Overview 

The AUUA’s certification program is open to all members of the Association of Unitarian Universalist Administrators.  (Note: the applicant must be an AUUA member in good standing at both the time of registration in the program and upon completion for certification to be conferred.) Certification can be achieved in any of eleven different modules, each focusing on a different area of administrative competency.  

Modules cover: Communications, Facilities Management, Finance, Human Resources, Leadership, Office Management, Professional Development & Self Care, Risk Management, Technology, Unitarian Universalism and Volunteer Management.  Certification in any of these modules can be attained at either level one or level two. Level two includes all of the elements of level one, but takes the learning to a further level of analysis. 

The cost for either level is the same. The registration fee for each module for AUUA members is $50. Please complete the membership process here prior to registering for the modules. 

Each candidate must determine for his or her self which is the appropriate level of certification based on a variety of factors. These will include among other things, the size of church in which they work, the scope of their job description, their life experiences and other work history as well as the amount of time they have to devote to the process and how far the candidate wishes to explore the material. It is, however, necessary that the candidate indicate to the Certification Coordinator which level they are seeking when they embark on the program.

Each candidate will have a year to complete any module. The year will commence when they are sent the module’s material from the Certification Coordinator.

A candidate, if they feel they already have sufficient knowledge of the subject matter can submit a petition for credit for the module and receive certification by following the method described in the Petition for Credit instructions found here.  All modules EXCEPT the Professional Development & Self Care are open to this process. Professional Development & Self Care must be completed as written.

Upon completion, the candidate’s module portfolio will be submitted to the Certification Coordinator electronically. Specifics regarding submission style and format can be found at the beginning of each module. While it is true that specific word lengths of articles or tasks in the modules are very seldom given, it is expected that a candidate will explore each assignment thoroughly.

The coordinator will send the material on to the Portfolio Review Board for evaluation.  Each portion will be evaluated in five areas on a ten point scale by three members of the review board. The five areas of assessment are: clarity of thought, organization, demonstration of knowledge area, presentation, and originality. A passing grade will be 80%. If any portion(s) of the portfolio does not achieve the 80% mark or better, it will be returned to the candidate, with commentary, for resubmission. Any module may be resubmitted once. Further information on the review process and the format used by the review board can be found at the end of each module. This testing procedure this process is still in development and if you are interested in testing out please contact the coordinator know when the process is finalized you will be notified.

The guidelines for each module contains a list of resources specific to that competency area. The candidate is strongly encouraged to seek additional resources and to inform the Certification Coordinator of their findings so that the Resources lists can become a living document reflective of new knowledge and thought in all areas of church administration.