CHAPTER 3
CONTINUING EDUCATION
[Prior to 7/13/88, see Architectural Examiners, Board of[80]]
193B—3.1(544A) Continuing education. The following rules, adopted by the Iowa architectural examining board, are in compliance with Iowa Code chapter 544A and section 272C.2 requiring professional and occupational licensees to participate in a continuing education program as a condition of registration renewal.
	3.1(1) Definitions. The following definitions apply as used in Iowa Code chapter 544A and this chapter of the architectural examining board rules, unless the context otherwise requires.
“Contact hour” means one continuous instructional hour spent in either structured educational activities or individually planned activities intended to increase the architect’s knowledge and competence in public protection subjects and related practice subjects.
“Individually planned educational activities” means educational activities in which the teaching methodology primarily consists of the architect personally addressing 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 building types, designs or building systems, rendering services to the public, advancing the profession’s and public’s understanding of the practice of architecture and the like.
“Not engaged in active practice” means that an architect is not engaged in the practice of architecture or earning monetary compensation by providing professional architectural services in any licensing jurisdiction of the United States or a foreign country.
“Public protection subjects” means technical and professional subjects which the board deems appropriate to safeguard directly the public’s health, safety and welfare. Such subjects include building design, environmental or land use analyses, life safety, architectural programming, site and soils analyses, accessibility, structural systems considerations, lateral forces, building codes, evaluation and selection of building systems, products or materials, construction methods, contract documentation, construction administration and the like.
“Related practice subjects” means technical and professional subjects other than public protection subjects that the board deems appropriate to safeguard indirectly the public’s health, safety, and welfare. Such subjects include building cost analysis, construction contract negotiation, construction phase office procedures, project management, review of state registration laws including rules of professional conduct.
“Retired from active practice” has the same meaning as “not engaged in active practice.”
“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 planned manner.
	3.1(2) To renew registration, in addition to other requirements, an architect must have acquired continuing education for each 24-month period since the architect’s last renewal of initial registration, as the case may be, or be exempt from these continuing education requirements, as provided below. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in nonrenewal of the architect’s registration or other disciplinary action, or both.
	a. 	Within any 24-month biennial renewal period during which 24 contact hours must be acquired, at least 16 contact hours shall be public protection subjects acquired in structured educational activities (all 24 hours may be acquired in such subjects and activities). Eight contact hours may be in related practice subjects acquired through either individually planned activities or structured education activities. A maximum of 2 contact hours annually (4 contact hours biennially) may be claimed for serving as a mentor or sponsor for the NCARB Intern Development Program. Hours acquired in any 24-month period may not be carried over to a subsequent 24-month period. Continuing education hours need not be acquired within this jurisdiction, but may be acquired at any location.
	b. 	Reporting and record keeping. A registered architect shall complete and submit forms prescribed or accepted by the board certifying to the architect’s having acquired the required continuing education hours. Architects’ forms may be selected for review by the board for verification of compliance with these requirements. Evidence of compliance shall be maintained by the architect for two years after the period for which the form was submitted. If the board disallows any continuing education hours, unless the board finds following notice and hearing that the architect willfully disregarded these requirements, then the architect shall have six months from notice of such disallowance to make up the deficiency by acquiring the required number of contact hours. Such contact hours shall not again be used for the next renewal.
	3.1(3) An architect who holds registration in Iowa for less than 12 months from the date of initial registration, shall not be required to report continuing education hours at the first registration renewal. An architect who holds registration in Iowa for more than 12 months, but less than 24 months from the date of initial registration, shall be required to report 12 contact hours (including 8 hours in public protection subjects) earned in the preceding 12 months at the first registration renewal.
	3.1(4) The following suggested list may be used by all registrants in determining the types of activities which may fulfill continuing education requirements:
	a. 	Contact hours in attendance at short courses or seminars, dealing with architectural subjects and sponsored by colleges or universities.
	b. 	Contact hours in attendance at technical presentations on architectural subjects which are held in conjunction with conventions or at seminars related to materials use and function. Such presentations as those sponsored by the American Institute of Architects, Construction Specifications Institute, Construction Products Manufacturers Council or similar organizations devoted to architectural 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. 	Three preparation hours for each class hour spent teaching architectural courses or seminars. College or university faculty may not claim credit for teaching regular curriculum courses.
	e. 	Contact hours spent in professional service to the public which draws upon the registrant’s professional expertise on boards and commissions, such as: serving on planning commissions, building code advisory boards, urban renewal boards, or code study committees.
	f. 	Contact hours spent in architectural research which is published or is formally presented to the profession or public.
	g. 	Contact hours spent in architectural self-study courses such as those sponsored by the American Institute of Architects, National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB), or similar organizations.
	h. 	College or university credit courses dealing with 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 of architecturally significant buildings, where the tour is sponsored by college, university or professional organizations.
	3.1(5) A registered architect shall be deemed to have complied with the foregoing continuing education requirements if the architect attests in the required affidavit that for not less than 21 months of the preceding two-year period of registration, the architect (one of the following):
	a. 	Has served honorably on active duty in the military service.
	b. 	Is the resident of another state or district having a continuing education requirement for registration as an architect and has complied with all requirements of that state or district for practice therein.
	c. 	Is a government employee working as an architect and assigned to duty outside the United States.
	3.1(6) Architects who so attest on their affidavit that they are retired from active practice or are not engaged in active practice may maintain their registration and the title of architect. Such architects may, however, reenter practice only after satisfying the board of their proficiency. Proficiency may be established by any one of the following:
	a. 	Submitting verifiable evidence of compliance with the aggregate continuing education requirements for the reporting periods attested as retired from active practice or not engaged in active practice.
	b. 	Retake the architectural registration examination.
	c. 	Fulfill alternative reentry requirements determined by the board which serve to assure the board of the current competency of the architect to engage in the practice of architecture.
	3.1(7) The board shall have authority to make exceptions for reasons of individual hardship including health (certified by a medical doctor) or other good cause.
This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 272C.2.
[Filed 9/27/78, Notice 8/23/78—published 10/18/78, effective 11/22/78]
[Filed 3/2/82, Notice 1/6/82—published 3/31/82, effective 5/5/82]
[Filed 6/24/88, Notice 3/9/88—published 7/13/88, effective 8/17/88]
[Filed 3/30/89, Notice 12/28/88—published 4/19/89, effective 5/24/89]
[Filed 2/15/91, Notice 1/9/91—published 3/6/91, effective 4/10/91]
[Filed 12/6/91, Notice 10/30/91—published 12/25/91, effective 1/29/92]
[Filed 3/12/93, Notice 2/3/93—published 3/31/93, effective 5/5/93]
[Filed 1/14/94, Notice 11/10/93—published 2/2/94, effective 3/23/94]
[Filed 2/6/95, Notice 12/7/94—published 3/1/95, effective 4/5/95]
[Filed 9/20/96, Notice 7/31/96—published 10/9/96, effective 11/13/96]
[Filed 3/21/97, Notice 2/12/97—published 4/9/97, effective 5/14/97]
[Filed 9/12/01, Notice 6/27/01—published 10/3/01, effective 11/7/01]