Transcripts Overview

The Transcript system is simply a method to maintain a list of things that a member has been involved in that may or may not receive CE credits, but does represent a list of things that are important to a professional member as they track their activities.

In some professions – particularly medical societies, a transcript is necessary to prove to an accreditation board that you have maintained adequate continuing education. In other organizations, the transcript is the basis of their certification program (i.e., transcripts feed into the list of certification requirements and prove that those requirements have been met).

Additionally, associations can use the transcript system as a source of revenue. Since an official transcript has value to the member to prove certification activities to a licensing board, associations can sell the official version and give away an unofficial version as a benefit of membership.

Note that associations cannot be licensing boards (i.e., an association cannot prevent someone from practicing their profession). Therefore, the certification agency is different from the association; a member needs an official transcript from the association to provide to the licensing board. The association’s role is to validate that the records in the transcript are accurate – thus leading to “approved” and “non-approved” transcripts.

Transcripts are often used as part of a larger certification system, but may be used just as a Continuing Education system.

Transcripts and Certifications

Transcripts is actually one portion of a combined Education system, although not all associations use both and some use both but considered them as very separate processes. Transcripts needs to feed the certification system such that if certification requires attendance at a course, the course may be sold as a meeting registration product or it may be provided outside of ThreeSixty and uploaded.

For example, an association may look at transcripts in a way in which you can define programs that may or may not have answer sheets.  The questions are immaterial; there is no certification, per se, involved. Transcript information is entered only when requested by the member or through the upload of information from scanners rather than through an automatic tie to a registration or product purchase.  

Additionally, an association may have a real certification process in addition to the formal transcript and the set of requirements needed to achieve certification is what is important. The requirements can be courses with and without proctored or self-assessment exams. Since it is typically exam based, there is no automatic link to the purchase of products.

Additionally, associations can sell exams. The exams are of various sorts, self-assessment and proctored. Some exams are sold to individuals, while others are sold to institutions on behalf of groups of individuals.