| (a) For the purposes of this Section, the following
definitions shall apply:
(1) Approved Subject Areas--The following are the Approved
Subject Areas for qualifying continuing education:
(A) Construction and Evaluation--Areas related to construction
contract administration and post-occupancy evaluation of projects.
Acceptable topics include, but are not limited to: Construction Contract
Administration; Bidding and Negotiation; Post Occupancy Evaluation
(POE); and Building Commissioning.
(B) Practice Management--areas related to the management
of architectural practice and the details of running a business. Acceptable
topics include, but are not limited to: Applicable Laws and Regulations;
Ethics; Insurance to Protect Owner and Public; Business Management;
Risk Management; Information Management; Design for Community Needs;
and Supervisor Training.
(C) Programming and Analysis--Areas related to the
evaluation of project requirements, constraints, and opportunities.
Acceptable topics include, but are not limited to: Land-Use Analysis;
Programming; Site Selection; Historic Preservation; Adaptive Reuse;
Codes, Regulations, and Standards; Natural Resources; Environmental
Impact and Ecosystem Risk Assessment; Hazardous Materials; Resilience
to Natural and Human Impacts; Life Safety; and Feasibility Studies.
(D) Project Development and Documentation--Areas related
to the integration and documentation of building systems, material
selection, and material assemblies into a project. Acceptable topics
include, but are not limited to: Construction Documents; Materials
and Assemblies; and Fixtures, Furnishings, & Equipment.
(E) Project Management--areas related to the management
of architectural projects through execution. Acceptable topics include,
but are not limited to: Project Delivery Methods; Contract Negotiation;
Pre-Design Services; Site and Soils Analysis; Consultant Management;
Project Scheduling; Quality Control (QA/QC); Economic Assessment;
and Value Engineering.
(F) Project Planning and Design--areas related to the
preliminary design of sites and buildings. Acceptable topics include,
but are not limited to: Building Systems; Urban Planning; Master Planning;
Building Design; Site Design; Safety and Security Measures; Impacts,
Adaptation and Mitigation of a Changing Climate; Energy Efficiency
and Positive Energy Design; Sustainability; Indoor Air Quality; Ergonomics;
Lighting; Acoustics; Accessibility; Construction Systems; and Budget
Development.
(2) Health, Safety, or Welfare--Those aspects of professional
practice that improve the physical, emotional, and social well-being
of occupants, users, and any others affected by buildings and sites;
those aspects of professional practice that protect occupants, users,
and any others affected by buildings or sites from harm; and those
aspects of professional practice that enable equitable access, elevate
the human experience, encourage social interaction, and benefit the
environment.
(3) Structured Course Study--Courses of study relevant
to the Practice of Architecture, taught or otherwise provided by qualified
individuals or organizations, delivered by direct, in-person contact
or through distance learning methods, the completion of which results
in the issuance of a certificate or other record of attendance to
the Architect by the provider.
(4) Self-Directed Study--Time spent by an Architect
developing knowledge and skills relevant to the Practice of Architecture
that does not qualify as Structured Course Study.
(b) During each calendar year between January 1 and
December 31, an Architect shall complete a minimum of 12 qualifying
continuing education program hours (CEPH) according to the requirements
of this section. Each hour of continuing education applied to this
requirement shall directly relate to Health, Safety, or Welfare.
(c) Of the 12 qualifying CEPH, each Architect shall
complete a minimum of one CEPH relating to Barrier-Free Design and
one CEPH relating to Sustainable or Energy-Efficient Design.
(d) Of the 12 qualifying CEPH, each Architect shall
complete a minimum of eight CEPH in Structured Course Study.
(1) Each hour of Structured Course Study shall address
one or more Approved Subject Areas and at least 45 minutes of every
hour of CEPH shall directly relate to Health, Safety, or Welfare.
(2) Examples of Structured Course Study include the
following:
(A) Attendance at continuing education courses dealing
with technical architectural subjects related to the Architect's profession,
ethical business practices, or new technology.
(B) The completion of college or university credit
courses addressing architectural subjects, ethical business practices
or new technology. Each semester or quarter credit hour shall equal
one CEPH.
(e) Of the 12 qualifying CEPH, each Architect may claim
a maximum of four hours of Self-Directed Study. Examples of Self-Directed
Study may include the following:
(1) Reading written material or reviewing audio, video,
or digital media that develops knowledge and skills relevant to the
Practice of Architecture but does not qualify as Structured Course
Study;
(2) Time spent in architectural research for publication
or formal presentation to the profession or public;
(3) Time spent in professional service to the general
public that draws upon the Architect's professional expertise, such
as serving on planning commissions, building code advisory boards,
urban renewal boards, code study committees, or educational outreach
activities;
(4) Time spent preparing to teach or teaching architectural
courses. An Architect may not claim credit for preparing for or teaching
the same course more than once; and
(5) One CEPH may be claimed for attendance at one full-day
session of a meeting of the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners.
(f) An Architect may be exempt from continuing education
requirements for any of the following reasons:
(1) An Architect shall be exempt upon initial registration
and upon reinstatement of registration through December 31st of the
calendar year of his/her initial or reinstated registration;
(2) An inactive or emeritus Architect shall be exempt
during any calendar year in which the Architect's registration is
in inactive or emeritus status, but all continuing education credits
for each period of inactive or emeritus registration shall be completed
before the Architect's registration may be returned to active status;
(3) An Architect who is not a full-time member of the
Armed Forces shall be exempt for any calendar year during which the
Architect serves on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United
States for a period of time exceeding 90 consecutive days;
(4) An Architect who has an active architectural registration
in another jurisdiction shall be exempt from mandatory continuing
education program requirements in Texas for any calendar year during
which the Architect satisfies the other jurisdiction's continuing
education program requirements, provided that the other jurisdiction's
continuing education requirements are substantially equivalent to
Texas requirements. Notwithstanding this exemption, the Architect
shall complete one CEPH relating to Barrier-Free Design and one CEPH
relating to Sustainable or Energy-Efficient Design; or
(5) An Architect who is, as of September 1, 1999, a
full-time faculty member or other permanent employee of an institution
of higher education, as defined in §61.003, Education Code, and
who in such position is engaged in teaching architecture.
(g) An Architect shall maintain a detailed record of
the Architect's continuing education activities, including all course
completion certificates documenting completion of Structured Course
Study and a record of Self-Directed Study including a date and description
of the claimed activity, for a period of five years after the end
of the calendar year for which credit is claimed.
(h) When renewing his/her annual registration, an Architect
shall complete an attestation regarding the Architect's compliance
with minimum continuing education requirements. An Architect may attest
to compliance and shall be considered compliant with continuing education
requirements if:
(1) The Architect fulfilled minimum continuing education
program requirements during the immediately preceding calendar year
according to the requirements of this Section; or
(2) The Architect failed to fulfill minimum continuing
education program hours during the immediately preceding calendar
year, but prior to renewing his/her registration in the current calendar
year, the Architect:
(A) Completed sufficient qualifying CEPH to correct
any deficiency for the prior calendar year (which will be applied
to the previous calendar year and cannot be applied to the current
calendar year requirement); and
Cont'd... |
