On Improving the ASHA CE Registry

Last night I wrote a tweet regarding the ASHA Continuing Education Registry that seemed to resonate a lot with other folks across Twitter. ASHA had linked to an Instagram photo that encouraged members to join the CE Registry, and I replied that while I liked it, I felt it should already be included in the cost of annual dues (rather than the additional $25/year it currently costs each member).

I have paid the annual fee for the continuing education registry ever since earning my CCCs. I find it convenient and helpful, as it puts all my continuing education in one place. I could easily do so myself with a simple table or spreadsheet on my computer, but having it as part of my ASHA profile is helpful because when ASHA wants to verify my CEUs, it’s a snap to do so because they’re already in their own system. I don’t have to pull out my file, or scans, or any other information to verify that I earned my CEUs. Also, when my state organization wants to audit my CEUs, it’s simple to log in to ASHA, print out my transcript, and send it along.

I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I have been able to afford the annual $25 fee for the past few years. I have no idea if that will always be the case, and for many folks, the additional fee on top of the annual membership fee is just not feasible for them. This is especially true when additional costs for continuing education itself, as well as state licensure, are considered.

In my concurrent career as a certified sign language interpreter, the certifying body has a means to track CEUs as part of the annual cost of membership. It’s easy to see why: having all members be able to track CEUs as part of the online dashboard is helpful for us to keep track of continuing education. On the flip side, it’s also easier for the organization itself to keep track of our its members CEUs. It saves them time and resources and simplifies the bookkeeping on their end. It’s a win-win, so it’s worth it to incorporate it into the cost of membership.

A bonus to including CE registry cost into annual membership would be that more members may consider joining a Special Interest Group rather than trying to decide between the two (SIG membership is $35 per year, but you get my drift; costs for SIGs could benefit from a pricing structure change, too, but that’s another discussion for another day). Fundamentally, I think all members would benefit from having access to the CE registry as a part of the basic cost of membership, and ASHA and the professions at large would benefit from increased SIG membership and the resources and professional discussion that can be gained from them.