Guide
CE tracking for associations.
Members who need continuing education credits want one place to see what they have earned and what is left. Here is what a good CE tracker does, what your association needs to run one, the ways to provide it, and how to set it up.
Updated
What members expect
Many professional associations give members a CE tracker of their own. Members look for these things in it:
- See the credits they have earned this cycle, and how many they still need, in one place.
- Download a certificate for every activity, whenever a licensing board or employer asks.
- Add credits they earned somewhere else, with proof, so the record is complete.
- Get a reminder before their cycle ends, not after.
- Print or send a transcript of everything in a cycle.
What your association needs
Credits added automatically
Credits post when someone checks in at an event or finishes a course, so nobody types them in afterwards.
Your own credit types
CEUs, contact hours, CPE or PDUs, plus categories such as ethics hours when a board requires them.
Cycles and requirements
How long a cycle runs and how many credits it needs, so each member sees what is left.
Outside credits with review
Members submit credits from other providers with a certificate attached, and staff approve them.
Certificates
A certificate for every credit, with the activity, date and hours, issued without staff time.
Records for audits
Every credit with its source and date, exportable by member and by year when an accreditor or board asks.
Three ways to provide it
| Way | Good | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| A spreadsheet | Free and familiar | Staff type in every credit; members can’t see their own; certificates are made by hand |
| A standalone CE tracker | Built for credits and certificates | A second system and a second login; credits don’t follow from your events and courses |
| Inside your membership software | Credits post from the events and courses members already register for, on the same record as their dues | Only as good as the CE features your software has |
How to set it up
- Choose your unit. Decide whether you award CEUs or credit hours. Under the IACET standard, one CEU is 10 contact hours, so a one-hour session is 0.1 CEU. Many boards count hours instead, so use the unit your members report.
- Set your cycles and requirements. Write down how long a cycle runs and how many credits it needs, including any required categories such as ethics.
- Attach credits to activities. Give every event, webinar and course its credit amount before it runs, so credits post automatically.
- Decide how outside credits come in. Say what proof members must attach and who approves it, and how quickly.
- Set up certificates. One certificate design with your logo, issued automatically for every activity. See the CEU certificate template for the fields to include.
- Plan for audits. Keep every credit with its source and date for as long as your accreditor or licensing board requires, and be able to export it by member and year.
Templates for the certificates themselves: CEU certificate template.
CE tracking in FullRoster
In FullRoster, credits are added to a member's record automatically when they check in at an event or finish a course, and every credit comes with a PDF certificate showing your logo, their name, the activity, the date and the hours. Members see their credits and download certificates in the member portal. You name the credits your way, staff can add credits by hand, and you can export credits for any year. If your program has its own rules, our team builds them into your FullRoster.
Awarding credits for your own programs? How to become a CE provider covers accreditation, and event registration software for associations covers credits at check-in.
Common questions
- What is a CE tracker?
- A CE tracker is where a professional sees the continuing education credits they have earned, how many they still need this cycle, and the certificates behind them. Many associations give members one as a benefit, connected to the events and courses they run.
- How do I keep track of my CEUs?
- Use the tracker your association or licensing board provides if there is one. Otherwise, log every activity with its date, provider and hours, keep the certificate for each, and total them against your cycle’s requirement.
- How many hours is one CEU?
- Under the IACET standard, one continuing education unit (CEU) equals 10 contact hours, so a one-hour session is worth 0.1 CEU. Many boards count credit hours instead, so check which unit yours uses.
- Can members add credits they earned elsewhere?
- A good CE tracker lets them submit outside credits with a certificate attached, for staff to review and approve, so a member’s record shows everything in one place.
- How long should CE records be kept?
- As long as your accreditor or the licensing boards your members report to require. Keep each credit with its source, date and certificate so you can answer an audit years later.
- Should an association track CE credits in its membership software?
- Usually, yes. When credits post from the events and courses members already register for, and sit on the same record as their dues, nobody types credits in twice and members see everything in one portal.
About FullRoster. FullRoster is association management software that's free for up to 1,000 active members. Members, dues, events, email, courses and payments in one place, and we move your data over for you. See how it works →
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