Toronto, ON – July 09, 2012—The Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC), along with its core funding members American Society for Interior Designers (ASID), Interior Designers of Canada (IDC) and International Interior Design Association (IIDA) are pleased to announce the final phase of a two-phase launch for its new, online centralized continuing education registration and reporting website. The new system supports the associations’ efforts to provide quality, lifelong learning to more than 35,000 interior design professionals across North America.   

Phase two of the launch enables learners to use a centralized system for CEU reporting. Each learner will have a unique IDCEC identification number that will allow them to log into the system where they can search all IDCEC approved courses and conferences, report attendance at all IDCEC and non-IDCEC courses, upload supporting documentation such as validated conference cards, print an unofficial transcript of CEU activity and order an official transcript of CEU activity.
 
Letters have been mailed to all learners with their unique IDCEC identification number. Learners must bring this identification number when attending courses and seminars in order for their attendance to be reported by the provider.

Providers of continuing education have already benefitted from the phase one launch. IDCEC has streamlined the process by allowing providers to create an account and submit course materials for approval electronically. 
 
“Providers were sending us hard-copy submissions,” explains IDCEC director Brynell D’Mello.“This led to longer approval turn-around times – up to 10 weeks – and huge amounts of paper.” Approval times have been reduced to just three to four weeks and the new submission process is entirely paperless. In addition, providers can schedule their approved course anywhere in North America, report attendance and manage accounts quickly and easily through the system’s secured access.

“Our mission now,” adds D’Mello, “is to train the learners to use the IDCEC online system as a valuable resource for searching available professional development opportunities and managing record keeping associated with their learning.” IDCEC has tutorials to help familiarize users with the new online applications.To access the new online system, visit idcec.org. 
                
                                          
About IDCEC
Established in 1983, the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC) serves as the premier advocate for continuing education in the advancement of the interior design profession. IDCEC strives to inspire and guide providers of continuing education programs to deliver high-quality, lifelong learning activities for interior design practitioners across North America. In 2011 IDCEC became an independent entity with the help of its core members, ASID, IDC and IIDA.  For more information on IDCEC, visit .    

About ASID
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a community of people—designers, industry representatives, educators and students—committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people’s lives. Its more than 36,000 members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 48 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. ASID is the Founding Sponsor of InformeDesign (www.informedesign.umn.edu), a searchable database that enables designers to engage in evidence-based design by using Research Summaries focused on design and human behavior, created and operated by the University of Minnesota.www.asid.org

About IDC 
IDC is the professional association for interior designers in Canada. IDC’s mandate is to advance the profession of interior design across Canada as well as internationally. It does so through advocacy with government and the public and by providing continuing education opportunities and business practice support services to members. For more information on IDC, please visit idcanada.org.

About IIDA
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is a professional networking and educational association with more than 13,000 Members practicing worldwide in more than 50 countries. IIDA is committed to enhancing the quality of life through excellence in Interior Design and advancing Interior Design through knowledge,value and community. IIDA advocates for Interior Design excellence; nurtures a global Interior Design community; maintains high educational standards; and supports its Members and the Profession with visionary leadership.  For more than 37 years, IIDA has helped reveal new Design talent through a variety of education initiatives and Interior Design/Architecture competitions honoring local talent, including the Interior Design Competition, Global Excellence Awards and Sustainable Leadership Awards.  www.iida.org.