Frequently Asked Questions

New ACVA Online Learning Model and Policies
Effective April, 2010 - Page One

What are the new main changes at ACVA?

For primarily financial reasons in today’s economic situation, the ACVA tutor-led teaching model can no longer be supported by the ACVA organization and is being replaced. Some exceptions might apply in the transition, however.

The tutor-led model will be replaced by the ACVA Online teaching model, which has been validated as a sustainable teaching method. It is a more cost effective teaching method for ACVA organizers and can reach more students around the world.

Level 2 teachers certified through the former tutor-led model will not be able to mentor/tutor students for course credit towards ACVA Online certification.

What triggered these changes at ACVA?

As you might have heard, ACVA went through a significant reorganization in June, 2009. It was costing ACVA twice as much to run its operations than it was brining in. In fact, in the last two years, less than a dozen students have taken the ACVA certification exams. ACVA as an organization only gets $95 from each student as a registration fee. As has been the case for many years, ACVA receives minimal revenues from its historical tutoring/certification process. It was primarily donations and volunteering that sustained the tutor-led teaching model over the last several years. With the economic situation in today’s world, ACVA had experienced an almost total loss of donations. As much as we fought to do so, ACVA found it could no longer pay for the staff and overhead expenses to run the historical model of ACVA as a tutor-led teaching organization.

Entering 2009, with people and money support at its lowest levels ever, ACVA had only one viable path to take. We had shift all our focus to the ACVA Online courses where some profits were being shown. This was the only activity in which ACVA as an organization was bringing in income. Perhaps in the future, if the tutor-led model could be adapted to generate enough revenue to sustain itself and the school, such proposals would be considered.

How profitable has the teaching method been at ACVA, which is being called the “Tutor-Led Model?”

As you might have heard, ACVA went through a significant reorganization in June, 2009. It was costing ACVA twice as much to run its operations than it was brining in. In fact, in the last two years, less than a dozen students have taken the ACVA certification exams. ACVA as an organization only gets $95 from each student as a registration fee. As has been the case for many years, ACVA receives minimal revenues from its historical tutoring/certification process. It was primarily donations and volunteering that sustained the tutor-led teaching model over the last several years. With the economic situation in today’s world, ACVA had experienced an almost total loss of donations. As much as we fought to do so, ACVA found it could no longer pay for the staff and overhead expenses to run the historical model of ACVA as a tutor-led teaching organization.

Who is running ACVA now?

Except for Nancy who we need to run the registration and administration of ACVA Online, ACVA is being run and managed by a dedicated steering committee comprised of three volunteers running a slimmed down ACVA. These people are currently working to keep ACVA going for free. Dennis Harness could no longer work for an already reduced salary and had to step down as President.. He’s been replaced by Bill Levacy who is volunteering his very spare time to keep ACVA Online moving forward. There were no finances for Lori to run the ACVA office and she departed, along with Jack, who managed our finances. We had to let go our part time helper who coordinated book and tape sales, answered the phones, and did light office work such as bill paying. We had to let go of the physical office, most of the bookstore, and any other overhead expenses we could so we could at least keep ACVA on life support.

What is ACVA doing to improve its operations going forward?

As ACVA moves forward, we just have a barebones operation keeping the revenue generating ACVA online classes going.

ACVA is now organized around a network model of management. We have a new ACVA board of directors (about half resigned in June, 2009 along with the former President). ACVA also has a Steering Committee of four persons who oversee the operations of ACVA. As mentioned earlier, the registration and administrative functions for ACVA Online are coordinated through our registrar, Nancy Dietz, We are also working on a quarterly ACVA newsletter to let our base know about the latest happenings at ACVA Online.

Unfortunately, we have no revenues coming in to support a staff to keep the older tutor-led model operating, and as we have said, we have had to close down that phase of our operations. While we are in transition from the old tutor-led model to the newer online model, the current ACVA Online staff is doing what it can to help in this transition time.

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