Some Clarifying Notes about PPO CEUs
PPO CEU Clarifying Notes
Guidance for understanding and reviewing programming submitted for the Power, Privilege & Oppression (PPO) content area under RID’s Certification Maintenance Program.
What PPO Programming Should Address
Programming that has the PPO designation should delve into content that covers systems of power, privilege, and the matrix of domination that create oppression, and how participants affect and are affected by these systems.
Targets of oppressive systems can include, but are not limited to, people who are Black or Brown and/or identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC); people who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups; members of the Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard-of-Hearing, Coda, and Late-Deafened communities; people with disabilities; people who are neurodivergent; women; people from religious minorities; members of the LGBTQIA+ community; people from minority political ideologies (e.g., Marxists); immigrants and New Americans in the United States; people whose first language is not English in the United States; and others who may experience oppressive systems.
PPO Programming as Praxis
PPO programming entails a praxis—putting theory into action—where participants reflect on their own relationship to systems of power, privilege, and oppression. Programming that focuses primarily on individuals sharing their personal and professional lived experiences is not sufficient to earn the PPO designation.
Requirements for PPO CEUs
In order to meet the requirements for the PPO CEU content area, programming must create opportunities and processes for participants to:
- Practice identifying and understanding systems of power, privilege, and oppression.
- Engage in conversations, not only within the context of professional development but also more broadly with other people about systems of oppression in society and how to work toward dismantling those systems in service of a more egalitarian society.
- Develop a practice where participants assess the contexts they find themselves in and identify for themselves how they wield their own power and privilege when making decisions in order to reduce their own contributions to systems of oppression.
Questions for Reviewing Proposed Programming
Sponsors should consider the following questions when reviewing proposed programming. These questions are intended as guidance and are not an exhaustive list.
Does this programming ask:
- Are participants aware that systems of power, privilege, and oppression treat different groups in society differently?
- Are participants aware of the matrix of domination and how it creates oppressive harm, which impacts individuals and groups in different ways?
- Are participants aware of examples of oppressive harm?
- Are participants aware of what bias is, and are they aware of their own biases?
- Are participants aware that systemic biases exist?
- Are participants aware of how their own biases might, or do, exacerbate situations that are already oppressive toward some individuals?
- Can participants identify and describe ways in which they have been targets of oppressive systems? Not all participants will have had this experience.
- In retrospect, can participants identify ways they have knowingly or unknowingly negatively impacted others within already-oppressive situations?
- Can participants identify tools and resources to help them assess contexts and identify ways to wield their power and privilege when making decisions in order to reduce their own contributions to systems of oppression?
- Can participants identify tools and resources to help them minimize, and ideally eliminate, oppressive harm in situations?
- Can participants identify tools and resources to help them minimize the power of, and ideally eliminate, oppressive systems?
Related CMP Resources
For information about CMP content areas, processing fees, hosting workshops for CEUs, PINRA, Independent Study Plans, and Academic Coursework, visit the UTRID CMP & CEU Resources page.