BIAA Professional Education Policies and Procedures

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is committed to providing high-quality, accessible, and professionally administered educational activities. The policies below apply broadly to BIAA professional education and establish expectations for learners, instructors, planners, staff, partners, and other individuals involved in BIAA educational activities. Individual courses may include additional requirements based on course design, certification, continuing education approval, delivery format, or other applicable standards. Course-specific requirements should be reviewed together with these policies.

Table of Contents

Purpose
Scope
Governing Principle
Roles and Responsibilities
Course Development and Approval
Instructor, Planner, and Reviewer Qualifications
Transparency, Disclosures, and Conflicts of Interest
Course Information and Promotion
Registration, Enrollment, and Learner Accounts
Course Delivery and Technology
Attendance, Participation, and Satisfactory Completion
Learner Assessment and Examination Integrity
Continuing Education Credit
Certificates and Completion Documentation
Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodations
Professional Conduct and Nondiscrimination
Privacy and Security
Intellectual Property and Use of Course Materials
Course Recordings
Refunds, Cancellations, Transfers, and Course Changes
Complaints and Appeals
Evaluation and Continuous Quality Improvement
Records Management and Retention
Cooperative, Hosted, and Partner-Delivered Activities
Compliance Monitoring and Corrective Action
Policy Review and Change Management
Website Contact Statement

Purpose

BIAA is committed to providing professional education that is accurate, relevant, accessible, appropriately administered, and supported by consistent quality and compliance practices. This policy establishes organization-wide standards for the full course lifecycle, from identification of an educational need through course development, delivery, learner completion, continuing education administration, evaluation, record retention, and continuous improvement.

The policy is designed to support BIAA educational activities across delivery formats and professional audiences while allowing course-specific requirements to reflect the content, intended learners, accreditation or approval status, certification requirements, and instructional format of each activity.

Scope

These policies apply to BIAA professional education activities, including, as applicable:

• live, virtual, in-person, hybrid, recorded, on-demand, and self-paced education;
• certificate, certification-preparation, continuing education, and other professional development activities;
• courses administered directly by BIAA and activities delivered with chapters, host organizations, contractors, instructors, consultants, or other collaborating organizations;
• course planners, instructors, subject matter experts, consultants, staff, vendors, and other individuals involved in planning or delivery; and
• learners and participants enrolled in BIAA professional education.

Governing Principle

Policy Statement
BIAA professional education activities will be planned, administered, delivered, evaluated, documented, and maintained in accordance with BIAA policies and procedures and, when applicable, the requirements of the accrediting, approving, credentialing, licensing, or regulatory organization associated with the individual activity. When requirements differ, BIAA will apply the requirement applicable to that activity and will follow the more protective or longer requirement when necessary to maintain compliance.

Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibility may be assigned to different individuals depending on the activity. BIAA maintains sufficient oversight so that assigned responsibilities remain clear and documented.

Role	Core Responsibility
Professional Education Leadership	Provides program oversight; approves policies, major course initiatives, and corrective actions; supports adequate staffing and resources.
Course/Training Administration	Coordinates registration, enrollment, learner communications, course setup, delivery logistics, completion tracking, certificates, records, and routine quality controls.
Continuing Education Administrator(s)	Performs responsibilities required by the applicable accreditor or approval body, including course review, registration/reporting, documentation, and compliance monitoring.
Content Consultant/Subject Matter Expert	Supports content accuracy, relevance, evidence review, and professional applicability when required or appropriate.
Course Planner/Instructional Designer	Supports needs assessment, learning outcomes, educational design, assessment, accessibility, and evaluation.
Instructor/Presenter	Provides instruction within the approved scope, maintains professional conduct, completes required disclosures, and follows BIAA course and intellectual property requirements.
Customer Service/Technology Support	Supports account, enrollment, access, payment, and technical issues within assigned authority while protecting learner information.

Course Development and Approval

Before a new course or material revision is released, BIAA will use a documented planning and review process appropriate to the scope of the activity. The process may include:

• identification of the educational or practice need and intended audience;
• development of measurable learning outcomes
• selection of qualified course planners, reviewers, and instructional personnel;
• review of content for accuracy, currency, relevance, appropriate evidence, and alignment with learning outcomes;
• selection of an instructional format and educational design appropriate to the learners and intended outcomes;
• development of learner assessment methods and satisfactory completion requirements;
• review for accessibility and learner needs;
• review of required disclosures, intellectual property permissions, and accreditation statements;
• determination of course duration and, when applicable, continuing education credit; and
• final administrative and compliance review before publication or delivery.
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Material changes to content, learning outcomes, instructional personnel, duration, delivery format, assessment, or accreditation status will be reviewed before implementation when the change could affect course quality, learner expectations, or compliance.

Instructor, Planner, and Reviewer Qualifications

BIAA selects instructional personnel and course contributors based on qualifications relevant to their assigned role. Documentation may include education, professional credentials, training, employment or practice experience, teaching experience, publications, subject matter expertise, a curriculum vitae or résumé, and other evidence appropriate to the course.

BIAA may periodically review qualifications and performance. Selection as a content consultant, planner, reviewer, or administrator does not automatically authorize an individual to serve as an instructor; instructional roles are separately determined based on course needs and applicable requirements.

Transparency, Disclosures, and Conflicts of Interest

BIAA requires applicable planners, instructors, reviewers, and other course personnel to disclose relevant financial and nonfinancial relationships or interests that could reasonably relate to course content or create an actual or perceived conflict.

• Disclosures are collected and reviewed before the individual performs the applicable course role.
• Potential conflicts are evaluated and managed, resolved, or the individual’s role is modified when necessary.
• Required disclosures are communicated to learners in the manner and timing required for the activity.
• Financial or in-kind support, sponsorship, commercial relationships, and product-related content are disclosed when applicable.
• Course content and educational decisions remain under appropriate BIAA oversight and are not controlled by commercial interests.

Course Information and Promotion

BIAA seeks to provide learners with accurate information before enrollment or participation. Depending on the activity, published information may include:

• course title, description, intended audience, and learning outcomes;
• delivery format, dates/times, access period, prerequisites, and technology requirements;
• fees and included course components;
• satisfactory completion requirements and assessment requirements;
• continuing education approval, credit amount, level/category, and required accreditation statements when applicable;
• instructor or presenter information and required disclosures;
• refund, cancellation, transfer, complaint, and accommodation information; and
• any materials, textbooks, applications, examinations, or other items that must be purchased or completed separately.

BIAA will not represent a course as approved for a particular type or amount of continuing education credit unless that approval applies to the specific activity and offering.

Registration, Enrollment, and Learner Accounts

Learners are responsible for providing accurate registration information and following the enrollment instructions for the activity. BIAA may require an individual learner account, enrollment key, course registration, or other identity-linked process.

• Course access begins when the learner completes the required enrollment steps or when access is administratively assigned.
• Purchase of a course, issuance of an enrollment key, or payment by an organization does not by itself establish completion;
• Enrollment and completion deadlines are governed by the published requirements for the individual course.
• Learners should not share accounts, credentials, enrollment keys assigned to an individual, assessments, or restricted course materials.
• BIAA may correct administrative enrollment errors while maintaining appropriate records of material changes.

Course Delivery and Technology

BIAA may deliver education through live virtual platforms, learning management systems, recorded media, self-paced modules, in-person instruction, or other approved formats. BIAA will use reasonable administrative and technology controls to support reliable delivery, learner access, tracking, and documentation.

For technology-dependent activities, learners are responsible for using compatible equipment and maintaining adequate internet or system access. BIAA will provide reasonable assistance for course-platform issues within its control but cannot guarantee uninterrupted access caused by a learner’s equipment, internet service, third-party outage, or other circumstances outside BIAA’s control.

Attendance, Participation, and Satisfactory Completion

Course-specific completion standard
Satisfactory completion requirements are established for each BIAA educational activity and communicated to learners before participation. Requirements may differ by course and may include attendance, viewing requirements, module completion, knowledge checks, quizzes, examinations, assignments, evaluations, attestations, or other measures.

BIAA verifies satisfactory completion using the methods established for the course. A learner who does not meet the published requirements may be ineligible for a certificate, continuing education credit, or other completion recognition even if the learner purchased or accessed the activity.

Learner Assessment and Examination Integrity

When assessment is part of an activity, BIAA will use assessment methods appropriate to the learning outcomes and course design. Assessment requirements, passing criteria, permitted attempts, deadlines, and remediation opportunities, when applicable, will be communicated through the course or related instructions.

Learners are expected to complete assessments independently unless collaboration is expressly permitted. Unauthorized copying, distribution, reproduction, sharing, or use of assessment items or answer content may result in restriction of access or other action consistent with BIAA policies and applicable certification requirements.

Continuing Education Credit

Continuing education approval is activity-specific. Not every BIAA course is approved by every accrediting or licensing organization.

• BIAA will identify approved credit and applicable provider statements in course information when available.
• Credit is awarded or reported only when the learner satisfies the requirements applicable to that activity and accreditor.
• Learners are responsible for determining whether a course meets the requirements of their individual license, certification, employer, or jurisdiction unless BIAA expressly states otherwise.
• When a licensing or credentialing body permits individual submission, BIAA may provide reasonable supporting documentation such as a certificate, learning outcomes, agenda, or course description.
• BIAA does not guarantee acceptance of credit by an organization that has not approved or recognized the activity.

Certificates and Completion Documentation

BIAA issues certificates or other completion documentation after applicable completion requirements are satisfied. Certificates may identify the learner, course, completion date, educational credit, provider information, or other required information.

Requests for replacement or corrected records may require verification of learner identity. A certificate of completion documents completion under BIAA’s course requirements; where an accreditor uses a separate reporting or registry process, the certificate does not replace that organization’s official award or transcript unless expressly stated.

Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodations

BIAA is committed to providing reasonable access to its professional education activities. Learners who need an accommodation should contact BIAA as early as reasonably possible using the contact method provided with the course or through BIAA Professional Education.

• Requests will be reviewed individually and in good faith.
• BIAA may communicate with the learner to understand the functional need and identify an effective reasonable accommodation.
• Advance notice may be necessary for arrangements that require third-party services, alternate-format materials, captioning, interpreting, physical arrangements, or other preparation.
• BIAA incorporates accessibility considerations into educational design and delivery when reasonably practicable.
• Accommodation information will be handled with appropriate privacy and shared only as necessary to arrange the accommodation.

Learning Accommodation Requests: Learners who need an accommodation or other reasonable adjustment to access or participate in a BIAA Professional Education activity should submit the request as early as reasonably possible to info@biausa.org. Requests are reviewed individually. BIAA may contact the learner privately for information reasonably necessary to understand the functional need and identify an effective accommodation. Learners are not expected to disclose accommodation details in a public course forum or to instructors unless needed to implement the approved accommodation.

Professional Conduct and Nondiscrimination

BIAA is committed to professional education environments that support respectful, equitable, safe, and meaningful participation. This expectation applies to learners, instructors, planners, staff, consultants, vendors, volunteers, and other individuals involved in BIAA educational activities.

Discrimination, harassment, retaliation, threatening behavior, or other conduct that materially interferes with a respectful learning environment is not acceptable. Participants and course personnel are expected to act professionally, respect confidentiality and differing perspectives, and follow applicable BIAA policies and course instructions.

Concerns may be reported through the complaint process described below. BIAA may take reasonable action to address conduct concerns, including warnings, removal from an activity, restriction of access, referral for further organizational review, or other appropriate corrective action.

Privacy and Security

BIAA collects and uses information reasonably necessary to administer education, process transactions, communicate with learners, verify participation and completion, issue records, evaluate programs, satisfy accreditation or reporting obligations, and support organizational operations.

• Access to education records is limited to individuals or service providers with a legitimate business or compliance need.
• BIAA uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards for educational records.
• Information may be shared with an accrediting, credentialing, licensing, technology, payment, or service provider when necessary for the activity or when authorized or required by law.
• Where learner authorization or intent is required before reporting information to an accreditor or registry, BIAA will obtain or document that information as required.
• BIAA maintains backup or recoverability practices appropriate to critical course and compliance records.

This section supplements, and does not replace, BIAA’s organization-wide privacy notices or legal obligations.

Intellectual Property and Use of Course Materials

BIAA respects intellectual property rights and expects learners and course personnel to do the same. Course materials may include content owned by BIAA or used with permission from authors, instructors, publishers, licensors, or other rights holders.

Unless BIAA expressly authorizes otherwise, course materials are provided for the registered learner’s educational use and may not be reproduced, recorded, posted, sold, shared, distributed, uploaded, or used to create derivative training materials. Availability of slides, recordings, books, handouts, or other materials is determined by the individual course and applicable permissions.

Course Recordings

When BIAA records a course or session, the recording may be used for course access, quality assurance, accessibility, or other legitimate educational purposes. The availability, duration of access, and permitted use of recordings are determined by the individual activity.

Learners should avoid sharing confidential or sensitive information during recorded sessions. BIAA may edit, withhold, or discontinue a recording when necessary because of privacy, intellectual property, technical, or quality concerns.

Refunds, Cancellations, Transfers, and Course Changes

Refund, cancellation, transfer, and substitution terms may vary by course, product, registration type, host agreement, or other circumstances. Applicable terms will be made available through registration information, course communications, or BIAA customer service.

• If BIAA cancels or materially reschedules an activity, BIAA will communicate available options to affected registrants.
• Learner-requested cancellations, transfers, substitutions, or refunds are subject to the terms applicable to the purchase or activity.
• BIAA may make reasonable changes to instructors, schedules, delivery methods, or course administration when necessary while preserving the educational purpose and applicable compliance requirements.
• Nothing in this policy limits rights that cannot legally be waived.

Complaints and Appeals

BIAA welcomes concerns about its professional education services and uses complaints as one source of quality-improvement information. A learner or other stakeholder may submit a complaint regarding course administration, accessibility, conduct, content, completion decisions, or another aspect of BIAA professional education.

1. Submit the concern to BIAA Professional Education or through the contact method identified for the course, including sufficient information to understand the issue and requested resolution.
2. BIAA will acknowledge, document, and route the concern to an appropriate staff member who was not solely responsible for the disputed decision when practicable.
3. BIAA will review relevant records, seek additional information when needed, and provide a response or status update within a reasonable timeframe.
4. If the matter involves an accreditor-specific appeal or reporting requirement, BIAA will follow the applicable process and deadlines.
5. BIAA will document the disposition and any corrective or preventive action arising from the complaint.

Good-faith complaints will not result in retaliation. Complaints involving immediate safety, legal, privacy, or ethical concerns may be escalated outside the ordinary course-review process.

Evaluation and Continuous Quality Improvement

BIAA evaluates its professional education program and individual activities using information appropriate to the course. Sources may include learner evaluations, assessment performance, completion data, instructor and planner feedback, support trends, complaints, accessibility feedback, accreditation review, and changes in evidence or professional practice.

BIAA may use these data to revise content, learning outcomes, instructional methods, assessments, technology, communications, instructor guidance, staffing, or administrative procedures. Material improvements and compliance actions will be documented as appropriate.

Records Management and Retention

BIAA minimum retention standard

BIAA will retain professional education records for a minimum of seven (7) years from the applicable course or record endpoint, unless law, contract, accreditation, certification, or another governing requirement requires a longer period. When a specific requirement establishes a different starting point, BIAA will use that applicable starting point.

Records maintained as applicable may include:

• needs assessments, planning records, learning outcomes, agendas, course descriptions, and instructional design documentation;
• course content review and approval records;
• instructor/planner qualifications, agreements, disclosures, and conflict-management documentation;
• promotional materials and required accreditation disclosures;
• registration, enrollment, attendance, participation, and satisfactory-completion records;
• assessment results when required to document completion;
• learner intent/authorization and continuing education reporting records;
• certificates or records sufficient to recreate completion documentation;
• evaluation data and documented quality-improvement actions;
• complaints, appeals, resolutions, and corrective actions;
• financial or in-kind support documentation when required; and
• other documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance.

Records will be stored in systems or formats that support reasonable security, accessibility, and recoverability. BIAA may dispose of records after the applicable retention period in a manner appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.

Cooperative, Hosted, and Partner-Delivered Activities

When BIAA works with another organization to host, promote, administer, or deliver education, responsibilities will be established before the activity. BIAA will retain sufficient involvement and oversight to meet any requirements associated with BIAA’s role as provider, sponsor, administrator, or accrediting/approved-provider entity.

Partner or host arrangements do not eliminate BIAA requirements for qualified personnel, accurate promotion, disclosures, satisfactory completion, learner records, accessibility, complaints, or applicable continuing education compliance.

Compliance Monitoring and Corrective Action

BIAA Professional Education will periodically review program practices and course records for alignment with this policy and applicable external requirements. Reviews may occur through routine quality checks, annual review, accreditation reporting, audits, complaints, incident review, or when requirements change.

When a compliance or quality issue is identified, BIAA may take corrective action such as revising records, communications, content, procedures, technology settings, staff training, reporting, or course controls. Significant issues will be escalated to appropriate leadership and documented.

Policy Review and Change Management

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner when a material change occurs in BIAA operations, law, technology, accreditation standards, or professional education requirements. BIAA may revise this policy at any time. The current approved version supersedes prior versions.

Relevant staff, planners, instructors, and other course personnel will be informed or trained when policy changes affect their responsibilities.

Website Contact Statement

Questions about BIAA professional education, course requirements, accommodations, complaints, continuing education documentation, or this policy may be directed to BIAA through the Professional Education contact information published on the BIAA website or provided with the applicable course.

Course-specific information should be reviewed together with this policy because individual courses may have additional requirements.