Working Together to Perfect the Art of Software
A Place to Learn, Certify and Teach

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to your questions about AU


General AU Questions

Mission

The mission of Agile University is to instill Agile principles, share knowledge of Agile practices and advance adoption of Agile approaches. Through this collaborative effort, we manifest the power of people working together to perfect the art of software development.

Why should I take a training course?

Teams who receive training and guidance from a coach are much more likely to succeed than those who don't. Training offers teams an opportunity to gain shared understanding around language, meaning and practices that is difficult to achieve when individual team members just read books or browse websites. If your team is struggling with estimating, completing committed work in an iteration, building consistent quality products, good meeting practices, role transitions, engineering practices, delivering value, or any other Agile practice, training can help!

PDU Credits Eligibility

Am I eligible for PDUs?

Yes. However, students must claim their own PDUs. Below are the instructions to apply for credits.

Generally, the rule is very simple. Each hour spent in the course counts for 1 PDU.

  • You are eligible for XX PDUs (where XX = number of hours spent in the course) under Category 4: Other Providers. For example, in a two day, Certified ScrumMaster course you would be eligible for 16 hours of elective credit.
  • You have to apply for your own credits, as Agile University cannot do this for you.
  • Using your personal member username and password, login to the www.pmi.org site:
    • Once you're in, click on the "View PDUs" link that can be found on the left column of the page.
    • You will then need to login again, this time using your PMI ID Number, your PMP Certification Number and your password. NOTE: Your password here is the first four characters of your last name.
    • Before hitting enter, make sure you have the radio button "PMI PDU Self Report Form" clicked.
    • Next, on the self reporting screen, select Category 4 from the drop down ("Other Program Provider") menu. This is for education providers that are not registered with the PMI.
    • Click "continue," and you'll have to enter in all the specifics about the class, including the areas of "Knowledge" and "Process" dropdowns.
    • We recommend selecting "all" to represent the areas covered. For "Application/Specific Interest" areas, we recommend selecting "09: Information Systems."
    • You will also need the specific contact information for the instructor (address, phone, email). This should be provided during the course. If you do not have it, please email info@agileu.org.
    • Once you have completed these steps, you're done! With the exception of a review by the PMI before granting you the PDUs, of course!

Certification Questions

Certification Review and Evaluation

Scrum Alliance, the certifying organization for ScrumMasters, Scrum Product Owners and Certified Scrum Practitioners has announced new plans for student certification. Beginning October 1, 2009 a multiple choice, certification exam will be administered to each student completing a Certified ScrumMaster or a Certified Scrum Product Owner Training.

On course completion, participants are registered as Certified ScrumMasters (CSMs), which includes a two-year membership in the Scrum Alliance, where valuable ScrumMaster-material and information is available exclusively to CSMs. You will be contacted by Scrum Alliance approximately two weeks following your course with further details on becoming certified.

With the new changes to the certification program, when must a CSM, CSPO or CSP certification holder recertify?

Effective April 1, 2009 all CSM, CSPO and CSP certifications will be valid for a period of two years. This means that everyone who was awarded a CSM, CSPO or CSP certification on or before April 1, 2009 must recertify by April 1, 2011 to maintain their certified status. Individuals seeking recertification will be required to demonstrate that their knowledge and skills in the domain of ScrumMaster, Product Owner, or Scrum Practitioner remain current and they will be required to pay a recertification fee. Specific details of the recertification requirements will be finalized during the Scrum Gathering in Orlando in March and will be announced shortly thereafter.

Payment Questions

What form of payment can I use?

For all classes through Agile University payment by credit card is preferred and will be accepted through our registration system or through PayPal and Google Checkout where available.

We no longer accept invoices as a form of payment.

Work Assistance Program Questions (Colorado)

Work Assistance Program Process

If you are applying for a class based in Colorado and want to use a Work Assistance Program please send the following information to info@agileu.org

  • Make sure your funds have been approved by your manager
  • Your full name and contact information
  • Your Work Assistance Program Manager's contact information
  • The date and class of interest

A representative from Agile University will contact you afterwards with additional instructions.

New Course Offerings

Feedback

If you have recommendations on new course that you would like to see from Agile University please write info@agileu.org with your ideas.

Cancellation Questions

What is the cancellation policy?

Attendee substitutions are permitted. Registrants who fail to attend are subject to payment of the full registration fee if they have not obtained a cancellation approval from Agile University at least 5 business days prior to the event start date. If registrants wish to reschedule a registration within 5 business days before the start date of the class, they will be subject to a $150 course change fee. To obtain cancellation approval or substitute a registration, please call Agile University customer service at 720-221-0296.

Trainer Questions

How do I become a trainer?

If you are interested in becoming an Agile University Trainer please email info@agileu.org with your request to begin the review process.

Terms and Conditions

Public Training Policies

Agile University reserves the right to make changes in course schedules, dates, locations, and accommodations and will make every effort to notify students within a reasonable period of time. However, Agile University is not responsible for personal travel, accommodations, or other incidental expenses in connection with changes to a course.

Rating Process Questions

What is an AU rating?

Course attendees may post their personal opinion/feedback regarding trainer performance. Each rating submitted represents the opinion of the individual attendee who submitted it. AU doesn't assume any responsibility for the accuracy, currency, completeness or usefulness of Rating Content nor do we endorse any opinions or recommendations submitted by Users.

Users are asked to use caution and good judgment when rating Trainers because Rating Content generally cannot be edited or removed once submitted to AU. Once submitted, Rating Content becomes a permanent part of a Trainer's record and is viewable by the entire AU community.

How are ratings used?

AU may post Rating Content in any place and in any format of its choosing including, but not limited to, the Site, other websites and web logs. AU may also copy, archive, distribute, transmit, display, edit, translate and reformat any Rating Content, and/or to incorporate it into a collective work, database or archive.

Rating arbitration

AU will remove any Rating Content if both the User who submitted the Rating Content and the rated Trainer agree mutually to withdrawal the Rating Content in writing. AU reserves the right (but does not have the obligation) to remove, delete, move or edit Rating Content that it, in its sole discretion, deems abusive, defamatory, obscene, in violation of the law, including but not limited to copyright or trademark law, or otherwise unacceptable.

Are ratings reviewed by AU staff for appropriateness?

Yes, AU staff will review ratings submitting by attendees, monitoring for appropriateness and/or any abuses of the rating system.