| (a) Each licensee shall meet the Continuing Education
Program (CEP) requirements for professional development as a condition
for license renewal.
(b) Terms used in this section are defined as follows:
(1) Professional Development Hour (PDH)--A contact
hour (clock hour) of CEP activity. PDH is the basic unit for CEP reporting.
(2) Continuing Education Unit (CEU)--Unit of credit
customarily used for continuing education courses. One continuing
education unit equals 10 hours of class in an approved continuing
education course.
(3) College/Unit Semester/Quarter Hour--Credit for
course in a discipline of geoscience or other related technical elective
of the discipline.
(4) Course/Activity--Any qualifying course or activity
with a clear purpose and objective which will maintain, improve, or
expand the skills and knowledge relevant to the licensee's field of
practice.
(c) Every P.G. licensee is required to obtain 15 continuing
education hours (PDH units) during a standard renewal period year
(one year). The continuing education requirement for a license that
is renewed for a period less than one year per §851.28(b) of
this chapter shall be prorated.
(d) A minimum of 1 PDH per renewal period must be in
the area of professional ethics, roles and responsibilities of Professional
Geoscientists, or review of the Texas Geoscientist Practice Act and
TBPG rules.
(e) If a licensee exceeds the annual requirement in
any renewal period, a maximum of 30 PDH units may be carried forward
into the subsequent renewal periods.
(f) PDH units may be earned as follows:
(1) Successful completion or auditing of college credit
courses.
(2) Successful completion of continuing education courses,
either offered by a professional or trade organization, university
or college, or offered in-house by a corporation, other business entity,
professional or technical societies, associations, agencies, or organizations,
or other group.
(3) Successful completion of correspondence, on-line,
televised, videotaped, and other short courses/tutorials.
(4) Presenting or attending qualifying seminars, in-house
courses, workshops, or professional or technical presentations made
at meetings, conventions, or conferences sponsored by a corporation,
other business entity, professional or technical societies, associations,
agencies, or organizations, or other group.
(5) Teaching or instructing as listed in paragraphs
(1) - (4) of this subsection.
(6) Authoring published papers, articles, books, or
accepted licensing examination items.
(7) Active participation in professional or technical
societies, associations, agencies, or organizations, including:
(A) Serving as an elected or appointed official;
(B) Serving on a committee of the organization; or
(C) Serving in other official positions.
(8) Patents issued.
(9) Engaging in self-directed course work.
(10) Software programs published.
(g) All activities described in subsection (f) of this
section shall be relevant to the practice of a discipline of geoscience
and may include technical, ethical, or managerial content.
(h) The conversion of other units of credit to PDH
units is as follows and subject to subsection (g) of this section:
(1) 1 College or unit semester hour--15 PDH.
(2) 1 College or unit quarter hour--10 PDH.
(3) 1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU)--10 PDH.
(4) 1 Hour of professional development in course work,
seminars, or professional or technical presentations made at meetings,
conventions, or conferences--1 PDH.
(5) 1 Hour of professional development through self-directed
course study (Not to exceed 5 PDH)--1 PDH.
(6) Each published paper or article--10 PDH and book--45
PDH.
(7) Active participation, as defined in subsection
(f)(7) of this section, in professional or technical society, association,
agency, or organization (Not to exceed 5 PDH per year)--1 PDH.
(8) Each patent issued--15 PDH.
(9) Each software program published--15 PDH.
(10) Teaching or instructing as described in subsection
(f)(5) of this section--3 times the PDH credit earned.
(i) Determination of Credit:
(1) The Appointed Board shall be the final authority
with respect to whether a course or activity meets the requirements
of this chapter.
(2) The Board staff shall not pre-approve or endorse
any CEP activities. It is the responsibility of each licensee to use
his/her best professional judgment by reading and utilizing the rules
and regulations to determine whether all PDH credits claimed and activities
being considered meet the continuing education requirement. However,
a course provider may contact the Board staff for an opinion for whether
or not a course or technical presentation would meet the CEP requirements.
(3) Credit for college or community college approved
courses will be based upon course credit established by the college.
(4) Credit for qualifying seminars and workshops will
be based on one PDH unit for each hour of attendance. Attendance at
qualifying programs presented at professional and/or technical society
meetings will earn PDH units for the actual time of each program.
(5) Credit for self-directed course work will be based
on one PDH unit for each hour of study and is not to exceed 5 PDH
per renewal period. Credit determination for self-directed course
work is the responsibility of the licensee.
(6) Credit determination for activities described in
subsection (h)(6) of this section is the responsibility of the licensee.
(7) Credit for activity described in subsection (h)(7)
of this section requires that a licensee serve as an officer of the
organization, actively participate in a committee of the organization,
or perform other activities such as making or attending a presentation
at a meeting or writing a paper presented at a meeting. PDH credits
are not earned until the end of each year of service is completed.
(8) Teaching credit, as defined in subsection (f)(5)
of this section, is valid for teaching a course or seminar for the
first time only.
(j) The licensee is responsible for maintaining records
to be used to support credits claimed. Records required include, but
are not limited to:
(1) A log, showing the type of activity claimed, sponsoring
organization, location, duration, instructor's or speaker's name,
and PDH credits earned; and
(2) Attendance verification records in the form of
completion certificates, receipts, attendance roster, or other documents
supporting evidence of attendance.
(k) The licensee must submit CEP certification on the
log and a list of each activity, date, and hours claimed that satisfy
the CEP requirement for that renewal year when audited. A percentage
of the licenses will be randomly audited each year.
(l) CEP records for each licensee must be maintained
for a period of three years by the licensee.
(m) CEP records for each licensee are subject to audit
by the Board staff.
(1) Copies must be furnished, if requested, to the
Board staff for audit verification purposes.
(2) If upon auditing a licensee, the Board staff finds
that the activities cited do not fall within the bounds of educational,
technical, ethical, or professional management activities related
to the practice of geoscience, the Board staff shall determine that
the continuing education audit was not passed and refer the issue
to the Enforcement Coordinator for appropriate action, which may include
opening a complaint against the licensee for potential violations.
(n) A licensee may be exempt from the professional
development educational requirements for a specific renewal period
or periods for one of the following reasons listed in paragraphs (1)
- (4) of this subsection:
(1) New licensees that were licensed by passage of
any part of the required licensing examinations shall be exempt for
their first renewal period.
(2) A licensee serving on active duty and deployed
outside the United States, its possessions and territories, in or
for the military service of the United States for a period of time
exceeding one hundred twenty (120) consecutive days in a year shall
be exempt from obtaining the professional development hours required
during that year.
Cont'd... |
