Mentor Research Institute (MRI) Continuing Education Governance Policy

Summary

Purpose and Scope

This policy establishes the ways Mentor Research Institute (MRI) governs, oversees, and maintains the quality and integrity of its continuing education (CE) activities. It applies to all educational offerings developed, sponsored, or administered by MRI, including live (in-person and synchronous virtual) activities and self-directed (asynchronous home study) programs.

MRI maintains detailed internal policies, procedures, and operational documentation that implement the governance framework described in this policy. This document serves as the authoritative narrative policy describing how continuing education is managed at an organizational level.

Governance Philosophy

MRI approaches continuing education as a professional and ethical responsibility. Educational activities are intended to support ongoing competence, sound professional judgment, and ethical practice. Governance of CE activities is guided by four core principles.

First, scientific integrity. Educational content must be grounded in credible scholarship, accurately represented, and interpreted conservatively when evidence is mixed or evolving. Second, ethical transparency. Conflicts of interest, limitations of evidence, and both common and serious risks associated with application of the material must be clearly disclosed. Third, professional relevance. All content must meaningfully build upon doctoral-level training and be relevant to professional practice, education, or scientific inquiry. Fourth, accountability. Oversight processes must be documented, consistently applied, and subject to internal review.

Governance Structure and Responsibility

MRI administers all continuing education activities through a centralized governance structure. Responsibility for educational quality, integrity, and compliance rests with the organization rather than with individual instructors or contributors. This structure is intended to ensure consistency, reduce risk, and support sustained quality across programs.

Designated leadership roles oversee scientific review, ethical oversight, conflict-of-interest management, and administrative coordination. Roles and responsibilities are defined in writing and operate under standardized procedures. Decisions regarding course approval, instructor eligibility, revision, or withdrawal are made at the organizational level.

Application Across Delivery Formats

MRI applies this governance policy uniformly across all delivery formats while recognizing that different formats require different operational controls.

For live activities, governance emphasizes instructor preparation, standardized disclosures, verification of attendance and participation, and post-activity evaluation. For self-directed or homestudy activities, governance emphasizes pre-release review, locking of approved content, embedded disclosures, mastery-based assessment, and periodic content review. Where delivery formats differ, MRI defines and applies format-specific controls rather than assuming equivalence.

Content Development and Approval

All continuing education activities follow a structured development and approval process prior to release. Courses are developed around clearly articulated learning objectives, which guide content selection, instructional methods, and evaluation.

Each activity undergoes review to verify the evidence base and accuracy of claims; to assess ethical considerations, potential bias, and scope of practice; and to evaluate professional relevance and appropriateness. No educational activity is released without documented completion of this review and approval process.

Evidence Base, Limitations, and Risk Communication

MRI requires that educational materials communicate both what is known and what is uncertain. Instructors and course content must identify the empirical basis for major claims, describe the strength and limits of available evidence, and acknowledge areas where conclusions are tentative or contested.

Courses must also identify common risks and less frequent but serious risks associated with misapplication of the material. Deterministic, reductionistic, or promotional language is prohibited. Compliance with these expectations is reviewed as part of course approval and monitored through participant feedback.

Instructor Qualifications and Oversight

Instructors are approved prior to course release based on documented qualifications, subject-matter expertise, and relevance to the instructional topic. All instructors must complete a standardized conflict-of-interest disclosure as part of the approval process.

Instructor approval is subject to ongoing oversight. Approval is revisited when course content is substantively revised, when new evidence materially affects prior claims, or when new relationships or potential conflicts arise. MRI retains the authority to suspend or revoke instructor approval if compliance or quality concerns are identified.

Conflict of Interest Management

MRI maintains a standardized process for identifying, reviewing, and disclosing conflicts of interest related to instructors, content developers, and educational activities. Disclosures are reviewed prior to course release and reviewed again when relevant circumstances change.

Participants are informed at the beginning of each educational activity of the presence or absence of commercial support and any relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing content. When commercial support exists, MRI maintains clear separation between supporters and all decisions related to content development, instructor selection, and evaluation.

Evaluation of Learning and Educational Effectiveness

Each continuing education activity includes clearly stated learning objectives and an evaluation method appropriate to the delivery format. Live activities require verified participation and completion of post-activity evaluations. Self-directed activities require successful completion of an assessment aligned with learning objectives.

Participant evaluations also assess clarity, relevance to professional roles, and perceived bias or undue influence. MRI reviews evaluation data periodically as part of its quality improvement process and uses findings to guide revisions and updates.

Documentation, Recordkeeping, and Review

MRI maintains secure records documenting participation, completion, instructor approvals, conflict-of-interest disclosures, evaluation results, and course approval decisions. Records are retained in accordance with internal retention policies.

Governance processes are periodically reviewed to ensure continued effectiveness, to incorporate emerging evidence and professional expectations, and to address issues identified through participant feedback or internal review.

Concerns, Complaints, and Corrective Action

MRI maintains a process for receiving and addressing concerns related to educational quality, accuracy, ethical considerations, or perceived bias. Concerns are documented, reviewed, and addressed through corrective actions as appropriate. Outcomes of corrective actions are documented and used to inform process improvements.

Attestation

This Continuing Education Governance Policy reflects the framework through which MRI administers and oversees its educational activities. Supporting procedures, manuals, and records operationalize this policy in detail. Additional information or documentation may be provided upon request to support review, oversight, or quality assurance activities.