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Continuing Education
Since
January 1, 2006, all Ohio registered architects have been required to earn
Continuing Education in order to renew their license. Twenty four (24) contact
hours are required every two year renewal period. Sixteen of the hours must be
in the areas of health, safety, and welfare. The
following information is available in PDF format for download: Penalties
If
the CE requirement is not met, the Board may issue written reprimands, suspend
or revoke the individual's license, or levy a fine of up to $1000 per offense.
Additional requirements may also be imposed at the Board's discretion. Renewal,
reinstatement and restoration applications may not be submitted if the CE requirement
has not been completely fulfilled. Exemptions
The
following individuals are automatically exempt from the requirement: Newly
licensed by examination-are exempt from the requirement for the first renewal
period in which they are admitted to practice in the State of Ohio. Intern
architects, architectural interns and exam candidates State
of Ohio Emeritus architects (not the same as AIA Emeritus) Reciprocal
licensees, who are registered in another state with a mandatory continuing education
requirement, provided the jurisdiction accepts Ohio's continuing education requirements.
The
following individuals must submit an Application for Exemption from the CE Requirement
form in order for the Board to consider an exemption: Military
duty - Architects are exempt when they are on full time duty, or temporarily called
up for active duty, in the United States military service, where such activity
restricts participation in continuing education activities. Individuals
with a serious medical condition or disability. Unforeseen
emergencies (e.g., persons displaced by natural disasters such as a tornado or
hurricane, extreme hardship, or other similar circumstances. Due to the wide availability
of free continuing education on the internet, financial hardship is not a valid
exemption.)
The
exemption must be approved by the Board prior to submitting the renewal application.
Credit
Hours Defined
A contact hour is equal to a clock hour. It must be at least
50 minutes duration. Most continuing education providers give credit in hours
(e.g., one AIA Learning Unit (LU) is equivalent to 1 contact hour of continuing
education), however, some courses may be given in continuing education units (CEU's). One
continuing education unit (CEU) equals 10 contact hours. Therefore, .1 CEU equals
one contact hour, .2 CEU's equals two contact hours, and so on. One
Professional Development Unit (PDU) equals one contact hour. One
semester hour of college-level course work equals 15 contact hours. One hour in
a school on a quarterly schedule equals 10 contact hours. Carry-over
not permitted
Excess credit may not be carried forward from one renewal
period to another. Acceptable
Subject Matter
Acceptable subject matter includes those topics which increase
the registrant's knowledge and understanding of technical or professional subjects
related to the practice of architecture. The subject matter must contribute directly
to the improvement of the registrant's professional knowledge and competence in
the practice of architecture. This includes any subject matter covered on the
Architect Registration Exam (ARE). Health,
safety, and welfare topics
16 hours of Health, safety, and welfare (HSW)
are required. The following topics qualify for HSW credit: Accessibility
Acoustics
Building
design
Code of ethics
Construction administration
Construction contract
laws, legal aspects
Construction documents, 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
Laws
and regulations governing the practice of architecture
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
Site and soils analysis
Site design
Specification
writing
Structural issues
Surveying methods, techniques
Sustainable design
Self-reported
activities
Self-reported activities must be submitted on the Board's Self-Report
form, which can be obtained on the Forms page. Only the following activities may
be self-reported: Teaching
at an accredited institution of higher learning. Twelve hours of continuing education
credit for each one hour of academic credit provided by the course except that
after the first year, the maximum credit for the same course may not exceed a
total of six hours of continuing education credit. Course must be related to the
profession of architecture. Publishing
a book or an article in a professional journal, for one time credit for each book
or article and must be related to the profession of architecture. Credit: One
hour of continuing education credit for each hour of preparation, not to exceed
eight hours total of the continuing education requirements of the renewal period. Teaching
a course or seminar, delivering a lecture, presenting a paper, or a program, workshop
or monograph at an educational event meeting the Board's requirements. Credit:
One hour of continuing education credit for each hour of presentation plus one
hour of continuing education credit for each hour of preparation. Credit allowed
only once for the same program and may not exceed fifty per cent of the total
required continuing education credits for the renewal period. Professional
service to the public which draws upon the architect's professional expertise,
on public Boards and commissions such as: planning Boards, design review Boards
and other similar activities. Credit: One hour of continuing education credit
for each hour of work, not to exceed eight hours total of the continuing education
requirements of the renewal period.
Audits
Audits
may be conducted on a random basis at any time during the renewal period, during
the course of a disciplinary investigation, or as a result of a late renewal.
Individuals subject to audit will be notified in writing, via U.S. Mail or email.
Proof
of completion
Proof of completion of the Continuing Education requirements
should not be submitted to the Board office unless you are requested to do so
in writing. Proof
of completion IS required for all late renewals, restorations, and reinstatements.
Proof
of completion may be submitted via email, fax or U.S. Mail. Record
keeping
Registrants should keep written records, such as Certificates of
Completion or the AIA transcript. Records
must be maintained for the current renewal period and the renewal period immediately
prior to the current renewal period. Records
shall be made available to the Board at anytime upon request for review and audit. Records
may be requested at any time in connection with an investigation or enforcement
proceeding. Failure
to provide the requested record in the time frame established by the Board may
result in disciplinary action, including fine, reprimand, suspension, revocation
or denial of the application for renewal of the architect's registration. The
AIA offers a fee-based record keeping service for non-members. Call the AIA at
800-242-3837 for details. AIA
CES requires that AIA providers offer a Certificate of Completion to non-members
who participate in AIA approved CE courses. If
a course does not appear on a member's AIA transcript, please contact AIA Member
Services at 800-242-3837 for assistance. Do not call the Board. AIA
CES Transcript Verification:
http://sparky.occe.ou.edu/ouaia/authentication/login.cfm Disallowed
hours
The architect has up to 90 days to make up any hours that are disallowed
by the Board. This
does not apply to persons who, in the opinion of the Board, have willfully disregarded
the CE requirements. Acceptable
providers
The Board automatically accepts programs approved for credit/contact
hours by any of the organizations below: The
American Institute of Architects
The Association of Licensed Architects
National
Council of Architectural Registration Boards
The Construction Specifications
Institute "Construction Education Network"
Colleges and universities/other
educational institutions
Other technical/professional societies or organizations
(e.g., ASLA, APA, GBCI, Builders Exchange)
Methods
for fulfilling the requirement
The following are acceptable methods of
fulfilling the Continuing Education requirement: Courses
or seminars in architecture offered by universities or colleges Seminars
offered by Board approved providers, such as the AIA, ASLA, NCARB, CSI, and APA,
as well as their state and local chapters Teaching
a graduate or undergraduate course in a topic related to architecture, at an accredited
institution of higher learning, is eligible for 12 hours for each hour of academic
credit the first year. After the first year, the maximum credit is six hours total. Publishing
articles or books on professional topics is eligible for eight hours of credit. Professional
service to public bodies to which an architect has been appointed due to their
professional status, such as: planning Boards, code or design review Boards. A
maximum of eight hours of credit may be claimed. Code
review courses required by the Ohio Board of Building Standards for plans examiners
and building inspectors, etc. Service
to professional or community organizations (AIA, CSI, or church building committees,
etc) is not eligible for CE credit. Service
on NCARB committees, which is certified by the AIA for CE credit, is eligible
for one hour of CE for each hour of work. Passing
a LEED exam during the current renewal period is eligible for 8 HSW hours. Publishing
a book or article in a professional journal, a one time credit with a maximum
of 8 hours. NCARB
monographs are eligible for HSW. One CE credit for each PDU. Online
courses offered by manufacturers or entities such as Ron Blank, AEC Daily, etc. Insurance
courses are not eligible unless they qualify for AIA CES credit. Articles
published in, and graded by, Architectural Record. A passing grade is required.
Submit a certificate of completion or an AIA transcript to receive credit. There
is no limit on the number of articles submitted.
Sustainability,
ethics and ADA
Ohio does not have any specific requirements in these areas.
If you are licensed in another state or are a member of the AIA, please check
their requirements. Ohio will allow HSW credits for programs earned in these areas. LEED
Exams
8 hours per exam if passed during the current renewal period. Official
documentation from the "Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)"
must be provided.
Finding CE courses Universities
and colleges AIA,
CSI CEN, or ASLA national, state and local chapters Lunch
and learn programs at firms, if offered by accredited providers NCARB
self-study monographs Seminars
(e.g., SAO College) offered by the State Architect's Office Board
of Building Standards and other code related organizations Industry
organizations, such as the Builders Exchange
Free
programs
There many free programs available on the internet. It is possible
to complete the entire requirement at no cost. Many product vendors offer AIA
approved free online courses, most of which qualify for HSW credits. Ohio
Bureau of Workers Compensation, Division of Safety and Hygiene, offers free courses,
many of which are related to architecture and/or construction. Courses are offered
at locations around Ohio and online. Visit www.bwclearningcenter.com
or request a catalogue by calling 1-800-OHIOBWC.
Certificates
of Completion
A Certificate of Completion should contain the following
information: Title
of the course or program and any identification number assigned to it by the provider A
brief description of the subject matter covered Number
of hours completed Provider
name and contact information Whether
or not the content qualifies for Health, Safety and Welfare credits Name
of the attendee Name
and original signature of the provider Date
and location of the program or course. Proof
of attendance should be retained indefinitely.
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