Learner Resources
Below are some details on APPA accreditations and event policies to provide learners with information and resources. Contact APPA’s Education Team at Academy@PublicPower.org with questions.
Accreditation Bodies
Many APPA Academy programs qualify for continuing education credits. Certificates of completion (listing applicable credits) are issued after successful event completion is determined.
Participants in APPA Academy programs can earn:
- IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs): needed by many professionals to meet annual training goals and requirements; demonstrates that APPA adheres to the highest quality training standards.
- Continuing Legal Education credits (CLEs): needed by lawyers to practice law within a particular jurisdiction; only offered for APPA’s Legal & Regulatory Conference.
- Continuing Professional Education credits (CPEs): required by CPAs to maintain licensure.
- HRCI Hours: required by Human Resources professionals to maintain certification.
- Professional Development Hours (PDHs): needed by engineers to maintain licensure.
- Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) designation: Additionally, when employees participate in APPA Academy offerings, utilities earn points toward their RP3 designation.
Attendee Transcripts
To receive a transcript of attendance—containing all APPA attended events and any accompanying professional development credits earned, contact Academy@PublicPower.org. All learner records will remain on file with APPA for at least seven years. Transcripts will be issued to learners within two (2) business days of a request. Organizations requesting transcripts on an employee’s behalf must provide written consent from the employee before APPA can release a transcript.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
The American Public Power Association is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.
Successful completion requirements are outlined for individual offerings (on event web pages) and require a attendance, participation, and evaluation completion requirements. These requirements are verified by APPA staff members and instructors.
Partial credit is not given for partial attendance. Completion certificates are emailed to individuals typically within 7-14 business days after a live event. APPA is only providing IACET CEUs for successful completion of live events (not recorded offerings).
Transcripts are available upon request. For more information regarding certification status, attendance requirements, administrative policies, complaints, and refunds, please contact Academy@PublicPower.org. For more information on IACET and CEUs, visit www.iacet.org. Verify our IACET Accreditation.
Continuing Professional Education Credits
Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Credits - The American Public Power Association is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit.
Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.NASBAregistry.com. Unless noted, there are no prerequisites for the courses offered and no advance preparation is required. Courses are group-live or group-internet based offerings at the basic/intermediate/advanced program level.
Credit hours and areas of study for the courses are listed on the individual course pages. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as clarification of requirements, complaints, and refunds, please contact Academy@PublicPower.org.
Human Resources Professionals
The American Public Power Association is an HRCI Approved Provider. Delegates may earn credit hours towards their PHR or SPHR recertification by attending qualifying HR-related courses.
The American Public Power Association is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.
Professional Development Hours
The American Public Power Association’s Academy educational practices are consistent with the criteria for awarding Professional Development Hours (PDHs) as established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Course eligibility and number of CEUs/PDHs may vary by state.
APPA Policies for Learning Events
1. Antidiscrimination Policy
APPA is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment at all APPA workplaces, programs, and events. Discrimination, harassment, or intimidation of any kind—whether sexual or otherwise—will not be tolerated. This includes conduct directed at or by employees, applicants, members, speakers, suppliers, event participants, or any individual engaged in APPA activities.
APPA prohibits discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related medical conditions, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Unwelcome behavior—verbal, physical, or visual—that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive environment is strictly prohibited.
Anyone subject to or witnessing harassment or other violations of this policy should report the violation immediately to APPA team members either in person or at legal@publicpower.org. APPA will review all reports promptly and prohibits retaliation against anyone who raises a concern or participates in an investigation.
2. Code of Conduct for APPA Events
The American Public Power Association (“APPA” or “Association”) is committed to providing a safe, productive, and harassment-free environment at its conferences, meetings, trainings, and other APPA-sponsored events, both in-person and virtual, including in discussions on any APPA-sponsored online forum, course, or webinar and participation in APPA Academy activities (“Events”). Participation in such Events, whether as an attendee, exhibitor, certificate student, Association staff member, or other participant, should be a positive, productive, welcoming, and safe experience. APPA holds these events to enable members and others in the community-owned utilities industry to come together to learn about and discuss the latest trends and issues, and to promote professional development and networking opportunities.
APPA meetings also allow attendees to enjoy the company of colleagues in an environment of mutual respect. APPA promotes equal opportunities and treatment for all participants. All participants are expected to treat others with respect and consideration, display personal and professional integrity, follow venue rules, and alert staff or security of any dangerous situations, violations of this Code of Conduct, or of anyone in distress. This applies to all APPA events, including in-person meetings, engaging in volunteer activities, virtual meetings, and online webinars and trainings.
Expected behavior at all times:
- Be considerate and respectful of others;
- Be fair and honest and act in good faith;
- Be aware of how language and images may be perceived by others, even if not so intended;
- Follow the rules of the venue of the meeting;
- Do not abuse alcohol or drugs; and
- Abide by all state and federal laws which prohibit the exchange of information among competitors regarding price, refusals to deal, markets division, tying relationships and other topics which might infringe upon antitrust laws and regulations.
Unacceptable Behavior
APPA prohibits any form of harassment, sexual or otherwise. Accordingly, some behaviors are specifically prohibited, whether directed at other attendees, APPA staff, speakers, exhibitors, event venue staff, or other participants in any APPA-sponsored in-person or virtual event:
- Verbal or physical harassment or discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, ethnicity, national origin, or other protected status.
- Sexual harassment or intimidation, including unwelcome sexual attention, stalking (physical or virtual), unsolicited and unwelcome physical contact, and use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces (including presentation slides and in social media).
- Yelling at, threatening, or personally insulting speakers (verbally or physically), use of violence, or engaging in sustained disruption of talks or other events.
- Engaging in threatening or abusive communications with APPA staff or volunteers.
- Threats of violence.
- Bringing or possessing a firearm at APPA Events.
Participants asked to stop engaging in hostile or harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
All who register to participate, attend, speak at, or exhibit at an APPA Event, and all participants in APPA committees, work groups, courses, or other APPA groups, agree to comply with this Code of Conduct. The conduct rules also apply to online, telephonic, email, and in-person interactions with APPA staff and volunteers.
Anyone subject to or witnessing harassment or other violations of this Code of Conduct should report the violation immediately to APPA team members either in person or at legal@publicpower.org. APPA – or any Event participant – may involve event security and/or local law enforcement or other first responders, as appropriate based on the specific circumstances. Event attendees and participants must also cooperate with any APPA investigation into reports of a violation of this Code of Conduct by providing information requested by APPA that is relevant to the Association’s investigation.
At APPA conferences and other Events, participants often combine professional activities with social interaction with other participants, venue staff, and other attendees. While APPA encourages such networking and strengthening of connections between participants, APPA reserves the right to remove any participant whose social attentions become unwelcome to another and who persists in such attentions after their unwelcome nature has been communicated. APPA also reserves the right to remove any participant or attendee who appears inebriated and who engages in conduct that interferes with the ability of other attendees to participate in and enjoy the Event.
APPA may remove any individual from attendance or other participation in any APPA-sponsored Event, including removing the individual from participation in any non-Board committee or work group, without prior warning or refund based on complaints about violation of this Code of Conduct. If APPA, in its reasonable judgment, determines that an individual has violated this Code of Conduct, APPA may also prohibit the individual from attending or participating in future APPA Events or serving on Board committees or task forces, and may notify the individual’s employer of APPA’s finding of a violation; provided, however, that any barring of an individual from an official role with APPA will be imposed only in accordance with relevant APPA policies and Bylaws. APPA will also report on the outcome of any investigation to individuals who have reported a violation of this Code of Conduct.
*Approved by the APPA Board of Directors on February 25, 2024.
3. Intellectual Property and Content Use Policy for APPA Learning Events
APPA’s learning events—whether in person or virtual—include presentations, slides, recordings, handouts, discussions, and other instructional materials that are protected by copyright and other applicable intellectual property laws. All materials provided by APPA or its instructors, speakers, or partners are for educational use by registered participants only and may not be copied, shared, distributed, reproduced, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from APPA and, where applicable, the content creator.
Participants may not record, stream, or reproduce any portion of an APPA learning event unless explicitly authorized in writing by APPA. When APPA provides event recordings, slides, or other resources, they are made available solely for personal, non‑commercial learning and may not be reposted or redistributed.
Speakers, instructors, and participants who contribute content during an event—such as comments, questions, shared documents, or collaborative work—grant APPA a non‑exclusive right to use that content for educational and administrative purposes related to the event. Speakers, instructors, and participants remain the owners of their own original work.
Instructors/speakers agrees to disclose to APPA, before contract execution, any proprietary interests Instructor may have in a product, instrument, device, service, or material. Provider proprietary interests must be appropriately referenced in the instructional materials published by APPA and disclosed to learners in advance of (and at the beginning of) an event. APPA will determine, at its sole discretion, whether such interests must be mentioned during the course and how they should be communicated to participants.
By attending an APPA learning event, participants agree to respect all intellectual property rights and to comply with all applicable laws and APPA policies regarding the use of event materials.
For questions, concerns, or to report a potential violation, please contact legal@publicpower.org.