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AIA/CES
Basics
Health,
Safety and Welfare (HSW)
Audits,
Exemptions and Reinstatements
Documentation
Transcripts
Ways to
Achieve your Annual Requirement
AIA / CES is a continuing education
system developed by the AIA that emphasizes learning
and records professional learning activities as a requirement
for AIA membership. It enables the architect to keep
current, master new knowledge and skills, plan for the
future, and responsibly meet the role society entrusts
to a professional. In doing so, it has the potential
to be one of the primary forces in the improvement and
revitalization of our profession.
All active AlA members must successfully
complete 18 learning-unit (LU) hours each year, with
at least 8 of the 18 LU hours relating to health, safety,
and welfare (HSW).
A member who fails to meet the annual
requirement will be given a one-year grace period. Any
credit earned in the following year will apply toward
the deficit. During the first nine months of the grace
period, members are still able to report retroactively
any activities that were completed in the previous year.
A member who exceeds the annual requirement
may carry up to 18 LU hours (including 8 hours of HSW)
over to the next year. Carryover credit is for one year
only and will only carry over what is needed to fulfill
the annual requirement for the following year. It is
not cumulative. Extra credit will not continue to carry
past the one-year limit.
NOTE: Most state licensing boards
do not allow carryover and deficit credit. States have
very strict timeframes; credits must be completed within
them. Currently, California does not have a mandatory
continuing education (MCE) requirement. To see which
states do have MCE requirements, please visit www.ncarb.org.
New first-time members of the AlA
are not required to complete the annual 18 LU hours
/ 8 HSW the year that they first join. Records are kept
for those who record their activities. Any credit received
in the first year will not apply toward the following
year's requirement unless you exceed the 18 LU hours
/ 8 HSW requirement.
Former AlA members who were in good
standing when they were last active and are reapplying
will be required to complete a total of 18 LU Hours/8
HSW the year in which they reapply. Those members who
are reapplying and who had lapsed membership with insufficient
CES credit will be required to demonstrate the completion
of 9 LU hours within 12 months prior to renewal and
complete the annual total of 18 LU hours/8 HSW, for
a total of 27 LU hours/ 8 HSW the year in which they
reapply.
Continuing education credit is recorded
by the AIA as a learning-unit hour (LU hour). A one-LU-hour
activity is equal to one contact hour. A LU hour is
not a continuing education unit (CEU). One-tenth of
a CEU (.1) is equal to one contact hour, which is equal
to one LU hour. In other words, one CEU is equal to
10 contact hours or 10 LU hours.
The AIA requires eight of the basic
LU-hour requirement be earned in the area of HSW. The
percentage of HSW content in any HSW-related activity
must be a minimum of 75 percent to qualify a program
or educational event for HSW credit. This accomplishes
three goals:
1. Ensuring that HSW-related programs have a real relevance
to our members
2. Eliminating any question as to whether the content
of a program was actually HSW-related
3. Protecting AlA members with state mandatory continuing
education (MCE) requirements.
The following is a compilation of
HSW subject areas as defined by the various state licensing
boards with HSW requirements. (An individual state may
not accept all subject areas. AlA members should check
with their particular state licensing board's HSW definition
and requirements. California does not currently have
MCE requirements.)
Accessibility
Acoustics
Building design
Code of ethics
Codes, acts, laws, and regulations governing the practice
of architecture
Construction administration
Construction contract laws, legal aspects of
Construction documents and services
Construction functions, materials, methods, and systems
Energy efficiency
Environmental-asbestos, lead-based paint, toxic emissions
Environmental analysis and issues of building materials
and systems
Fire: Building Fire codes-flame spread, smoke contribution,
explosives
Fire safety systems-detection and alarm standards
Insurance to protect the owners of property and injured
parties
Interior design
Life safety codes
Materials and systems-roofing/waterproofing wall systems,
etc.
Material use, function, and features
Mechanical, plumbing, electrical-system concepts, materials
and methods
Natural hazards-earthquake, hurricane, flood-related
to building design
Preservation, renovation, restoration, and adaptive
reuse
Security of buildings, design of Site and soils analysis
Site design
Specification writing
Structural issues
Surveying methods and techniques
Sustainable design
You may self report any structured
activity that is HSW related and receive HSW credit
for it. The activity must be developed and presented
to you by a third party. You cannot receive HSW credit
for any self-designed activity. For example, even though
code research is HSW in nature, if it is a self-designed
research activity the AlA does not allow HSW credit
for any type of research. This is done to ensure quality
control guidelines are enforced, and to comply with
state licensing boards. Further details available on
the Reporting Learning Units page.
The term at-risk" refers to AlA
members that were identified after reviewing AIA/CES
transcripts to determine who had not met the AlA continuing
education requirement. If the transcript reflects that
the credits are not met, the member is at risk and must
provide evidence to support his or her claim. AIA/CES
at-risk season begins in February each year. At-risk
letters are sent in April and phone calls begin in June.
Member activities are randomly selected
throughout the year for review to ensure compliance.
Audits are usually conducted by AIA/CES staff and/or
the CES Audit/Review Committee members. Content issues
are reviewed by the CES Audit/Review Committee and subject
matter experts.
Activities that draw special attention
to examiners are self-reported. Almost any activity
will be audited that reports unusually large amounts
of LU hours. Reported activities that could be interpreted
as someone's daily job and not new knowledge usually
draw attention. This type of activity must be demonstrated
research or new knowledge to qualify. Occasionally someone
will mix several activities into one, such as a research
project and attendance at a program, then report the
activity on one form. When reporting committee or board
activities, describe the research in preparation and
new knowledge gained as it relates to actual practice.
Participation on a committee or board
is an excellent and valued community service but sharing
architectural expertise does not qualify for credit.
The conducted business activity of a board, committee,
or professional group does not qualify for credit. Self-designed
activities must demonstrate that they are planned as
educational activities, not just a learning byproduct.
Members are advised to keep copies
of their reported materials for three years. These materials
will be useful to the member if there is an audit review
conducted by the AIA or a state licensing board.
There are three types of exemptions:
1. Severe medical difficulties for at least the last
three months of the probation year
2. An unexpected/nonpermanent overseas assignment for
more than six months or the last three months of the
membership year
3. Severe financial hardship.
These exceptions and other unusual
circumstances must be reviewed by the member's component
(AIACV) and its findings submitted to the CES Audit/Review
Committee. Documentation is required.
A notice of audit due to noncompliance
will go out by March 31st of each year. Members who
desire to reinstate must report nine previously unreported
LU hours when applying for reinstatement. These must
have been completed within at least one year of the
date of applying for reinstatement. The reinstated member
must also obtain their annual 18-LU-hour requirements,
ensuring that at least 8 of the 18 LU hours are health,
safety, and welfare (HSW) related, for a total of 27
LU hours within the membership year.
Always keep documentation of programs
you've attended and forms you've submitted. (Don't forget
your online forms. Print them out.) This will save you
a lot of work if there is information missing from your
transcript. In addition to your AIAICES requirement,
some of you have state licensing requirements. Keeping
your documentation ensures that you will be prepared
if additional information is requested from your state
licensing board. We recommend you keep your documentation
for a minimum of three years. For some state licensing
boards you will need to keep documentation for four
or even seven years.
To receive your LU hours as quickly
and accurately as possible, please send your continuing
education documentation (AIA/CES Self-Report Form) to
the appropriate place, the AIA/CES Records office at
the University of Oklahoma. Their address, phone, and
fax number will be on the bottom of the form.
Do not use outdated forms. Self-report
forms from 1994 to 1999 are obsolete. These forms do
not have the proper address or format for the current
system. By using an older form you could be cheating
yourself of the credit you need to meet your requirement.
Download the current Self
Report form in PDF Format.
Individual transcript records are
frequently updated and may be accessed on the web at
www.aia.org/conted. Anyone with an active AlA membership
number can access a transcript online.
Official CES transcripts are mailed
in March each year to every AIA member with CES activities
recorded during the past calendar year. An additional
hard copy of the transcript can be faxed or mailed to
a member for a $10 fee per copy. You may make your request
to the University of Oklahoma:
The University of Oklahoma
Continuing Education, AIA/CES, Room B-1
1700 Asp Avenue
Norman, OK 73072
Information line: 800-605-8229
Fax: (405) 325-6965
This is the only way to make sure
your records are up-to-date. Don't just assume that
because you went to a program or sent in a self-reporting
form that it will be there. There are times that a program
provider may transpose a number, or a fax may not transmit
properly. In the case of online transmissions, the occasional
computer glitch or system crash may cause information
to get lost. The only way to ensure you get all the
credit you've earned is to check your transcript after
an activity.
If you have attended a program by
an AIA/CES provider and your program has not shown up
on your transcript after an extended period of time
(six weeks after the program), contact the program provider.
Program information is sent from the provider directly
to AIA / CES Records.
www.aia.org/conted/
Access to online AIA/CES programs,
general AIA/CES program information, AIA/CES Registered
Provider search, transcript information, and answers
to frequently asked questions.
www.architecturalrecord.com
Every issue of Architectural
Record contains Continuing Education Opportunities.
To earn units you must read the designated articles,
complete a quiz, and submit your answers with a $10
fee to Architectural Record either online or to the
address located on the quiz form in the magazine.
www.ncarb.org
Continuing education opportunities
are available through the National Council of Architectural
Registration Boards (NCARB) which publishes multiple
monographs each year. Each monograph includes a short
quiz on the subject of the monograph, and successful
completion of the quizzes provide AIA / CES credit.
For more information please contact NCARB 202-783-6500.
www.ronblank.com
Online source for FREE learning
units, including Health/Safety/Welfare
www.smud.org/etc
Select this link for information
on upcoming workshops and seminars at the SMUD Energy
& Technology Center in Sacramento.
·
Attend AIACV Chapter meetings and
continuing education seminars.
·
Learn how to computerize your operations.
Take a computer course. Learn about the latest CAD software.
Submit proof of completion (transcript or completion
certificate) with your completed Self Report Form to
the University of Oklahoma.
·
Attend "brown-bag"
or "lunch-n-learn" activities
at your office (e.g., an educational presentation on
roofing materials). Use the Self Report Form to submit
your learning unit hours.
·
Teaching? If it is not a full-time
job, self report the time you spend researching new
knowledge (e.g., codes, designs, structures, etc.) to
prepare for a presentation.
·
On the road traveling? Planning a tour of a city?
Identify in advance what you want to learn and then
self report your architectural learning opportunities
(e.g., a tour and description of the historic preservation
of old plantation houses while visiting historic Charleston).
·
Spending time
researching the latest
codes or specifications for a new project? What
new knowledge do you hope to gain that you can apply
toward your profession? Self report time spent researching
this new knowledge for a committee or community group.
(Note:
Participation on a committee or board is an excellent
and valued community service but sharing architectural
expertise does not qualify for credit. The conducted
business activity of a board, committee, or professional
group does not qualify for credit. Self-designed activities
must demonstrate that they are planned as educational
activities, not just a learning byproduct. - for clarification,
contact AIA/CES at 800-605-8229)
·
Attend a PIA conference.
The different PIAs offer many continuing-education
programs. Call the PIA Information Line at 800-242-3837.
·
Attend the AIA and AIACC
conventions/conferences.
If you have questions about which
activities qualify for continuing education credit,
contact AIA/CES at 800-605-8229.
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