Continuing Education Units - NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR A.A.E.S

Continuing Education programs are a common feature of many professional accreditation programs. It means that as an Accredited Airport Executive, you are constantly sharpening your skills and keeping up with changes in the industry. A robust CEU program ensures that your A.A.E. designation is respected and meaningful. 

 The A.A.E. CEU program officially began on January 1, 1998. It is based on three-year cycles (one program cycle equals three years) in which Accredited Airport Executives® (A.A.E.s) must earn 55 credits in a three-year cycle, continually, as long as they remain active AAAE executive members, and as long as they wish to retain their active A.A.E.® status (with voting privileges). Cycles will run continually. For those accredited before January 1, 1998, cycles began January 1, 1998, and run every three years thereafter. For those accredited after December 31, 1997, each cycle ends three years from the date of accreditation.

In 2022, during his term as Chair of AAAE, Larry Krauter, A.A.E., AICP felt there should be a more concentrated education effort in the topics of Ethics, Legal and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI). With approval from the AAAE Board, Chair Krauter worked with the AAAE Board of Examiners (BOE) to amend the CEU program to include an emphasis on these subjects. As a result, starting in June 2023, active A.A.E.s will be required to earn 2 credits in each of these areas (6 credits total), in each 3-year cycle, as part of their 55 CEUs. The other 49 CEUs can be earned in any topic of the A.A.E.’s choosing but must follow the guidelines of the CEU program. 

Because each Executive Member has unique cycle dates, all 6 credits will not need to be earned during the current cycle but will need to be earned on a prorated basis.

The cadence in which these new subject matter credits need to be earned is as follows:
• Less than 1 year remaining in current cycle = 0 subject matter credits required in this cycle; 6 credits required in all cycles thereafter.
• 1-2 years remaining in current cycle = 2 subject matter credits required in this cycle (1 credit from any two of the three required topics); 6 credits required in all cycles thereafter.
• 2-3 years remaining in current cycle = 4 subject matter credits required in this cycle (1 credit in each topic plus a 4th credit from any of the required topics); 6 credits required in all cycles thereafter.

Subject matter credits can be earned in various ways, just like the other CEUs. AAAE and AAAE Chapters will be offering new educational programming to help A.A.E.s fulfill these credits, some of which will be complimentary. Some methods of earning these new CEU credits include, the AAAE Airport Law Workshop, AAAE/NECAAAE Inclusion in Aviation Conference, an Ethics, Legal or DEI session offered at other AAAE/AAAE Chapter conferences, trainings offered by your employer or another entity, etc. As part of the Ethics subject, A.A.E.s will also be required to review and sign the AAAE Code of Ethics during each of their CEU cycles. AAAE events that fulfill these credits will be listed on the AAAE Website.

A.A.E.s will be responsible for self-reporting these subject matter CEUs, however AAAE will still enter the regular conference credits for you. Please note that credits will not yet appear for any AAAE events attended in 2023. Typically, CEUs earned by attending AAAE conferences will appear in your record 60-90 days following the event.

To review your current CEU totals and cycles and to report your credits, follow the steps below.
1. Log in to www.aaae.org
2. Click on My Account
3. Click on the CEU tab
4. Scroll down the to the section “Submit CEUs for Events other than AAAE Meetings”
5. Click on the + sign to add your earned credits. (Be sure to follow your proper cycle dates and number shown below in the “Totals” section. Your first cycle starts on your date of accreditation.)
6. Enter either Category Credits and/or Subject Credits and fill in information about the activity, number of credits, and mark them as approved.
7. Refresh your screen, and you will see your total credits change at the bottom of the screen if entered correctly.

NOTE: If attending a conference with sessions on the new required CEU subjects, be sure not to submit double credits. I.e., if the conference contains 6 hours of education, and 1 of those hours is in DEI, then report 5 regular credits and 1 DEI credit. If the whole conference is a special subject matter, such as the Airport Law Workshop, report all credits as Subject – Legal credits and they will funnel into the total sum.


Should an active accredited airport executive not fulfill the required 55 credits, including the new subject matter credits, within the required amount of time, they will be reclassified as an inactive member, and will be unable to vote on AAAE matters. Once the necessary credits are accrued, they will be returned to active status. The Board of Examiners, which has final authority, may require chronically inactive members to retake the written examination. A.A.E.s attending non-AAAE and subject matter events must report their credits under the honor system. AAAE audits 5% of the accredited membership annually but supporting documentation should be retained for five years.

For complete information and FAQs about the CEU program read below. Contact the Accreditation Department with any questions.

 

FAQ: Continuing Education Units

Why do accredited members have to accumulate CEUs?
Continuing Education programs are a common feature of many professional accreditation programs. It means that as an Accredited Airport Executive, you are constantly sharpening your skills and keeping up with changes in the industry. A robust CEU program ensures that your A.A.E. designation is respected and meaningful. That's why an overwhelming majority of executive members supported its creation on January 1, 1998.

How many CEUs must I accumulate each year?
AAAE's CEU program is not administered on a yearly basis. Instead, you are required to accumulate 55 CEU credits over a three-year period, continually, as long as you wish to retain your A.A.E. status. For those accredited before January 1, 1998, cycles will begin January 1, 1998, and every three years thereafter. For those accredited after December 31, 1997, each cycle ends three years from the date of accreditation.

What activities qualify for CEUs?
A wide variety of activities qualify for CEU credits:

  • A.A.E. Candidate Mentorship - Members will receive 12 credits for each candidate they officially mentor through the final interview process. Learn more about becoming a mentor.
  • AAAE Meetings and Seminars - Executive members receive one CEU credit for each hour, and a maximum of six credits for each day they attend business sessions at the AAAE Annual Conference or other AAAE seminars and workshops. These CEUs do not need to be self-reported. They will be applied automatically by AAAE 60-90 days following the meeting.
  • AAAE ACE Certification - Members will receive 12 credits when achieving any AAAE ACE certification via self-study.
  • Other Industry Meetings and Seminars - Members will accrue CEU credits by attending instructional seminars and meetings presented by state AAAE chapters, state airport managers' associations, the Federal Aviation Administration, Airports Council International, the National Association of State Aviation Officials, or other appropriate aviation-related organizations. The rate of accrual is the same as it is for AAAE-sponsored events (above).
  • AAAE Webinars - Members will receive one CEU credit for participating in any AAAE Webinar. These CEUs do not need to be self-reported. They will be applied automatically by AAAE 60-90 days following the webinar.
  • Local Management Courses - When attending a local instructional management seminar or meeting, members will earn CEU credits at the rate of one per hour. This includes events presented by the American Management Association and American Marketing Association, computer classes, local organization seminars, and flight training.
  • On-site Airport Training - On-site training, and other instruction provided by the local airport, is eligible for CEU credits. In lieu of registration documents, please obtain a memo from the airport director confirming that the training meets CEU standards. One hour of instructional time earns one credit.
  • College Courses - Full semester college courses which are relevant to your profession and duties are worth 30 credits per course. Accredited members also receive 30 credits for teaching a college course.
  • Credits for Other CEU Programs - Members may apply attendance at aviation-related meetings for other applicable CEU programs (such as CPA or PE designations) to the AAAE CEU program, in the same manner as any other seminar or conference.
  • Major Conference Presentations - Accredited members who make a presentation at a conference requiring significant advance preparation will receive six credits. A copy of the meeting program and presentation must be retained for audit purposes.
  • AAAE Leadership - Members serving as chairman or vice chairman of a standing AAAE committee earn six credits per year of service. Members of the AAAE Board of Examiners earn 12 credits per year. Each panelist serving on a Final Interview panel receives one CEU for each hour of the Final Interview with a maximum of three CEU's for each Final Interview conducted. Members of the AAAE Board of Directors (including chapter presidents) receive 12 credits per year. Mentors for executive candidates receive 12 credits per candidate mentored, which will be submitted by the Board of Examiners.
  • ANTN Tapes - Members may view Airport News and Training Network (ANTN) program tapes to earn CEU credits, at the rate of one CEU per hour of viewing.

Who is responsible for keeping track of my CEUs?

AAAE automatically enters CEU credits for all AAAE nationally sponsored events. Members are responsible for submitting CEU credits for qualifying activities not sponsored by AAAE through their AAAE online profile under the CEU tab. We also recommend keeping a personal tally of accumulated CEUs as a backup against errors. Members are required to retain documentation supporting non-sponsored CEU activities for five years.

Can I check my current CEU total online?

You can view all of your accumulated CEU credits in your online AAAE profile. First log into aaae.org. Then go to "My Account" your account. Then click on the "CEU" tab. Any CEUs that you have earned up to this point should be reflected on this page. If you do not see credits that feel you have earned, please submit them online by using the Self Submitted CEUs tool. Please do not enter CEUs for AAAE National Meetings. Those will be recorded for you. The best way to retain this information is to document your CEU activities carefully.

I have accumulated more than 55 CEUs during my current three-year cycle. Can I roll those over into the next cycle?

No. Your CEU totals are reset to zero at the beginning of each three-year cycle.

What happens if I fail to accumulate 55 CEUs during a three-year cycle?

You will be reclassified as an inactive member, and you will be unable to vote on AAAE matters. When you have accrued the necessary credits, you will be returned to active status. The Board of Examiners, which has final authority, may require chronically inactive members to retake the written examination.

How are my CEU totals verified?

As an accredited member, you are required to sign an annual compliance ethics statement, informing you of the rules of the honor system. For AAAE-sponsored events, your CEU totals are automatically updated in our system. Accredited members attending non-AAAE events must report their credits under the honor system. AAAE audits 5% of the accredited membership annually, although you must retain supporting documentation for five years.

I have a question that's not answered here.

Please contact the accreditation department, at [email protected].