New Hampshire Board of Architect Continuing Education Rules

NEW HAMPSHIRE BOARD OF ARCHITECTS

57 Regional Drive
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
(603) 271-2219

Adopt ARCH 403 to read as follows:
Adopted Rules 1/28/10, Effective 4/1/10

PART Arch 403 CONTINUING EDUCATION Effective 4/10/10

Arch 403.01 Renewal Requirements

(a) Continuing education units shall be earned pursuant to RSA 310-A:46-a.

(b) A renewal application shall not be accepted for filing unless the licensee indicates on the renewal application, and under penalty of unsworn falsification, that he or she has completed the minimum required units of approved education required by Arch 403.01 (c).

(c) Each licensee shall obtain at least 12 units of continuing education each year, consisting of 8 units in the areas of health, safety and welfare and 4 units of sustainable design as a condition of biennial license renewal.

(d) If a licensee exceeds the requirement, a maximum of 12 continuing education units may be carried forward into the subsequent renewal period.

Arch 403.02 Continuing Education Unit Requirements. Continuing education units shall meet the following criteria:

(a) Continuing education activities shall be relevant to the practice of architecture or no credit shall be awarded. Such continuing education activities may include technical, ethical, or managerial content;

            (b)      Eight units of continuing education shall be in the area of health, safety and welfare which includes the following subject areas:
                    1. Accessibility;
                    2. Acoustics;
                    3. Building design;
                    4.   Code of ethics;
                    5. Construction administration;
                    6.   Construction contract laws, legal aspects;
                    7. Construction documents, services;
                    8. Construction functions, materials, methods, and systems;
                    9. Energy efficiency;
                   10.   Asbestos, lead-based paint, toxic emissions;
                   11.   Environmental analysis and issues of building materials and systems;
                   12.   Building fire codes, flame spread, smoke contribution, explosives;
                   13. Fire safety systems, detection and alarm standards;
                   14. Insurance to protect the owners of property and injured parties;
                   15. Interior design;
                   16. Laws and regulations governing the practice of architecture;
                   17. Life safety codes;
                   18.   Materials and systems: roofing/waterproofing, wall systems;
                   19.   Material use, function, and features;
                   20.   Mechanical, plumbing, electrical: system concepts, materials and methods;
                   21. Natural hazards, earthquake, hurricane, flood, related to building design;
                   22.   Preservation, renovation, restoration, and adaptive reuse;
                   23.   Security of buildings, design;
                   24.   Site and soils analysis;
                   25.   Site design;
                   27.   Specification writing;
                   28. Structural issues; and
                   29.   Surveying methods, techniques.

(c) Four units of continuing education shall be in the area of sustainable design which includes the following subject areas:

1.   Active solar thermal systems;
2.   Alternative energy;
3.   Alternative transportation;
4.   Appropriate size and growth;
5.   Biomimicry, nature as a model;
6.   Building form;
7.   Building monitoring;
8.   Building orientation;
9.   Carbon offsets;
10. Cavity walls for insulating airspace;
11. Co-generation;
12. Conserving systems and equipment;
13. Contract documents related to sustainable design;
14. Construction waste management;
15. Cool roofs;
16. Deconstruction and salvage materials;
17. Daylighting;
18. Earth sheltering;
19. Efficient artificial lighting;
20. Efficient site lighting systems;
21. Energy modeling;
22. Energy source ramifications;
23. Energy-saving appliances and equipment;
24. Environmental education;
25. Geoexchange;
26. Green roofs;
27. High-efficiency equipment;
28. Indoor environmental quality;
29. Integrated project delivery;
30. Life cycle assessment;
31. Mass absorption;
32. Material selection and embodied energy;
33. Natural ventilation;
34. Open, active, daylit space;
35. Passive solar collection opportunities;
36. Photovoltaics;
37. Prefabrication;
38. Preservation/reuse of existing facilities;
39. Radiant heating and cooling;
40. Renewable energy resources;
41. Rightsizing equipment;
42. Safety and security systems defensive planting, innovative
      design, defensive space;
43. Smart controls;
44. Space zoning;
45. Staff training technical training, only;
46. Sun shading;
47. Systems commissioning;
48. Systems tune-up;
49. Thermal bridging;
50. Total building commissioning;
51. Vegetation for sun control;
52. Walkable communities;
53. Waste-heat recovery;
54. Water conservation;
55. Windows and openings;
56. Green specifications; and
57. Zoning, regulatory, codes.

(d) The content of each presentation shall be well organized and presented in a sequential manner;

(e) There is a provision for individual participant course/program registration including information required for record keeping and reporting; and

(f) Self directed learning activities shall include a written instrument which tests the licensee’s comprehension of the content of that course or program.

Arch 403.03 Continuing Education Units Continuing education units shall be credited as follows:

(a) Four health, safety and welfare continuing education units shall apply to activity on a state or national board of licensure;

(b) Courses/programs awarded one college semester hour of credit shall equal 15 continuing education units based on course credit established by the college or university;

(d) Courses/programs awarded one continuing education unit shall equal 10 continuing education hours;

(e) Credit shall be awarded for one unit of continuing education in course work, seminars, or professional technical presentations made at meetings, conventions, or conferences for each hour of attendance. Attendance at qualifying programs presented at professional and/or technical society meetings shall earn continuing education credit for the actual time of each program;

(f) Teaching or instructing qualifying courses or seminars or making presentations at technical meetings shall earn continuing education credit at twice that of participants. Teaching credit shall be valid for teaching a course or seminar for the first time only. Teaching credit shall not apply to full-time faculty;

(g) Each professional journal, published paper, article or published architecture textbook pursuant to Arch 403.02 (b) and (c) shall equal 12 continuing education units;

(h) Active participation in professional or technical societies shall equal 2 continuing education units and shall require that a licensee serve as an officer and/or actively participate in a committee of the organization. Continuing education units shall not be earned until each year of service is completed and shall be limited to 2 continuing education units per organization;

(i) Three hours of self-directed learning activity through the use of audio or video tapes shall equal one continuing education unit; and

(j) Continuing education units shall not be recognized for any repeat program attended or completed.

Arch 403.04 Record Keeping.

(a) The licensee shall maintain records to be used to support continuing education units claimed.

(b) Records required shall contain attendance verification records in the form of completion certificates or other documents supporting evidence of attendance such as:

(1) Signed attendance receipts;

(2) Paid receipts;

(3) A copy of a listing of attendees signed by a person sponsoring the course or program or the course/program provider, or

(4) Completed continuing education transcript from the American Institute of Architects

(c) The licensee shall retain attendance verification records for a period of at least 4 years. Such documentation shall be made available to the board for random audit and/or verification purposes. Documentation shall support continuing education units claimed. Failure to provide documentation for audit verification shall result in disciplinary action.

(d) Not less than 5% of the licensees shall be randomly selected each year by the board for compliance with Arch. 403.01.

Arch 403.05 Exemption A licensee shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements for serving on temporary active duty in the armed forces of the United States for a period of time exceeding 120 consecutive days in a year.

Arch 403.06 Waiver of Professional Development Units Deadline. A licensee may request waiver of continuing education units deadlines, as follows:

(a) A petition requesting a waiver shall be filed at least 30 days before the expiration of the biennial continuing education period in question;

(b) Late filing shall be justified by a showing of good cause that includes serious accident, illness or other circumstances beyond the control of the licensee which actually prevents the licensee from satisfying the continuing education requirements;

(c) Relevant supporting documentation from the licensee’s physician or medical professional shall be furnished to the board when necessary for a fair and informed determination by the board; and

(d) A waiver petition shall include a specific timetable for completing specific courses, which will meet the petitioner’s continuing education unit deficiency.

Arch 403.07 Noncompliance. Failure to submit documentation required per Arch 403.04 which establishes that said requirements were so completed, shall after notice and opportunity for hearing, result in disciplinary action including license suspension or revocation unless a waiver petition has been timely filed and duly granted by the board.

*The Joint Board makes no warranty, express or implied, as to whether this document is correct,
complete, up-to-date, or as to any other relative fact. Independent verification of the contents is
essential. Pagination may differ slightly from the original.

[ Return to Architect's Home Page ]