Re: Seeking feedback on IAAP certification roadmap

Good questions.

*Accreditation vs "authorized provider" of CEUs: *

Accreditation is a term usually reserved for educational bodies like
colleges and universities. The IAAP would not fall under the jurisdiction
of higher education accrediting bodies, and in fact would not be eligible
for accreditation from most accrediting bodies, because the IAAP is an
industry association, not a college or university.

But the classes can still meet standards for continuing education units, as
defined by the International Association for Continuing Education and
Training (IACET) (http://www.iacet.org/). In fact, the certification
document references the IACET in the section near the bottom that addresses
CEUs. The IAAP won't be "accredited" by the IACET, but it could be
designated as an "authorized provider" of CEUs, according to IACET.

*Certificate vs. Certification:*

In terms of the program in Australia, they offer a certificate, meaning an
educational credential granted by a university after completing a
curriculum. This is different from industry certification, which is what
the IAAP will offer. IAAP certification is essentially an assessment that
people will take to evaluate their skills. If a person receives an
acceptable score on the IAAP assessment, that person will be
IAAP-certified. Unlike a university program, there are no required courses
for IAAP certification, and in fact no set curriculum. If you learn about
accessibility at home or on the job, or in a university, or through the
IAAP, you can take the assessment and be certified, as long as you pass the
test. The University of South Australia can continue to offer its program
with no interference and essentially no impact from IAAP. In fact, students
can use the program in the University of South Australia to prepare for
IAAP certification. If successful, students will have a certificate of
completion of the university course AND certification from IAAP.

A university certificate and an industry certification represent two
different kinds of credentials.


Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training
Deque Systems, Inc
www.deque.com
703-225-0380, ext.121


On Wed, Apr 9, 2014 at 2:29 PM, Laura Carlson <lcarlson@d.umn.edu> wrote:

> Hi Paul,
>
> Just a couple of questions.
>
> Will the IAAP's educational program seek recognized accreditation from
> an authority for example CHEA [1]? Something like that would
> strengthen any certification.
>
> How does IAAP certification fit in with certification programs already
> in place such as the one at the University of South Australia [2]?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Best Regards,
> Laura
> [1] http://www.chea.org/
> [2]
> http://www.unisa.edu.au/Education-Arts-and-Social-Sciences/Communication-International-Studies-and-Languages/pcwa/
>
> --
> Laura L. Carlson
> Information Technology Systems and Services
> University of Minnesota Duluth
> Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
> http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
>
>