Certification - Application Procedure
Each ARC program student must apply individually for the Initial Michigan Provisional Secondary Teaching Certificate. The Center for Student Services staff receives the application and begins processing the paperwork only after all courses have been completed and all testing and other requirements have been satisfactorily completed and documented at CMU.
If all requirements have been met, a recommendation for certification will be sent to the Michigan Department of Education.
During the student teaching semester, each ARC student will receive an audit via the CMU email address. The audit will be prepared by the ARC advising staff in the Center for Student Services. The audit will list any remaining requirements, including satisfactory completion of the student teaching semester and seminar in progress. With the audit, students will receive a link to the application and instructions for returning the application to the Center for Student Services. If you do not receive this audit prior to the last two weeks of your student teaching assignment, please contact the ARC advising staff at 989-774-3309.
At the time CMU processes the application and forwards the recommendation to the Michigan Department of Education, the Center for Student Services will send email confirmation of the recommendation in the form of a “ninety-day letter.” The “ninety-day letter” is recognized and can be used with prospective employers as evidence of recommendation for certification.
The candidate will receive the actual certificate by mail only after the MDE has billed the candidate directly and received payment for the certificate. Payment for the certificate must be made directly to the MDE upon billing. CMU is not part of this transaction between the candidate and the MDE.
Please note: Effective February 1, 2009 the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is mandating that court records for students with a criminal conviction(s) be forwarded to the MDE for evaluation prior to the issuance of a teaching certificate. CMU cannot guarantee approval of any recommendation made to the State of Michigan for any type of certification. Final approval is granted only by the Michigan Department of Education based on their policies and procedures current at the time application for certification is made.
The ARC advising staff will provide assistance and explanations regarding this procedure. Please contact the Center for Student Services directly at 989-774-3309 and ask for ARC advising staff.