promoting your credit recommendation service...ace has developed this marketing toolkit to assist...

PROMOTING YOUR CREDIT RECOMMENDATION SERVICEAmerican Council on EducationCollege Credit Recommendation Service

Marketing Toolkit for ClientsAmerican Council on Education

College Credit Recommendation Service

One Dupont Circle, Suite 250

Washington, DC 20036

www.acenet.edu

www.acenet.edu/credit

(Updated: March 2016)

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Guidelines on Advertisement or Use of ACE CREDIT for Promotional Purposes ..........5

Approved Marketing Language ....................................................................................................................... 6

General ACE Logo Usage Policy ..................................................................................................................... 8

Press Release Guidelines ...................................................................................................................................10

ACE CREDIT Press Release Template ......................................................................................................10

Prohibited Marketing Activities and Language ...................................................................................11

ACE CREDIT Contact.......................................................................................................................................... 12

ACE CREDIT® Marketing Toolkit for Clients 3

IntroductionCongratulations on your successful review! The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT®) would like to thank you for becoming and/or continuing to be a part of an elite network of organizations, which includes Fortune 500 companies, professional and volunteer associations, schools, training suppliers, labor unions, and government agencies.

Since 1974, ACE CREDIT has successfully worked with thousands of corporate learning programs offered by businesses and industry, labor unions, associations, government agencies, and military services. The credit recommendations are designed to provide adult learners the opportunity to receive academic credit for learning completed outside of the traditional college or university classroom. The ACE CREDIT recommendation carries benefits for each of the program’s three types of participants.

For the organization, ACE CREDIT:• Validates the high quality of training being offered through the organization;• Offers cost-effective workforce training; and• Boosts employee performance and reduces turnover.

For the adult learner, ACE CREDIT:• Enables attainment of educational and career goals;• Shortens the path to degree completion; and• Qualifies an employee for upward mobility in the workplace.

For the postsecondary institution, ACE CREDIT:• Provides access to new, highly motivated learners;• Ensures consistent quality, less duplication, and lower costs in the accreditation process; and • Supplies improved networks to the business community and government agencies.

ACE has developed this marketing toolkit to assist you with informing your constituents about your successful review. The primary purpose of the toolkit is to provide clear understanding and guidance on promoting the ACE CREDIT recommendations, including approved marketing language, trade-mark/logo policies, dos and don’ts, and press releases. ACE reserves the right to determine whether marketing materials, including—without limitation—those in print, audio, visual, digital, or other elec-tronic format, are misleading, false, or constitute misrepresentation.

4 American Council on Education


Guidelines on Advertisement or Use of ACE CREDIT for Promotional Purposes References to the American Council on Education® (ACE®) and to the American Council on Education College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT®) are strictly limited to the text contained in this publication.

All advertising about the courses or examinations reviewed by ACE CREDIT must be approved by ACE before it is made public.

The results and meaning of the ACE evaluation must be presented accurately by the organization. Cor-respondence between ACE and the sponsoring organization shall not be used for advertising, market-ing, sales, or other general distribution purposes.

All promotional materials in any form that refer to ACE, ACE CREDIT, or the credit recommendations must be reviewed and approved in writing by ACE CREDIT before any use. All aforementioned promotional materials, including press releases and/or media advisories, must be submitted to ACE (see “ACE CREDIT Contact” on page 12 of these materials) at least three business days ahead of their intended use/release.

The words “accredited” and “accreditation” and any variant thereof may not be used in reference to ACE CREDIT recommendations or reviews.

ACE CREDIT course recommendations expire three years from the date of approval.

Participating organizations must report to ACE CREDIT, in writing, all changes made to course titles, content, and delivery no later than 30 days before the changes are implemented during each three-year period.

Organizations are required to participate in annual audits of course offerings, promotional materials, and an assessment of the organization’s efforts to increase adult access to postsecondary education.

Organizations may be subject to onsite audits to determine compliance with this agreement.

Failure to adhere to these policies will result in the termination of organization’s participation in the ACE CREDIT program.

ACE Right to ReviewACE reserves the right to review any program and terminate any recommendation upon finding that the program or its course offerings is/are not consistent with the goals and standards of ACE and its CREDIT program. Upon termination of any recommendation, the officer of the program must immedi-ately comply with directives of ACE regarding the removal of any notices or publicity concerning the ACE CREDIT recommendation.


Approved Marketing LanguageFor the benefit of our customers, the following five options are available for your use when refer-ring to the ACE CREDIT program, services, and transcripts. Please provide any media materials for approval prior to publishing to [email protected].

Option 1:The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT®) has evaluated and recommended college credit for ____ (number) of _______________ (organization name) _______________ (courses/exams/certifications). Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinat-ing body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents and more than 200 related associations nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy.

ACE CREDIT connects workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping adults gain access to academic credit at colleges and universities for formal courses and examinations taken in the workplace or other settings outside traditional higher education.

For more than 30 years, colleges and universities have trusted ACE CREDIT to provide reliable course equivalency information to facilitate their decisions to award academic credit. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT website at www.acenet.edu/credit.

Option 2:The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT®) has evaluated and recommended college credit for ____ (number) of _______________ (organization name) _______________ (courses/exams/certifications). Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinat-ing body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents and more than 200 related associations nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT website at www.acenet.edu/credit.


ACE CREDIT connects workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping adults gain access to academic credit at colleges and universities for formal courses and examinations taken in the


workplace or other settings outside traditional higher education. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT website at www.acenet.edu/credit.



Option 5:The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT®) has evaluated ____ (number) of _______________ (organization name) (courses/exams/certifications). For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT website at www.acenet.edu/credit.

References to the ACE CREDIT Transcript Service:For the benefit of our _______________ (participants/students/employees), (organization name) participates in the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Transcript Service. The ACE Transcript Service offers a lifelong record for students who have successfully completed our _______________ (courses/exams/certifications) that have been reviewed by ACE CREDIT. This service enables adult learners to present a nationally recognized transcript to the college or university of their choice for the potential award of academic credit. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT Transcript Service website at www.acenet.edu/credit/transcripts.


General ACE CREDIT® Logo Usage PolicyThe American Council on Education prohibits the use of the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT®) logo without ACE’s express written permission.

To the extent they are authorized, all uses of the ACE CREDIT® logo shall be accompanied by the federal trademark registration symbol: ®. The symbol must appear at least once on all printed materi-als, advertising, promotional materials, collateral, and web pages upon which the mark will be used. It should appear legibly.

For instance:• American Council on Education®• ACE®• CREDIT®

Additionally, the following statement must appear at least once on all printed materials, advertising, promotional materials, collateral, and web pages upon which an ACE mark will be used: “The ACE CREDIT logo is a federally registered trademark of the American Council on Education and cannot be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the American Council on Education.”

ACE CREDIT Logo UsageACE CREDIT clients often request usage of the ACE CREDIT logo, so that it may be reproduced for a variety of purposes. Permission may be granted for such usage according to the following policy.

PolicyApproval for usage of the ACE CREDIT logo will be granted only when it is determined that the logo will be used appropriately and not in any way that would compromise the integrity of ACE CREDIT or damage its reputation. Specifically, users of the ACE CREDIT logo must:

1. Avoid typographical adjustments, such as pluralizing the trademarks or joining them to otherwords, either as one word or by means of a hyphen. Licensees must also refrain from altering,adapting, modifying, animating, or morphing any ACE trademarks.

2. Always use the trademarks as uninflected adjectives, followed by descriptive nouns. The trade-marks must never be used as nouns, verbs, or in the plural or possessive form.

3. Use the logo in a manner that will not imply guaranteed credit for courses.4. Use the CREDIT logo in a manner that will not confuse the public about the origin of prod-

ucts, services, materials, courses, or programs.5. Refrain from using variations of the logo that might obscure or lead to confusion in the mar-

ketplace.6. Refrain from using the ACE CREDIT name or logo as the visual focal point of any materials

prepared by a non-ACE source.


7. Refrain from using the ACE CREDIT name or logo as part of a product, service, or programname.

8. Include the following statement at least once on all printed materials, advertising, promo-tional materials, collateral, and web pages upon which the ACE CREDIT logo will be used:

The ACE CREDIT logo is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education and cannot be used or reproduced without the express written consent of the American Council on Education. Used with permission.

Requesting to use the ACE CREDIT LogoAll requests to use the ACE CREDIT logo must be approved by ACE’s Communications department. ACE’s legal team may be consulted in special or unusual cases or circumstances.

To request approval to use the ACE CREDIT logo, please send an email to [email protected] and include “ACE CREDIT Logo Request” in the subject line.

All requests must include:• The nature of use/intended audience;• A sample of materials or detailed description of information contained in materials; and• The number of materials to be produced and circulated.

Because of the wide array of circumstances in which use of the ACE CREDIT logo is requested, requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis, using a common-sense approach where applicable and involving other departments as necessary.

In the past, ACE CREDIT clients have worked with ACE to feature the ACE CREDIT logo in the follow-ing circumstances:

• Websites;• PowerPoint presentations;• Brochures;• Advertisements; and• Corporate newsletters.

When an external request for usage of the ACE CREDIT logo has been approved, ACE will issue a written agreement along with usage guidelines to the requesting party. This agreement will often be contingent on ACE’s review of the final product.


Press Release GuidelinesACE requires the review and approval of all press releases to protect the integrity and value of the ACE brand, prevent misrepresentations of ACE CREDIT recommendations, and ensure the accuracy of information about ACE and ACE CREDIT.

Please allow at least three business days for review and approval of press releases.

ACE Credit Press Release Template[Institution Name] Announces [Number/additional] Courses Recommended for College Credit by

American Council on Education

DATELINE—[Institution Name, Description], today announced that the American Council on Edu-cation’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT®) has evaluated and recommended college credit for [Number/additional] courses. ACE, the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher educa-tion issues and to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

[Institution Quote]

ACE CREDIT helps adults gain academic credit for courses and examinations taken outside traditional degree programs. More than 2,000 colleges and universities consider ACE CREDIT recommendations in determining the applicability of coursework and examination results to their courses and degree programs.


[Optional paragraph below]

[Institution Name] offers a total of [Number of courses] that have been recommended for college credit by ACE CREDIT. For a complete listing of these courses, please visit [Institution’s page on ACE CREDIT National Guide website].

[Institution boilerplate]

About ACE

Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents and more than 200 related associations nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.

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Prohibited Marketing Activities and LanguageBelow are some helpful hints and key words and phrases that are important to use or avoid when writ-ing or referring to your ACE College Credit recommendations.

Correct Language Incorrect Language

• ACE’s CREDIT recommendations

• ACE’s CREDIT program evaluatesformal education courses and pro-grams for college-level credit.

• ACE CREDIT’s College and Univer-sity Network is a group of more than2,000 higher education institutionsthat consider ACE credit recommen-dations for transfer to degree pro-grams. Note: The decision to acceptspecific credit recommendations isup to each institution.

• ACE maintains a national comput-erized transcript service to providestudents with a lifetime record of alltheir ACE recommended courses.

• Accreditation

• Approval

• ACE recommended courses areeligible for college credit at collegesand universities nationwide.

• You can transfer ACE credit to anyinstitution in the ACE CREDIT’sCollege and University Network,a group of more than 2,000 highereducation institutions.

The use of the CREDIT logo as any sort of “seal of approval,” or as a co-branding tool is prohibited. Make sure to consult the ACE logo usage guidelines and seek approval before using the ACE or the ACE CREDIT logos. The review and approval process requires at least three business days for completion.

ACE encourages organizations to help describe their credit recommendations by linking to any of the following pages:

ACE CREDIT: http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/College-Credit-Recommendation-Ser-vice-(CREDIT).aspx

ACE National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training: http://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?fuse-action=browse.main

ACE Transcript Registry: http://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?page=transcripts


ACE CREDIT ContactFor all inquiries or requests concerning marketing and communications involving ACE, please send

your inquiry to [email protected] and include “Marketing Approval Request” in the subject line.

Please allow at least three business days for your request to be approved.

www.acenet.edu/credit

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