Seminar FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the National Korean Studies Seminar: (last updated 7/10/2021)

  • Q: What are the LAUSD salary points and USC credits all about?
    • A: All educators and administrators who complete all of the seminar hours are eligible to receive 1 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Salary Point or 3 Continuing Education Units (CEU) from University of Southern California (USC). There will be a $50 fee paid to the seminar for applying for either LAUSD Salary Point or USC CEUs, and an additional cost of $135 for USC CEU applicants paid to USC (One CEU costs $45).

  • Q: So what exactly is a “CEU”?
    • A: According to LAUSD and USC, the USC credit is not a semester or quarter unit, but a professional development credit. Since the teachers who attend the seminar do not receive grades and are not taking classes at USC, they are eligible for professional development credits. The purpose of this credit is for teachers who believe that at some point in their life, they might transfer out of the district, and these units may benefit them. They are not graduate nor undergraduate degree credits.  Therefore, they cannot be used for graduate credit at USC.  There are other institutions which may accept them for graduate credit, but that is entirely up to the other institution.
    • A: Salary points from LAUSD are not recognized by other districts, so USC will provide a transcript that will validate the professional development credit. Some teachers who decide to take salary points and then decide they want later to get USC credit will NOT be able to make this change. So the advantage of this is that it is transferable to other districts, which is beneficial for any teacher who may relocate to another district or to an independent school.
    • 3 CEUs is the equivalent of 30 hours (1 unit = 10 hours). LAUSD gives 1 salary points when someone submits for 45 hours.  The salary points are calculated at the same rate as semester units which is 15 hours per unit.

  • Q: I have participated in this seminar and earned a salary point in the past. Can I participate again this year and earn salary points again?
    • A: Teachers who attended and earned a salary point in the past 5 years cannot earn another salary point.  (LAUSD Contract Language states: c. Salary point credit for repeat coursework shall not be allowed unless five (5) years have passed since the course was originally taken.)