Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
 
Board
Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects
 
chapter
Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects Regulations [18 VAC 10 ‑ 20]
Action Develop regulations for a mandatory continuing education requirement for architect, professional engineer, and land surveyor licenses.
Stage Proposed
Comment Period Ended on 5/2/2008
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3/8/08  4:18 pm
Commenter: Chris Lowe, PE - MA Engineering Consultants

no option for a NO VOTE! Read David Darling's post.
 

My response to section number 54.1-404.2 of house bill 1054;

 

(i) Content and subject matter

The Board should have final authority with respect to approval of courses, credit, PDH value for courses and other methods of earning credit.

 

  • Credit for college or community college approved courses will be based upon course credit established by the college.
  • Credit for qualifying seminars and workshops. The Board should not pre-approve providers or specific courses, but each engineer should determine whether an activity meets the Code’s requirements.
  • Credit for active participation in professional and technical societies and requires that a licensee serve as an officer.
  • Teaching credit should be valid for teaching a course or seminar.

 

(ii) Curriculum

The course must have a "clear purpose and objective which will maintain, improve, or expand the skills and knowledge relevant to the licensee's field of practice".

 

(iii) Standards and procedures for the approval of activities, courses, sponsors, and  instructors

This responsibility should rest on each licensee to determine whether an activity meets the requirements in the Code of Regulations.  The board should not pre-approve providers or specific courses.

 

(iv) Methods of instruction for continuing education courses

Same response as (iii) above.

 

(v) The computation of course credit

  • 1 hour in a classroom of an ABET accredited college or university  = 1 PDH or 3 credit hours for a full semester = 45 PDH (similar computation for the quarter system)
  • 1 Continuing Education Unit = 10 PDH
  • 1 hour for attendance in course work, seminars or professional or technical presentations made at meetings, conventions or conferences = 1 PDH
  • PDH credits are doubled for teaching
  • Published  technical or professional papers, articles or books = 10 PDH

 

Other inclusions not mentioned in House Bill 1054;

Provide exemptions to licensees serving active duty in the armed forces, licensees with extenuating circumstances that prevent them from participation in CE (i.e. physical disabilities, illnesses, etc), and licensees who list their occupation as ‘retired’.
CommentID: 913