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We encourage students to continue their educations past graduation at Â鶹´«Ã½.

Many Â鶹´«Ã½ graduates who work in health care professions where licensing is required are mandated annually to complete continuing education units, better known as CEUs.

Students aren't the only ones asked to stay up-to-date on education in their fields.

Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty also are required to engage in professional development and continuing education. It's necessary to remain on the cutting edge of their fields while they are in the classroom.

"Professional development is vital to our strength as an organization," said Graham Nott, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Â鶹´«Ã½. "And, our accrediting bodies require it."

Health care professional development

There are two types of professional development - internal and external. Â鶹´«Ã½ requires all faculty members to complete internal faculty development.

Nott said Â鶹´«Ã½ requires all faculty to take part in professional development in two specific areas. One is in the faculty member's area of expertise. The second is professional development in teaching.

"Faculty must engage in a minimum of six developmental activities covering both areas," Nott said. "We give instructors a great deal of latitude on how they complete these. We just require that they do it."

MaxKnowledge and CHEP

Â鶹´«Ã½ partnered with MaxKnowledge for the instructional side of professional development. It's an online development organization that provides continuing education courses for faculty members.

Faculty members must have an individual development plan entered on the MaxKnowledge Center for Excellence in Education site within 30 days of their hire.

The individual development plan is a living document that is updated regularly throughout the year and maintained to reflect completed activities and goals. Faculty are encouraged to review and update the IDP at least once per quarter.

Faculty members earn the  if they complete 48 hours of approved training through an online training site powered by MaxKnowledge. It is awarded by Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU).

The CHEP credential recognizes employees of career-oriented institutions who strive for excellence in their respective positions.

"We currently more than 100 instructors across the country who are CHEP-certified professionals," Nott said. "That speaks well of our organization."

CHEP-certified instructors can maintain their certification status by completing eight hours of continuing education annually from any of the approved training sites.

Licensing CEUs as part of health care professional development

Professionals in health care fields where licensing is required, in most cases, must complete annual continuing education units (CEUs) as prescribed by their respective licensing bodies to maintain that license.

Nott estimates about 40 percent of Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty are licensed in their respective fields.

Commitment to quality

Marla Dunlap, Dental Hygiene Program Director at Â鶹´«Ã½ Memphis campus, was on the topic.

She firmly believes "you're never too old or experienced to learn something new. Professional development gives you the opportunity to learn new research, technologies, methodologies and education tools that will make you a more effective instructor. Staying current through professional development will allow you to remain relevant and engaging as an instructor."