Logos for the V-M-C-A, V-C-U Continuing and Professional Education, and the I-I-M-C

Annual Virginia Municipal Clerks Association (VMCA) Institutes and Academy

 

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VMCA Institutes and Academy


2024 VMCA Institutes and Academy Agenda [PDF]


Interested in Athenian Leadership Society Dialogues? Learn more about this series>


"Excellent! Out of four VMCA Institutes and Academies that I have attended, this was the best one yet."

 (~2023 Institutes and Academy participant)

VMCA Institutes and Academy

The Virginia Municipal Clerks Association (VMCA) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) offer an in-person program. Registration is open for clerks for the 2024 VMCA Institutes and Academy.

  • (Pre-Institute workshops). The Pre-Institute workshops will have limited enrollment. When registering, you will be given the option to enroll in the workshop of your choice, if seats remain available.  If the workshop option is not available and you would like to be added to the waitlist, please email us at ocpe@vcu.edu

    • Pre-Institute workshop Athenian Dialogue - Book: My Fight / Your Fight by Ronda Rousey and Maria Burns-Ortiz
    • Monday, October 14, 2028:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday- Wednesday, October 15-16, 2024 (Institutes and Academy Program)

Location

The 2024 in-person program will be held at The Westin Richmond at 6631 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230. The group rate is $149 per night plus tax and self-parking is complimentary.

To book your hotel reservation online click here.

Join our mailing list under 'Stay Connected' for the latest information about the Annual VMCA Institutes and Academy and Athenian Dialogues. 

About the VMCA Institutes and Academy

In partnership with the International Institute for Municipal Clerks (IIMC) and the Virginia Municipal Clerks Association (VMCA), VCU Continuing and Professional Education offers a rigorous continuing education program for IIMC members and associate members. The IIMC refers to our program as the IIMC-approved Virginia Institute.

The IIMC-approved Institutes and Academy program provides administrators who serve a Legislative Government Body (LGB) the tools required to make sure that public meetings, public records, elections and special projects operate smoothly.  The IIMC will calculate and determine the allocation of points when members submit their applications for their  Certified Municipal Clerk or Master Municipal Clerk. Members receive 1 point per 2 hours of Institute education.

Program tracks

We offer three tracks for current and aspiring municipal clerks.

Municipal Clerk Fundamentals Institute

For clerks pursuing the Certified Municipal Clerk IIMC designation

Our Municipal Clerk Fundamentals Institute is for clerks new to the field or who have not previously attended an IIMC-approved institute. In this Institute, you will get a solid overview of the fundamental knowledge and foundational skills needed to be an effective municipal clerk.

Municipal Clerk Emerging Leader Institute

For clerks pursuing the Certified Municipal Clerk IIMC designation

This Institute builds on the foundation of the Municipal Clerk Fundamentals Institute. You will explore public administration, leadership, and management themes that strengthen your ability to perform the core duties of a municipal clerk.

Municipal Clerk Master Academy

For clerks pursuing the Master Municipal Clerk IIMC designation and MMC holders

The Municipal Clerk Master Academy is for seasoned municipal clerks who have earned the Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) designation from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC). The Master Academy is an advanced educational program that includes a wide-range of public administration, leadership, and management sessions that prepare clerks to perform more complex municipal duties.

How this works

Clerks select and register for their track, and then join VCU CPE, in October for the in person Institutes and Academy workshops.

Participation

For in-person workshops, the IIMC requires that clerks sign in and out of each workshop to verify attendance.

Clerks are encouraged to attend the full program. If that is not possible due to clerk-related duties or personal situations, continuing education hours may be earned for each workshop/session completed successfully. Each assessment link is sent only to clerks who fully attend the entire workshop/session. There are no registration fee credits nor continuing education hours (toward IIMC points) for partial attendance.

Online assessments

We offer online assessments via FlexiQuiz.

To receive continuing education hours (toward IIMC points), you need to attend the full workshop/session and pass its corresponding assessment. The Institute Director will send assessment links to clerks who attend the entire workshop/session as verified via sign in and out sheets. You will only have three opportunities to pass each assessment with a minimum score of 80%. Once you pass an assessment, a certificate is automatically issued for download and emailed to you for that workshop/session.

We recommend that clerks print and save electronic certificates for their records and IIMC credential applications.

Who should attend

The VMCA Institutes and Academy is designed for municipal clerks and aspiring municipal clerks working in Virginia. Clerks from other states are welcome to participate, although laws regarding document retention, Freedom of Information Act, and Conflict of Interest laws may vary from state to state. We strongly recommend that if your state has an IIMC-approved institute, you let your state's institute director know you are considering attending the Virginia Institute so he or she can advise you.

If you have questions on how the VMCA Institutes and Academy might be beneficial to you, please contact the Institute Director Shelly Schuetz at ssschuetz@vcu.edu or the program coordinator Katherine Coates at coateske@vcu.edu to explore your options and to check for seat availability.


 

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