Utilization of the Continuing Education Unit in Conferences, Institutions, Short Courses, Workshops, Seminars, and Special Training Programs within the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Recognizing the need for a uniform method of measurement to apply to non-degree adult education programs, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools incorporated the Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for use December 1, 1971. The purpose of this study was to forecast the utilization of the CEU in these programs within the Southern Association by 1980. The Delphi Technique of forecasting was chosen as the study design. Selecting a panel of 50 experts, three rounds of study were conducted using questionnaires and discussion. These results were analyzed to determine the median and interquartile range of the predictions. The study concludes that by 1980, the CEU will have broad acceptance, CEU programs will be of higher quality, the CEU will be used to measure faculty work loads, faculty participation in continuing education programs will be greater, public funding support will increase, State continuing education budgets will be based on CEU enrollment figures, business and professional organizations will help fund and use the CEU for updating and relicensing, and, finally, the number of contracts for non-credit education will increase. (MW)