First of all, as a licensed land surveyor in the State of Virginia, I am in favor of continuing education for land surveyors and other professionals. I do however have problems with the proposed regulations as they are currently written. There is no provision within the regulations for pre-approval of courses or for the approval of course providers. I was at meetings of the DPOR committee that was setup to write these new regulations. My opinion was voiced to them on at least two occasions. DPOR staff on both occasions maintained that they were not setup to handle either and that these requested additions would be costly items that they could not absorb.

As the Education Committee Chairman for VAS over the last eight years I have organized and held many seminars for association members at very fair prices. I have working relationships with the State Licensing Boards for the States of Maryland and North Carolina. I have setup VAS as an approved for provider for both. The applications for both states were simple and short. I just don't see any huge financial costs to DPOR for them to pre-approve course providers. As the regulations are currently written, we as regulants when audited by the Board could find that a course we took has been rejected after we have paid for it and taken hours away from our job and business to attend it. Pre-approval of courses and course providers needs to be revisited!!!!