AutomatedBuildings.com Interview - The BACnet Institute Now Offers Free Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Andy McMillan is President and Managing Director of BACnet International, where he works with users and suppliers to expand and enhance the BACnet community. Previously he served as President of a building automation and energy management business unit of Philips Lighting. Andy has been an invited speaker on BACnet and open systems at conferences around the world. He has been awarded a dozen patents, has co-authored a book on data communications and his background includes BSEE and MBA degrees.

All of the courses on The BACnet Institute online learning environment offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and as well as Professional Development Hours (PDHs).

Sinclair: Why did you decide to add Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to The BACnet Institute?

McMillan: Consulting engineers and other members of the BACnet community need formal continuing education credits each year. By awarding CEUs for completion of our interactive courses we can help them accumulate credits while they learn more about BACnet. And it is all free!

McMillan: IACET is globally recognized as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. They use the ANSI/IACET Standard, in-depth research on the learning process and a nationwide network of experts to develop a framework for continuous improvement and a quality learning experience. Essentially, as an IACET accredited provider who has accomplished IACET’s rigorous review, we establish ourselves as a reputable organization certifying our commitment to high-quality, excellent education. This allows the CEU credit earned through our programs to be accepted by an exceptionally large group of regulatory boards, companies and organizations.

McMillan: The Accredited Provider application and review process is nothing close to being basic. It involves extensive hands-on evaluation by the IACET Commission, who meticulously review every policy, procedure, and process of a program. All of these elements are benchmarked against the ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training, a proven model for developing effective and valuable programs. For us, the process took over eight intense months, resulting in an incredibly robust and highly effective program.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]Sinclair: What courses offer CEUs?

McMillan: All of the courses on The BACnet Institute online learning environment offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and as well as Professional Development Hours (PDHs). This includes the always popular BACnet Basics course, but also The Facility Manager’s Guide to Building Automation Systems and our recently released BACnet Device Profiles.

McMillan: Anyone involved in the implementation and application of BACnet. Obviously, The BACnet Institute establishes credibility through IACET Accreditation, as well as new and improved policies, procedures, and processes. However, it is the BACnet community that benefits most – those seeking effective, high quality education regarding the BACnet protocol, and those benefiting from that education applied in real BACnet implementation projects. Through accreditation we are able to provide better programs, which create better overall results in the BACnet community.

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