The Maintain my ACE page lists all of the eligible activities that can earn you CEUs. There really are a lot of options and any PMP who is earning CEUs to maintain a state license should be able to earn their 18 CEUs during the 3-year period.
All ACEs are encouraged to document their activities as they occur so that you don't need to go back and recreate them later. A small percentage of all reports will be audited (random selection) so you are strongly encouraged to maintain back-up proof of your activities. A spreadsheet is a simple way to keep track of your CEUs. A sample sheet might look something like this:
| Date | Description | Location | Hours (total) | Hours to claim | Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example | Purdue Pest Management Conf 2013 | West Lafayette, IN | 16 | 6 | Program, receipt, and name badge |
| etc | etc | etc | etc | etc | etc |
For 2014 ACEs will have the option to renew for just 2014 and not submit CEUs or to renew for 2014-2016 and submit a CEU report. We cannot accept a 3-year renewal without a CEU report. Look back through your records for training you attended from 2011-2013. If you can come up with 18 hours, renew for 3 years. Some examples of how a PMP might earn credits are below.
Example #1:
Jane Doe, ACE rarely makes it to any of the big pest management conferences, but did attend a 1-day short course one year. She attends quarterly hour-long training sessions with her firm, though was unable to attend them at all one year. Every three years her job administers a competency exam. She spends about a half hour a month reading PCT Online. Assuming nothing else, she can claim 20 CEUs:
- Year #1 -- (4 CEUs for Training Attended) + (2 CEUs for Reading) = 6 CEUs
- Year #2 -- (2 CEUs for Reading) + (3 CEUs for Job Related Exams) = 5 CEUs
- Year #3 -- (4 CEUs for Training Attended) + (2 CEUs for Reading) + (3 CEUs for Professional conferences) = 9 CEUs
Training Attended is a broad category that would include inter-company training as long as it is conducted by a trained professional (ideally this would be an ACE or BCE). Reading is a little ambiguous, but ESA recognizes that a lot of good information comes out monthly in the trade publications. If you claim hours for reading, you'll want to document extensively (e.g., "What's in a Name?", Pest Control Technology, May 2013, pp 70-74, 20 minutes). Note that in many categories you can only claim a certain number of CEUs per year, regardless of how much time you spent on that activity.
Example #2:
John Doe, ACE is a regular at NPMA's PestWorld conference. Assuming nothing else, he can claim 18 CEUs.
- Year #1 -- (3 CEUs per day for Conferences Attended) x 2 days = 6 CEUs
- Year #2 -- (3 CEUs per day for Conferences Attended) x 2 days = 6 CEUs
- Year #3 -- (3 CEUs per day for Conferences Attended) x 2 days = 6 CEUs
The large pest management conferences are a wealth of information and a person can learn a lot by attending. Documentation for CEUs like this should be as detailed as possible. You may want to maintain your receipt, program that indicates which sessions you attended, and perhaps your name badge.
Example #3:
Jean Doe, ACE maintains the pest management blog for her company (spending about an hour a month on it), served on the board of her state pest management association for two years (she attended 6 hour long conference calls per year), and watches the occasional hour-long pest management webinars. Assuming nothing else, she can claim 18 CEUs.
- Year #1 -- (2 CEUs for Pest Control Blogging) + (4 CEUs Committee Service) = 6 CEUs
- Year #2 -- (2 CEUs for Pest Control Blogging) + (4 CEUs Committee Service) + (1 CEU for webinars) = 7 CEUs
- Year #3 -- (2 CEUs for Pest Control Blogging) + (3 CEUs Webinars) = 5 CEUs
Pest management training has changed over the years and there are now lots of opportunities to earn CEUs over the internet. In addition to those listed in Example #3, a PMP could also earn ACE CEUs by taking distance learning courses toward a biology degree.
These quick examples should highlight that attaining the 18 required CEUs is not hard and should be a part of every PMPs training regimen. The list of CEU activities was designed by the ACE Support Committee in the Spring of 2013. The committee presented their suggestions to the ESA Certification Board and they approved the list of CEUs in June 2013.
The last category in the list is "special activities" and we've had some people wondering what that might be. The truth is that we don't yet know. But we know that our ACEs are an innovative group of professionals who will continually be pushing the known boundaries. We want to have a way to recognize that effort and award CEUs as appropriate.
What doesn't count?
A rule of thumb could be this ... Does this activity help me do my job better? If it does and is not a part of your regular daily duties, then it will likely count in at least one category. If it doesn't, then you may need to look elsewhere for more credits. This statement is overly broad, but it will mostly hold true. Some examples of activities that may not count for hours would include
Who decides what counts?
If you have any questions about what qualifies, please first consult this list of creditable hours, and then contact ace@entsoc.org if you still have questions.
What doesn't count?
A rule of thumb could be this ... Does this activity help me do my job better? If it does and is not a part of your regular daily duties, then it will likely count in at least one category. If it doesn't, then you may need to look elsewhere for more credits. This statement is overly broad, but it will mostly hold true. Some examples of activities that may not count for hours would include
- attending webinars that are unrelated to pest management
- reading articles that are unrelated to pest management
- hours spent at conferences where you are not actually in training sessions (remember that one hour of activity equates to one CEU. You won't earn CEUs by sitting in the hotel bar!)
- standard job-related activities (filling out service reports, making calls on clients, etc) that don't meet one of the criteria on the creditable hours table.
- community service that is not related to your job. For example, if you volunteer at your daughter's school as a playground monitor that would not count. But if you do a volunteer inspection at her school or if you give an hour-long talk for Career Day, that might be a creditable hour.
Who decides what counts?
ESA headquarters will initially review the CEU reports. Additionally, a percentage of all reports received will be randomly selected for an audit and those will be bumped up to the ACE Support Committee for a deeper review and backup documentation may be required at that time. If your report is selected for an audit, you will be notified, but there may be nothing further required of you if your report is found to be in good order. It will be up to the reviewer to determine if any additional documentation would be required.
If you have any questions about what qualifies, please first consult this list of creditable hours, and then contact ace@entsoc.org if you still have questions.
