CHAPTER 3
CONTINUING EDUCATION
[Prior to 3/9/88, see Landscape Architectural Examiners Board[540] Ch 3]
193D—3.1(544B,17A) Definitions. As used in these rules, the following definitions shall apply:
“Health, safety, welfare subjects” means technical and professional subjects that the board deems appropriate to safeguard directly the public’s health, safety, and welfare. Such subjects include design, environmental systems, site design, land use analyses, landscape architecture programming, grading and drainage, storm water management, erosion control, site and soil analyses, accessibility, building codes, review of state registration laws including the rules of professional conduct, evaluation and selection of products and materials, cost analysis, construction methods, contract documentation, construction contract administration, construction administration, construction-phase office procedures, project management, and the like.
“Hours” of continuing education means a contact hour spent in either structured educational activities or individually planned activities intended to increase the professional landscape architect’s knowledge and competence in public protection subjects and related practice subjects. “Contact hour” is defined as the typical 50-minute classroom instructional session or its equivalent. One continuing education unit (CEU) offered by an accredited sponsor shall be considered equivalent to ten contact hours of continuing education.
“Individually planned education” means educational activities in which the professional landscape architect personally addresses public protection subjects or related practice subjects which are not systematically presented by others, including reading or writing articles on such subjects; studying or researching landscape architecture, designs or building types; rendering services to the public; advancing the profession’s and public’s understanding of the practice of landscape architecture; and the like.
“Structured educational activities” means educational activities in which the teaching methodology consists primarily of systematic presentation of public protection subjects or related practice subjects by qualified individuals or organizations including monographs, courses of study taught in person or by correspondence, organized lectures, presentations or workshops, and other means through which identifiable technical and professional subjects are presented in a planned manner.
193D—3.2(544B,17A) Continuing education requirements. In order for professional landscape architects to provide competent, professional services to the public, continuing education shall consist of learning experiences that enhance, expand and keep current the skills, knowledge, and abilities of practicing professionals. Professional landscape architects may pursue learning experiences in technical, nontechnical, regulatory, ethics and business practice areas, provided that the continuing education directly benefits the health, safety, or welfare of the public.
	3.2(1) Hours required. Each registrant shall complete during each two-year licensing term a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education approved by the board. Compliance with the continuing education requirements is a prerequisite for license renewal.
	3.2(2) Within any biennial renewal period, 24 contact hours must be acquired and shall be in health, safety, welfare subjects acquired in structural educational activities. The hours earned in self-study activities shall be limited to 6 hours, effective for the renewals that are due on June 30, 2008. Hours acquired in any 24-month renewal period may not be carried over to a subsequent 24-month renewal period. Continuing education hours may be acquired in any location.
	3.2(3) A professional landscape architect who holds a license in Iowa for less than 12 months from the date of initial licensure shall not be required to report continuing education at the first license renewal. A professional landscape architect who holds a license in Iowa for more than 12 months, but less than 24 months from the date of initial licensure, shall be required to report 12 contact hours in health, safety, welfare subjects earned in the preceding 12 months at the first license renewal.
	3.2(4) Sources of continuing education. The following suggested list may be used by all licensees to determine the types of activities which may fulfill the continuing education requirements.
	a. 	Contact hours in attendance at short courses or seminars dealing with landscape architectural subjects and sponsored by colleges, universities or professional organizations.
	b. 	Contact hours in attendance at presentations on landscape architectural subjects, which are held in conjunction with conventions or at seminars related to materials use and function. Presentations such as those presented by the Council of Landscape Architecture Registration Boards (CLARB), American Society of Landscape Architects, Construction Specification Institute, Construction Products Manufacturers Council or similar organizations devoted to landscape architecture education may qualify.
	c. 	Contact hours in attendance at short courses or seminars relating to business practice or new technology and offered by colleges, universities, professional organizations or system suppliers.
	d. 	Presenting or teaching courses or seminars in landscape architecture. Three preparation hours may be claimed for each class hour spent teaching landscape architectural courses or seminars. College or university faculty members may not claim credit for teaching regular curriculum courses.
	e. 	Contact hours spent in professional service to the public which draws upon the licensee’s professional expertise on boards and commissions such as serving on planning commissions, building code advisory boards, urban renewal boards, or code study commissions.
	f. 	Contact hours spent in landscape architectural research which is published or formally presented to the profession or public. Credit may be claimed only following publication or presentation.
	g. 	Contact hours spent in landscape architectural self-study courses presented in written format or via the Internet, television, video, or audio, such as those sponsored by the American Society of Landscape Architects, CLARB, or similar organizations. Courses must conclude with an examination or other verification of course completion. Self-study hours shall be limited to 6 hours earned in any biennial renewal period, effective for renewals that are due on June 30, 2008.
	h. 	College or university courses dealing with landscape architectural subjects or business practice. Each semester hour shall equal 15 contact hours. A quarter hour shall equal 10 contact hours.
	i. 	Contact hours spent in educational tours or in areas significant in landscape architecture when the tour is sponsored by college, university or professional organizations and verification of participation is provided by the tour sponsor. Self-guided tours do not qualify.
	j. 	Contact hours spent attending in-house educational programs, including dinner, luncheon, and breakfast meetings.
	3.2(5) Financing. It is the responsibility of each licensee to finance the costs for continuing education.
193D—3.3(544B,17A) Reporting and evidence.
	3.3(1) Each professional landscape architect shall file with the board a signed report, under penalty of perjury, on forms provided by the board or by on-line renewal, setting forth the continuing education activities in which the professional landscape architect has participated. The report shall be filed with the renewal application for each two-year renewal period in which the claimed continuing education hours were completed. The information in the report shall include:
	a. 	School, firm or organization conducting the course.
	b. 	Location of the course.
	c. 	Title of the course and description of the content.
	d. 	Principal instructor(s).
	e. 	Dates attended.
	f. 	Hours claimed.
	3.3(2) A professional landscape architect’s continuing education report forms or on-line renewal may be selected for review by the board for verification of compliance with these requirements. Evidence of compliance shall be maintained by the professional landscape architect for two years after the period for which the form was submitted and shall include written verification of attendance by someone other than the licensee. Examples of evidence may include, but are not limited to, a certificate of completion presented by the program sponsor, a letter from an employer verifying attendance at an in-firm training session, or copies of minutes from public service meetings. Canceled checks or receipts for payments of fees to attend a program are not evidence of actual attendance and are not acceptable.
	3.3(3) If the board disallows any continuing education hours, unless the board finds, following notice and hearing, that the professional landscape architect willfully disregarded continuing education requirements, then the professional landscape architect shall have six months from notice of such disallowance to make up the deficiency by acquiring the required number of contact hours. Such hours shall not again be used for the next renewal.
193D—3.4(544B,17A) Hearings. In the event of denial, in whole or in part, of any application for approval of credit for continuing education activity, the licensee shall have the right, within 20 days after the date of notification of the denial by mail, to request a hearing by the board. The hearing shall be held within 60 days after receipt of the request for the hearing. The decision of the board shall be final.
193D—3.5(544B,17A) Physical disability, illness, hardship, or extenuating circumstances. The board may, in individual cases involving physical disability, illness (certified by a medical doctor), hardship, or extenuating circumstances, grant waivers of the continuing education requirements for a period of time not to exceed one year. No waiver or extension of time shall be granted unless the licensee makes a written request to the board for such action.
193D—3.6(544B,17A) Methods of compliance and exemptions. A licensee licensed to practice as a professional landscape architect shall be deemed to have complied with the continuing education requirements during the continuing education compliance period that the licensee:
	1.	Serves honorably on active duty in the military service; or
	2.	Resides in another state or district having a continuing education requirement for the occupation or profession and meets all the requirements of that state or district for practice therein; or
	3.	Is a government employee working as a professional landscape architect and assigned to duty outside the United States; or
	4.	Is approved by the board for periods of active practice and absence from the state.
If the licensee was not engaged in active practice as a professional landscape architect and will maintain inactive status during the period for which renewal is requested, the board may exempt the licensee from continuing education. No exemption shall be granted without a written request from the licensee.
193D—3.7(544B,17A) Grounds for denial of license renewal. Failure of a licensee to complete the continuing education requirements as set forth in this chapter, or failure to file a report of completed continuing education, or failure to submit a written request for waiver or exemption shall be grounds for the board to deny renewal of the license.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code chapter 544B.
[Filed 11/9/78, Notice 10/4/78—published 11/29/78, effective 1/3/79]
[Filed 2/18/88, Notice 12/16/87—published 3/9/88, effective 4/13/88]
[Filed without Notice 2/18/88—published 3/9/88, effective 4/13/88]
[Filed 10/16/95, Notice 8/2/95—published 11/8/95, effective 12/13/95]
[Filed 2/17/00, Notice 12/15/99—published 3/8/00, effective 9/1/00]
[Filed 7/24/03, Notice 5/14/03—published 8/20/03, effective 9/24/03]
[Filed 10/20/05, Notice 8/3/05—published 11/9/05, effective 12/14/05]
[Filed 5/3/07, Notice 2/14/07—published 5/23/07, effective 6/27/07]