Distance Education Recertification

PCC's recertification requirement is a crucial part of the college's mission to provide high-quality and equitable online courses. Recertification ensures that faculty are up to date with current tools, strategies and legal requirements, and that faculty training is aligned with PCC AP 4105.

Recertification requirements will become effective for Spring 2027 teaching assignments. All faculty teaching online or hybrid courses in Spring 2027 will need to have a DE recertification (or certification) date later than 2/17/2024.

To maintain eligibility to teach online, faculty are required to satisfy one pathway for recertification (outlined below) every three years. Faculty may complete that requirement at any point in the 3-year cycle. The new recertification date would be the date faculty completes their 3rd hour towards recertification. If certification lapses, faculty are required to either complete the 8-week Online Teaching Certification (OTC) course or pass the DE Equivalency for one course.

Certification Dates

The Distance Education Office will keep a list of recertification dates for faculty. To view your recertification date, login to Lancerpoint and search for “Distance Education Certified Faculty”.

Options For Recertification

Option 1: Earn one “quality reviewed” badge through the Peer Online Course Review (POCR) process; OR 

Option 2: Complete three (3) hours of workshops related to distance education (which also count for FLEX hours). Workshops would have an emphasis on accessibility, substantive interactions, authentic assessments, and successful course completion. Each professional development day will include options for fulfilling this requirement. The district shall offer professional training sessions at all on-campus flex days. 

The following would automatically be approved:

Other facilitated workshops that focus on accessibility, substantive interaction, authentic assessment, equity, etc. may count on a case-by-case basis with approval from the Distance Education Office. It’s advisable the faculty email the workshop details to pcconline@pasadena.edu before they attend so the Distance Education department can verify if it meets the requirements for recertification.

If faculty complete an activity outside of PCC that they want to count towards their recertification obligation, they need to complete the external training form that is available on the Vision Resource Center Welcome Page. That activity will be evaluated by the Distance Education Department to verify if it can be used toward recertification. 

Example: 

  • Professor Sally Faculty was originally DE Certified on 8/15/2020. 
  • She is scheduled to teach a 16-week online course in Spring 2027 (2/17/2027 start date)
  • She successfully completed 3 hours of DE related training on 3/15/26 and emailed her proof of completion to pcconline@pasadena.edu.
  • She is cleared to teach her online course in Spring 2027.  
  • Her recertification expires on 3/15/29. She will need to complete her next 3 hours of DE training by 3/15/29 to keep her DE certification. 

Submitting Proof of Completion 

Email your proof of completion to pcconline@pasadena.edu. For Option 2 please only email pcconline after you have completed your 3rd hour. Your email should include:

  • Your name and PCC email address
  • The digital badge, transcript, or certificate you received as proof of completion. This must include your name and the date of completion.
  • A link to details about the workshop/activities if not included in the digital badge.

If you have any questions, please contact the DE Office at pcconline@pasadena.edu

Opt Out of Recertification

If you do not plan to continue teaching online, fill out the: 

Opt Out of Recertification Form

Logging in with your@pasadena.edu email is required to fill out the form.