This page last updated October 14, 2001
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING CONTINUING EDUCATION
The following information has been compiled from frequently asked questions to the board office regarding continuing education.
Q. When do I need to start obtaining continuing education?
A. All land surveyors started obtaining Professional Development Hours (PDH) in 1996. If you are a professional engineer, architect, or landscape architect, you needed to start obtaining continuing education in 1998 or 1999 depending upon your expiration date. Geologists will be required to start getting PDH after July 1, 2001 or July 1, 2002. Please refer to the time schedule for more detailed information.
Q. What activity counts for continuing education?
A. A continuing education activity must meet the criteria set forth in the following rules and regulations: K.A.R. 66-14-1(b)(1) and (b)(2) states..."Continuing education obtained by the licensee shall: maintain, improve or expand technical professional skills and knowledge obtained before initial licensure; or develop new and relevant technical professional skills and knowledge."
K.A.R. 66-14-4 states..."The criteria for continuing education activities shall: have a clear purpose and objective; be well organized, presented in a sequential manner, and provide evidence of pre-planning; be presented by persons who are well-qualified by education or experience in the field being taught; and provide individual participant documentation for record keeping and reporting."
Q. How many hours of continuing education do I need to obtain?
A. If you are licensed in one technical profession, you are required to obtain 30 PDH for each two-year renewal period. If you are licensed in more than one profession, you must earn 20 PDH in each technical profession area for each two-year renewal period. While ethical or managerial content could be used for either profession, you will need some hours in the area of practice for each profession. Also if audited you may be asked to present documentation of continuing education for both professions.
Q. Do I need to contact the board office to get my continuing education activity approved?
A. No. According to K.A.R. 66-14-5(b), it is the final authority of the Board of Technical Professions to approve the continuing education credit. However, the present board will not make a determination regarding continuing education activity that is subject to the final ruling of a future board. Therefore, the board is placing the responsibility on each licensee to use their best professional judgement by reading and utilizing the rules and regulations to determine whether the activity being considered meets the continuing education requirements.
Q. How do I report my continuing education activity to the Board?
A. At the time of your licensure renewal, you will certify on the renewal
form provided by
the Board that you have complied with the continuing education requirements
stated in the rules and regulations. If you are audited and fail to
furnish the information that is required by the Board, your license will not be
renewed or may be cancelled.
Q. What kind of documentation must I have if I am audited?
A. The documentation is dependent on type of activity.
· Conferences: Many providers will prepare a certificate that indicates your name, program name, date, number of hours attended, and signed by sponsor. At conventions, the only documentation you may have is a program of events. If there are multiple CE presentations, mark the ones you attended. If no times are scheduled, then note the amount of time for the presentation. Be sure there is a date on the schedule. At other CE offerings, you may need to keep the brochure, outline, or objectives to have documentation.
· Many companies are now offering in-house programs. Some maintain a computerized record for the employee that will be accepted as documentation of attendance by the board (also includes the AIA record). Other times you may only have a memo or bulletin that announces the offering. Getting a copy of the attendance roster can also serve as documentation. Again name of offering, date, and hours are needed.
· A bulletin or agenda that contains your name as the instructor can usually document teaching activities. If that is not available, you may need to get a letter from the employing agency.
· If you authored an article or paper, then a copy of the title page with your name and date published should be accepted.
· Actively participating in a professional organization as an officer or committee member can easily be documented by a copy of the minutes from a meeting that shows your attendance. If applying for more than one year, minutes from both periods of time will be required. Remember you get two PDH for each year of participation.
· College courses can be documented by a college transcript or grade report.
Q. Do I need to send the board office documentation that I attended a continuing education activity?
A. You will be provided a log form to record your continuing education
activities, but DOCUMENTATION SHOULD NOT BE SUBMITTED unless you are
audited.
Q. Are carry-over hours allowed?
A. Yes, if you exceed the 30 PDH requirement, you may carry a maximum of 30 PDH units forward into the next renewal period. However, there are no carry-over hours allowed for the first reporting period. The maximum carry-over for a dual licensee is 20 PDH in each area for each two-year renewal period.
Q. How long must I keep my continuing education records for audit purposes?
A. You are required to maintain your records for at least four years since copies may be requested by the Board for audit verification at any time. This is especially important if you are carrying over any hours into the next renewal cycle. You will have to document carry-over hours if audited.
Q. I'm a Kansas licensed architect living in Alabama. Do the continuing education hours I obtain for my Alabama license count in Kansas?
A. Based on Kansas regulation 66-14-10 (a), the continuing education activity you obtain for license renewal in your state of residence will satisfy Kansas requirements. If audited, you will still be responsible for providing documentation of those hours.
Q. Will continuing education be expensive?
A. That depends on you! The Board is not pre-approving continuing education programs, so it is really up to your professional judgement as to what type of continuing education you take to meet the criteria required for your individual practice.
Q. I'm a retired 69 year old professional engineer. Do I need to obtain continuing education?
A. You may be exempt from continuing education. However, you do not request exemption approval in advance. In order to meet the retirement exemption, it depends upon whether you are currently practicing, not how old you are. If you are not currently practicing, then you do not need to obtain continuing education. But if you return to practice, then you must obtain the PDH required for each year you were exempted, not to exceed 30 PDH. You would simply fill out the exemption statement on your regular renewal form, and if audited, you would be required to submit appropriate documentation for the Board's review.
Q. Where do I find out about continuing education opportunities?
A. You may contact your state and national professional societies, your employer, or a near-by educational institution. The Board of Technical Professions also publishes some listings of continuing education offerings in the quarterly newsletter. The internet is also a good resource, for example those offerings from NCARB and CLARB.
Q. If I allow my license to lapse, would I need to obtain continuing education hours if I am interested in reinstating my license?
A. Yes, you would need to obtain all delinquent PDH, not to exceed 30 PDH. Upon proof that you have obtained the required PDH, you would also need to meet the Board's other requirements for reinstating your license.
Q. I've been called into active military duty. How do I request an exemption from continuing education?
A. The Board will not be reviewing exemption requests in advance. You would simply fill out the exemption statement on your regular renewal form, and if audited, you would be required to submit appropriate documentation for the Board's review.
Q. Besides disability or illness, retirement, and military duty, are there any other exemptions?
A. Other exemptions may include a new licensee’s first time renewal and some extenuating circumstance that the Board reviews on an individual basis.
Q. If I am audited and the Board finds that I do not have enough PDH for renewal of my license, what happens?
A. Based on regulation 66-14-12, if the Board does not approve all your
PDH, then you will be given 120 days to substantiate the original claim or to
earn other PDH to meet the minimum requirement. If this provision is not
met, the Board may cancel the license.
It is hoped that this information assists you in choosing your continuing education activities. If you have any further questions, please feel free to call the board office at (785) 296-4800.
The "Computation of Credit Table" printed in this publication may
assist you in reviewing the credit allowed for continuing education activities.
7/6/01