SPOT Recertification

SPOT Recert Completion is now automated. 
You no longer need to submit transcripts or dates from your recert items. We already have that information.

All SPOT recertifications are due on July 31 of a given year. Once you have completed recertification activities, your recertification is complete. Recertification completions are only processed in the academic year they are due (for SPOT recertification purposes, the academic year is Aug 1 to July 31). Once your recertification is processed, you will receive an email notifying you when your recertification is processed. If you have additional requirements,  you'll receive a message stating what you need to finish and you will be enrolled in the SPOT Recert Hub in Canvas. For more on requirements, read the details below.

As a new system, there is always a chance that we missed something. If you believe there is a discrepancy and we missed a requirement you met, you can still review your POD transcripts and identify any missing elements that aren't reflected in our messages to you. If you find something, please email distancelearning@mtsac.edu. We will be happy to set it right for you. 

 

To Complete SPOT Recertification

The Mt. SAC faculty contract specifies that SPOT-certified professors must recertify every 4 years by completing 4 hours of activities to refresh and update important knowledge related to online teaching. Check the SPOT Certified Faculty page (linked in buttons above) to review your SPOT status and learn your next due date year. Search your name using control+f (or command+f on Macs), or scroll through to the right Division, department, and last name alphabetical order to locate your name.

Starting in the 2026/2027 academic year, professors are enrolled in the SPOT Recert Hub in Canvas. This open course in Canvas provides all the details, links, and resources you need to complete SPOT Recertification. Because it is an open course, you can visit it anytime without being enrolled. When enrolled during your recertification year, this course will pop up on your Canvas dashboard and you'll receive  announcements and reminders sent through that course. Your enrollment will conclude at the end of your recert year, but if you wish to disable notifications or hide the course once you've recertified, instructions in the course explain how to do so.

Below, find a brief overview of the steps required to complete SPOT recertification. 

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Check if you completed SPOT Recertification workshops

 

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)about SPOT Recert

• • How do I find my POD Transcript?
    • Sign in to the POD Connect Calendar with your Mt. SAC credentials.

    • From the POD Connect menu, select "Transcript."

    

    • From here you can look at completed professional learning activities by selecting "Completed" from under "Training Status" pull-down menu in the upper left corner. 

    
    

    Download the certificates from the qualifying activities. All activities for SPOT recertification will show up here: your Regulations Update completion, your completed RSI review, and your other completed workshops. 

    Option 2:Download the POD Transcript

    • Alternatively, you can download a Transcript report from the three dots in the upper right corner.

    

    To have your professional learning information handy, you can opt to export your transcript, print your transcript or "Run Transcript Report" from this location. 

    If you opt to "Run Transcript Report," use the filters to limit the transcript to the dates that count toward your current SPOT recertification, which is a four-year window that ends on July 31  of the year your recertification is due and starts exactly 4 years earlier on Aug 1. For example, if your recertification is due on July 31, 2025, your recertifying activities had to take place between Aug 1, 2021 and July 31, 2025.

  • How do I find my Certificates of Completion in POD?

    To find your completed activities, go to your POD transcript as described in the last accordion. Go to the completed items in your transcript. 

    

    • If you wish to provide evidence for a discrepancy in your record, you can download your Certificate of Completion. Click on "View Certificate" at the right end of the line next to the item.

    

    • When you click on the option to "View Certificate" the certificate will open in a pop-up window. Use controls in the upper right corner to download or print the item or alternatively you can use right-click (PC) or its equivalent on a Mac (control-click or secondary click) to access the "Print" option and print to PDF. 

    If you have any difficulty accessing your transcript, contact POD for assistance.

  • What can I do if I have questions about my SPOT recert completion? 

    Please begin by checking the 3 simple requirements: did you finish the workshop requirements in your due-date year: Regulations Update and 2-hours of qualifying workshops? Did you pass an RSI review at any time during your 4-year cycle? If you did those items, you have completed the recertification requirements.

    If you are unsure, review your POD transcript using the instructions in the FAQ above. In your recert year, we will send you a confirmation email that your recertification is complete. Your due date will be updated on our SPOT Certified Faculty Page (linked at top menu on this page) where your division can verify your eligibility for online courses.

  • What if my name or other parts of my SPOT record are incorrect or have changed?

    If you feel there are any errors or your record has discrepancies, you can contact distancelearning@mtsac.edu. We can update any changes to your name.

    Please note that the system requires the original emails (usually first initial, last name, possibly a number + @mtsac.edu) to maintain your record across Canvas, SPOT, and the Banner registration system. Aliases cannot be used. Addresses must be Mt. SAC email addresses, not emails that are external to the college.

  • What if I already finished 2 hours of recertification workshops before Aug 1, 2026?

    These count! we are counting all live and self-paced workshops that qualified for SPOT recert toward recertifications in the years 2026-2029. Qualifying workshops were reviewed and approved by the Distance Learning Committee for SPOT recertification. 

    Please note: Basic Canvas workshops such as Growing with Canvas do not count toward SPOT recertification because SPOT certification assumes you have basic Canvas knowledge before becoming DL-certified. 

  • What if I only had 1 hour of qualifying workshops from before Aug 1, 2026?
    Because the new workshops are designed to be 2 hours, you will likely have to finish one of the new workshops. We do not currently have a 1-hour option and don't want to create confusion in the new curriculum. The new workshops will be listed in the SPOT Recert Hub and in POD. They are all refresher/reflection courses based directly on SPOT curriculum to directly refresh and improve core distance learning knowledge and skills. 
    
  • Can I submit my recertification early?
    In short, no. We ask you not to submit recertification early. Activities can be completed any time in the 4-year window, but we ask that you only submit your recertification in the academic year in which it is due. For example, if your due date is 7/31/2026, you can submit anytime during the 2026-2026 academic year. If your due date is 7/31/2028, we do not want your recertification until academic year 2027/28.  Please help us with our record-keeping processes and wait until your recertification year to submit. We cannot process requests that are submitted early. 
  • After August 1, 2026, do I have to take my SPOT recert workshop in a self-paced format? Are there other options? 
    For now, as the new curriculum is released, these workshops are designed as self-paced options. If there is sufficient requests to complete workshops in another modality, the Office of Distance Learning will take that into consideration. However it is unlikely that simply attending will be sufficient going forward. A work product or activity completion is likely to be required to complete the recertification requirement going forward.

Contact the Office of Distance Learning

 If you have additional questions that were not answered here, please contact the Office of Distance Learning and Instructional Technology

Name	Office	Email
Office of Distance Learning and Instructional Technology	6-262	distancelearning@mtsac.edu