the confidentiality of the grieved individual.
  2. If the grievance concerns a workshop offering, its content, level of presentation, or the facilities in which the workshop was offered, the program coordinator will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the program coordinator will:
  • a) attempt to move the participant to another workshop or
  • b) provide a credit for a subsequent year's workshop or
  • c) provide a partial or full refund of the workshop fee.

Actions 2b and 2c will require a written note, documenting the grievance, for record keeping purposes. The note need not be signed by the grieved individual.

  1.     If the grievance concerns AUCCCD CE program, in a specific regard, the CE coordinator will attempt to arbitrate.

Applying for Continuing Education

The process for obtaining continuing education credit varies based on the type of credit needed. In general, there is a two-step process:

  1. Complete a clock hour monitoring form with details about the program(s) and session(s) attended
  2. Complete the online conference evaluation (not required for APA or general certificates of attendance)

Credit can only be issued after the conclusion of an event and the above required documents must be submitted no later than 4 weeks after the event end date. Upon completion of these steps, NASPA will provide a PDF certificate of completion which may be used to document continuing education hours. Please allow up to two weeks for the processing of your certificate.

Reporting forms and more detailed instructions for the different continuing education types may be found on the event pages for which those credit types are offered. Instructions and links to download forms are also included in the event mobile app and program book. 

More Information

A list of all upcoming NASPA conferences and other professional development opportunities is available here. Detailed continuing education information may be found on individual event pages.

For questions or assistance with continuing education, please email [email protected] 

Certified Student Affairs Educator (CSAEd) Continuing Education

NASPA, in partnership with ACUHO-I, ACUI, AFA, ASCA, NACA, and NIRSA, led the development of Student Affairs Educator Certification, including the core exam and six Specialty exams. The CSAEd designation signifies continuous learning, knowledge, and competency in the certification domain areas of foundations of the profession; student learning, development, and success; assessment and evaluation; social justice and inclusion; leadership; talent management; crisis and risk management; and financial and facility management.

This credential is intended for mid-level educators and above. Individuals are certified after passing an initial exam, with continuing education hours required to maintain certification. 

Learn more about Student Affairs Educator Certification here, and visit the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification website for more details on core and specialty certifications.

Exam Preparation

Student affairs educators must pass the core exam in order to be certified. NASPA has a growing library of exam preparation resources available here. Once the core exam has been completed, participants can elect to take any of the six specialty exams.

Continuing Education

NASPA has been approved by the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification to provide CE credit for Certified Student Affairs Educators (CSAEd). For individuals who already hold the CSAEd credential, learn more about maintaining your certification here.

A list of all upcoming NASPA conferences and other professional development opportunities is available here. Detailed continuing education information may be found on individual event pages.

Applying for Continuing Education

There is a two-step process to obtain CSAEd continuing education credit:

  1. Complete an online reporting form with details about the program(s) attended and credit type(s) needed 
  2. Complete the online conference evaluation 

Upon completion of these steps, NASPA will provide a certificate of completion which must be uploaded to the Consortium’s continuing education portal. The certificate is provided via email as a PDF.

More detailed instructions may be found on the event pages for which CSAEd credit is offered. Instructions and the link to the online reporting form are also included in the event mobile app and program book.

Resources from Partner Associations

The Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification was established through the collaborative efforts of student affairs professional associations. Additional resources for exam preparation and continuing education opportunities, with additional information on each of the Specialty certifications, are available from the six partner associations:


ACUHO-I - Association of College and University Housing Officers - International 


ACUI - Advancing Campus Community


AFA - Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors 


ASCA - Association for Student Conduct Administration 


NACA - National Association for Campus Activities 


NIRSA - Leaders in Collegiate Recreation

 

More Information

For questions or assistance with continuing education, please email [email protected] 

NASPA Certificate of Attendance

NASPA is also able to provide a general certificate of attendance, which attendees may utilize to document their professional development hours with an organization beyond those for which NASPA is an official continuing education provider. Upon completion of a request form, NASPA will provide a certificate of completion which may be used to document continuing education hours. The certificate is provided via email as a PDF.

A list of all upcoming NASPA conferences and other professional development opportunities is available here. The request form for the NASPA certificate of attendance may be found on individual event pages or within the event mobile app.

For questions or assistance, please email [email protected]