AIA CES

AIA CES is excited to offer this blog as another way for members and providers to access information about AIA CES. 

Just a recap to start the new year:

The annual requirement is 18 learning units of which 8 need to be HSW;
AIA CES accepts 8 Architectural Record submissions annually.  If you submit more than 8, all the ones that McGraw-Hill processes will be listed on your AIA CES transcript.  However, only 8 will count towards the totals on the bottom of the transcript;
Your AIA member number begins with a 3, and is not the same as your license number

For more information about AIA CES policies, just click on the AIA CES FAQs or contact me, Maria, at msigillito@aia.org.

AIA Members can earn learning units for teaching as long as they are not full-time professors.  You can find answers to many commonly asked questions by visiting the AIA CES FAQs.  For instance the following is the policy on teaching:

Many members on the 2005 AIA CES Audit List asked for suggestions on learning units that can be earned quickly, and possibly at little cost.  I would refer these members to AIA eClassroom, or Ron Blank & Associates, AEC Daily, among others.  Certificates of completions were sent the day the learning unit was earned, and the learning units were posted to the AIA CES transcript without much fuss.

According to statistics, though, many AIA Members would prefer face to face instruction.  What do you see as a trend in the future; more distance learning courses available because more AIA members want access to them, or will the distance learning avenue of continuing education reach a plateau?

AIA offers PodCasts through the Architecture Knowledge Review Podcast Series.  At this time they are not available for continuing education credit.  However, the topic has been discussed, and the future may be "Pod"able.  In fact, it looks like a vendor of continuing education in Australia offers PodCasts.

To earn credit for reading articles or taking tests online, AIA members must pass a test with an 80% or higher score after reading the material.  What are your thoughts on continuing education credit for PodCasts?

I just learned how to do this, and you might find this helpful, to find about continuing education news opportunities in your area.  They are just examples, if you use a different feedburner, or reader, that's great as well. 

For example, if you would like to be emailed Google News Alerts about Continuing Education.

For example, if you would like to create feeds of news or blogs, burn them, and then create a GoogleReader webpage:

Many of you on the 2006 AIA CES Audit List might need a few more courses before the September 30th deadline.  This would be a good time to try distance learning options.  Many providers of distance education are able to send a certificate of completion to you upon completion of the course.  If you are interested in distance learning the following providers of education may interest you:

I routinely receive Google Alerts about blogging posts on continuing education in the AEC fields, and podcasting.  Looking at blogs I'm able to find such incredibly interesting opinions!  Here's one. 

Check out the Alaska and Utah pages for information on new mandatory contiuing education requirements.  If you would like an overview of other states licensing requirements please visit the quick overview or the individual state pages.

According to Bloggeron, architectural firms, and educational institutions including those that offer distance education or continuing education benefit from videoconferencing.  For those that have participated in videoconferencing, what do you see as the benefits?

In order to help offset rising homeowner utility costs and lengthening commuting times, homeowners are looking for neighborhoods and communities designed to include greater access to public transportation, recreation, commercial and entertainment options. Mixed-use developments are projects where residential units are blended with retail, dining and other commercial activities in the same facility. Infill housing, where smaller land parcels closer to urban centers are targeted for development, is also increasing as metropolitan areas are becoming more built-out according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey from the third quarter of 2007.  For more information, please view the press release. 

What continuing education programs should be available to members interested in mixed-use developments.  What points of interest about mixed-use buildings need more clarification within the continuing education system?

Learn about University of Iowa's Museum of Art challenge to students.  With considerable help from tech-savvy staff at the university library, each of the 12,000 objects in the museum's collection will soon be added to a newly launched database called the Iowa Gallery. With a few clicks through cyber-world, people anywhere on the planet can take a virtual tour through the museum's galleries. They can even tailor their exploration according to their tastes, grouping their search by artist (say, Henry Moore or Joan Miro), medium (batik, photography, porcelain) or time period (all the way back to the 10century). 

Would virtual tours of buildings be something that interests you if you can earn continuing education for them?

Sustainability, Healthy and Safe Communities, and Professional Practice Top Priority List

The AIA has unveiled its 2008 federal legislative and regulatory agenda, looking to build from the Institute's advocacy successes in 2007 while continuing to raise the profile of design issues at the national level.

The agenda reflects three broad themes -- Designing a Sustainable Future, Promoting Healthy and Safe Communities, and Helping Architects Practice their Profession -- that address the core values and priorities of the AIA's more than 80,000 members. The issues span from green building to affordable health care, to the nomination of a licensed architect as the next Architect of the Capitol.

The agenda focuses on these key issues:

Designing a sustainable future

• Extending energy efficient tax incentives
• Promoting carbon neutral buildings through climate change legislation
• Greening America's homes

Promoting healthy and safe communities

• Using tax incentives to revitalize older neighborhoods, create affordable housing, and preserve historic structures
• Promoting community planning as a part of transportation planning
• Providing incentives to clean up brownfields
• Helping communities respond to disaster
• Protecting the integrity of the U.S. Capitol by making the next Architect of the Capitol a licensed architect

Helping architects practice their profession

• Reducing barriers to small design firms that want to compete for federal government design contracts
• Make health care affordable for businesses

If you were to create continuing education courses, what content would you need to teach in order for AIA members to accomplish these agenda items?

For the tech:

"Portability" is a word you’ll hear a lot this year. More mobile phones will provide desktop computer functions: Web surfing, viewing TV broadcasts, two-way video game playing, social networking, etc. Even so, cell phone prices will drop this year.
Web tablets are on the verge of taking off, with qwerty keyboards on a touch screen and scores of functions for under $250. Size: 6" by 3". Early versions are already available ... the Nokia N800 and Sony’s Mylo, for example. Web tablets are really just big wireless smart phones.

Google will develop a phone with better Web browsing ability. Instead of the small number of Web sites offered by most cell phones now, Google’s phone will enable broad Web access. It’ll speed up searches, and its mapping technology will let users locate nearby restaurants, for example, as well as view menus and read recent reviews.
More service improvements are on tap for 2009 after the sale of airwaves in the Federal Communications Commission auction this month. Once TV stations free up wireless spectrum when they go all digital, mobile technology will be even more competitive, lowering prices further.

Cybercrooks are moving into industrial espionage in a big way. They function as a new breed of widely dispersed organized criminals. Gangs in one country work with servers in another to stage an attack on a company in a third ... stealing secrets to gain a competitive edge for themselves or to sell to competitors of the company being hacked.
Top targets: Financial services, IT, aerospace, and Rx drugs. Ongoing vigilance is the best way to protect against serious damage. . . "  Read the full AIArchitect article.

Outside of the AIArchitect article, I read interesting information on podcasting, and YouTube for professors.  Continuing education will reap the benefits of these forms of content delivery.  What have you experienced as a student that was innovative in delivery approach, and effective in teaching?

A coalition of eight architecture, landscape architecture, and design organizations are pushing to create a new National Academy of Environmental Design. As a new part of the National Academies, the National Academy of Environmental Design would focus on the built environment, and how buildings and cities could produce less waste, consume less energy, and contribute to healthier living and work spaces.  Please visit ya-edu.com for the full article. 

As sustainable design theories become more prevalent in business decisions, what do design professionals need to know to meet the demands of not the public, and the associations that represent them?

On February 5, 24 states will participate in the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses. The AIA Government Advocacy staff is working to ensure that all architects in those states have the resources necessary to participate. As part of the DesignVote08 initiative (see the last issue of the Angle for more information on DesignVote), AIA National is working with the state components to share information, ranging from polling locations to voting rules to political party links. These resources are available on the AIA Web site.  For the full article, please read the AIA Angle.

What courses should be available to inspire architects to engage in the political process?

Adopting a BIM solution is more than just a technology or process change; it’s a culture change, too. How the firm acquires projects, the workflow between team members and consultants, project deliverables—they’re all affected. Management, therefore, should involve the entire team in the decision, making everyone stakeholders in the transition and preparing them for the changes ahead.  Read the full article on soloso.aia.org.

For those that have transitioned to a BIM solution, what types of courses would have eased the transition? 

Building green has been building an audience. It's in magazines, on TV, in stores.

But advocates of environmentally friendly building practices — and saving energy in this winter of high heating prices — say educating the construction industry in the new ways has been an often slow and spotty process.  For more information, read the full article from Cape Cod Times.

Architects, have you requested more courses from your local components?

The April 10, day-long workshop will qualify for 6 learning units in the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System. This is the first such workshop of its kind in North Carolina.  For more information, please visit Greensboro's Treasured Places.

Have you found courses in your geographic area similar to this one?  What did you think of them?

The AIA Board Knowledge Committee is seeking proposals for research projects to be completed in a seven-month period, beginning in May, 2008.  For more information please email Richard Hayes, PhD, AIA, CAE, Managing Director, AIA Knowledge Resources.

How Hospitals and Health Systems Can Implement Green Practices Creating Healthy Environments for Patients, Employees and the World.  Please download the brochure for more information.

How do you prioritize what type of facilities are green first?  Are the greening of buildings prioritized based on need or availability?

The list has a place for your notes and asks questions like this:

• What are the raw materials used to create the product?
• And where do they come from?
• Is the manufacturing process energy efficient?
• Does the manufacturing process release harmful substances?
• Does the product release VOCs? At what rate?
• How is the product packaged and transported? And so on. 

For more information, please visit the LA Times.

Should providers use the lines items on the checklist as the foundations for creating green remodelling courses?

Members can now access Sweets building product information at Soloso.aia.org.

IFMA World WorkPlace Coference and Expo 2008, October 15-17, 2008 Dallas, Texas.

Registration is open!
Register now to take advantage of early-bird discounts. Special registration options for 2008 include: 1-day or Full Event; Young Professional; Member Applicant (includes one year of IFMA base and local chapter membership); Corporate Discount (groups of 10 or more from the same company receive the 10th full registration free); and 1- or 3-day Expo Only.

The Alabama Council AIA 2008 Annual Convention

The Battle House

Mobile, AL

June 20th - 22nd, 2008

The Alabama Council will return to Alabama for their 2008 convention.  The Battle House is a beautifully renovated historical building, located in the heart of Mobile.

(Click Here for Convention and Registration Information)

July 8th - 10th, 2008

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Click on "register NOW!" to attend this event!

PUBLIC JOINS DESIGNDC

Members of the public can attend a special free class at DesignDC called Greener Living: Suggestions for a healthier, more energy-efficient home that will include strategies for improving energy use, water efficiency and indoor air quality in the home. Click the "register now" button (above) and select public program only. The free class will also give you access to the Tradeshow. (AIA Members: this class is for the public only).

The AIA Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects

2008 Convention will be held July 30 - August 3, 2008 at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.

CLICK HERE to register for this year's Convention. For highlights and fee information, CLICK HERE.

Overview
Scandinavian design calls to mind the iconic images of Poul Henningsen’s Artichoke ceiling lamp for Louis Poulsen or Arne Jacobsen’s expansive lobby of the SAS Royal Hotel with its wedge of Swan chairs. Any architect who has ever had a client ask for “clean lines” can claim a personal connection to Danish Modern design. Join your architectural colleagues and learn about the influence and impact of Danish design from the mid-20th century to the dramatic architecture of today. Seminar topics will include globalization, sustainability, preservation of Modernism, urban new town growth, and new materials.  For more information, please visit AIA KC COD's event website.

The Alabama Council AIA 2008 Annual Convention

The Battle House

Mobile, AL

June 20th - 22nd, 2008

The Alabama Council will return to Alabama for their 2008 convention.  The Battle House is a beautifully renovated historical building, located in the heart of Mobile.

(Click Here for Convention and Registration Information)

Please mark your calendar today for this year's event:

September 8 - 10, 2008 - Best Western Ramkota Hotel - 800 S. 3rd St.
Bismarck, ND - 701-258-7700

All conference announcements will be sent out electronically.

Please make sure AIA North Dakota has your current e-mail address.

July 8th - 10th, 2008

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Click on "register NOW!" to attend this event!

PUBLIC JOINS DESIGNDC

Members of the public can attend a special free class at DesignDC called Greener Living: Suggestions for a healthier, more energy-efficient home that will include strategies for improving energy use, water efficiency and indoor air quality in the home. Click the "register now" button (above) and select public program only. The free class will also give you access to the Tradeshow. (AIA Members: this class is for the public only).

The 2008 Convention will be held July 30 - August 3, 2008 at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.

CLICK HERE to register for this year's Convention. For highlights and fee information, CLICK HERE.

Conference Postcard

Overview
Scandinavian design calls to mind the iconic images of Poul Henningsen’s Artichoke ceiling lamp for Louis Poulsen or Arne Jacobsen’s expansive lobby of the SAS Royal Hotel with its wedge of Swan chairs. Any architect who has ever had a client ask for “clean lines” can claim a personal connection to Danish Modern design. Join your architectural colleagues and learn about the influence and impact of Danish design from the mid-20th century to the dramatic architecture of today. Seminar topics will include globalization, sustainability, preservation of Modernism, urban new town growth, and new materials.

Tentative Program

Sunday, August 31, 2008
Theme: Introduction to Copenhagen
For a thousand years water has defined Copenhagen, which derives its name from “merchant’s harbor.” What better way to be introduced to this wonderful city than by boat? We will start at the Danish Architecture Center (DAC), which is located in an old warehouse across the water from the Admiral Hotel. After viewing the exhibition and introductory remarks, we will be embark on a boat tour that will be led by Kent Martinussen, CEO of the Danish Architecture Center, our partner in developing the Copenhagen conference. Kent will show us the heart of the old city as well as the exciting new architecture being created in previously underutilized industrial zones. This orientation will help you keep your bearings for the rest of your stay.

Monday, September 1, 2008
Theme: Danish Modernism (Guides: Pia Rost Rasmussen, Dorte Augustenborg, Dorte Friis, Andreas Spinner)
After an introductory lecture in the 17th Century Charlottenborg Palace, we will divide up into groups and take an in-depth walking tour of wonderful Copenhagen, highlighting several centuries of architecture and design from the seventeenth century of Christian IV to the twentieth century of Arne Jacobsen. We will conclude the evening getting to know our Danish architect hosts by dining in small groups in their offices.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Theme: Historical Overview of the City and Its Development (Guides: Anette Sorenson, Ingelise I. Andersson, Dorte Augustenborg)
We will again start at Charlottenborg with an introductory lecture before embarking on a bus tour to see the highlights of Danish Modernism in the Copenhagen area, which will include works by Arne Jacobsen, Jørn Utzon and others. We will also make a special stop at the world famous art museum, Louisiana, by Wohlert & Bo , as well as the World Heritage site, Kronborg Castle. The evening will end with a candlelit dinner hosted by the famous furniture maker Fritz Hansen at its state of the art facility.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Theme: Current Danish Developments (Guides: Christian Hanak, Rune Christiansen, Dorte Augustenborg)
We will explore the exciting new work being done by the new generation of Danish architects. A few minutes' ride on the brand new Metro will deliver us to Ørestad, a whole new section of the city being built at the edge of the nineteenth-century city. We will also visit the architecture school of the Royal Academy and get a behind the scenes tour of the new Royal Opera House by Henning Larsen, HFAIA. The evening will conclude with a tour and dinner at d Royal Danish Playhouse, just completed in February 2008, by Lundgaard & Tranberg.

Thursday, September 4, 2008
Theme: Dialogue with Danish Peers
We will begin the day exploring current issues of architecture in small workshops with our Danish architect colleagues. In groups of fifteen to twenty, we will delve deep into some of the common issues facing architects in the U.S. and Denmark today. This will be a unique opportunity to share experiences in an international setting. The discussions of the morning will continue over a lunch hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the afternoon, participants may choose to visit the Danish Design center, or explore Denmark’s ancient roots by visiting the reconstructed Iron Age village of Lejre, the medieval Roskilde Cathedral (a world Heritage site) and the Viking Ship Museum.
(please note: you must choose a preference for the workshop. Descriptions are available as part of the checklist for the workshops. You must also select your preference for the afternoon activities of either the Viking Tour, or the Danish Design Center.)

The entire group will gather again for a closing dinner celebration with some of our Danish architecture colleagues at the famous Tivoli Gardens in the heart of Copenhagen.

Please click here for descriptions of the workshop sessions.  For more information, please visit the Committee on Design event webpage.

As the economy slows down, commissions dry up, and firms start thinking about layoffs. The 2007 chair of the AIA committee on leadership education (and vice president of Kiku Obata & Co. in St. Louis) discusses ways that employees can keep their jobs and come out on top.  Read more from architectmagazine.com.

What is the Sustainable Design Mandatory Continuing Education Requirement?

Beginning in 2009, of the total 18 CES Learning Units (LUs) required in a given calendar year four (4) LUs will be required to focus on sustainable design and meet the established guidelines for sustainable design mandatory continuing education.  For more information please visit the sustainable design FAQs.

What is the Sustainable Design Mandatory Continuing Education Requirement?
Beginning in 2009, of the total 18 CES Learning Units (LUs) required in a given calendar year four (4) LUs will be required to focus on sustainable design and meet the established guidelines for sustainable design mandatory continuing education.  For more information, please visit the FAQ.

Videos on Demand
We’ve recorded a selection of the convention’s key plenary and educational sessions for you to view on demand. These sessions were part of our live virtual convention earlier. You can view them here through July but please register for each individual video. If you are an AIA member, learning units will be posted to your transcript automatically within three weeks of your viewing.
Select your videos and register now.

The Art and Science of Designing to Net Zero (1 LU; HSW/SD)
Focus on Firm Diversity and Global Practice (1 LU; HSW/SD)
A Rear-View Mirror and Fortune Teller: Lessons from This Downturn (1.5 LUs)
Making the Cut: The Psychological Impact of Downsizing (1 LU)
Define Your Career (1 LU)
Using LEED to Maximize Sustainability (1 LU; HSW/SD)
The New ADA Standards (1.5 LUs; HSW)
Focus on Design and Global Practice (1 LU)
The Beauty of Zero: Designing to Net Zero (1.5 LUs; HSW/SD)
Succession Planning for Architects (1.5 LUs)
Building with Balance (1 LU; HSW/SD)
Green Building Envelope Design (1 LU; HSW/SD)
Towards a Carbon-Neutral Future (1.5 LUs; HSW/SD)
Focus on Contemporary Architecture (1 LU; HSW)

• The Art and Science of Designing to Net-Zero (1 LU)

   

• Focus on Firm Diversity and Global Practice (1 LU)

   

• Using LEED to Maximize the Benefits of Sustainability (1 LU)

   

• The New ADA Standards: What You Need to Know (1.5 LUs)

   

• The Beauty of Zero: The Design of a Zero-Energy Building (1.5 LUs)

   

• Building with Balance: A Greenpeace Co-founder's Perspective (1 LU)

   

• Green Building Envelope Design: The Role of Building Envelope Airtightness on Energy Efficiency, Durability, and IAQ (1 LU)

   

• Toward a Carbon Neutral Future: Making Dramatically Better Buildings Affordable (1.5 LUs)

   

• Sustainable Design Intent and Innovation

   

• Regional/Community Design and Connectivity

   

• Land Use and Site Ecology

   

• Bioclimatic Design

   

• Light and Air

   

• Water Cycle

   

• Energy Flows and Energy Futures

   

• Materials and Construction

   

• Long Life, Loose Fit

   

• Collective Wisdom and Feedback Loops

   

Ecobuild America (HSW/SD LUs available)
December 8–10, 2009, Washington, D.C.

• AIA/CES Sustainable Design Requirement

   

• Registered Providers that Offer SD Courses

   

• AIA 2030 Commitment

   

• Contact Us: ces@aia.org

   

• "The New ADA Standards: What You Need to Know"(1.5 LUs HSW), a free virtual session recorded at the AIA 2009 National Convention, explores the key differences between the new and old standards. You can find more free virtual sessions (14 courses, eligible for a total of 16.5 LUs) on the 2009 AIA Convention On-Demand Presentation Site.

   

• "Accessibility: Design and Disconnects"(1 LU HSW), offered by the AIA California Council considers the lessons learned from nearly three years of accessibility surveys in California, especially regarding the conflicts and overlapping areas in state and federal accessibility standards.

   

• "Accessibility: Case Histories"(1.5 LUs HSW), offered by the AIA California Council presents visual case histories from years of accessibility surveys, plan and specification reviews, and quality-control exercises in California architecture firms. The cases exemplify the disconnects between design and construction and offer potential strategies and solutions for design professionals.

   

• Pocket Guide to the ADA, 3d. edition

   

• Accessible Home Design: Architectural Solutions for the Wheelchair User

   

• ICC/ANSI A117.1-2003 Standard on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities

   

• See the event Web site

   

• Hear the full podcast about the AIA NY Program

   

• Check chapter calendars for any state or local Procrastinators' Days

   

• Alaska

   

• Illinois

   

• Indiana

   

• Louisiana

   

• Mississippi

   

• Missouri

   

• Nebraska

   

• Ohio

   

• Rhode Island

   

• Utah

   

• Vermont

   

• Wyoming

   

Nevada's Board of Architecture, Interior Design, and Residential Design Continuing Education Information

Beginning January 1, 2010, all registrants will be required to earn eight continuing education units (CEUs) in the areas of health, safety and welfare each year, prior to renewal of their certificate of registration. A minimum of four units must be earned in a structured setting, and a maximum of four units may be earned in a self-directed setting. Additionally, two of the eight units must be obtained from code-related research or learning.

Details of what constitutes a self-directed educational activity and a structured educational activity are outlined in Sections 5 and 6 of the regulation, which can be downloaded below.

Registrants must earn the required CEUs prior to December 31, 2010, when their 2010 certificates of registration expire.

An exemption to this requirement is provided for registrants called to active duty in the armed forces. Registrants with medical issues or physical disabilities that prevent them from earning the CEUs may request an exemption from the board.

Continuing Education Regulation (LCB File No. R154-08)

Frequently Asked Questions

AIA's Nevada Continuing Education Page

Here are some quick and easy ways that a member can earn the required four SD LUs, which count toward the annual health, safety, and welfare (HSW) requirement. Some SD-qualifying courses are accessible on demand:

View SD sessions from the AIA 2009 National Convention (FREE) | View brand-new SD sessions from the AIA 2010 National Convention | Select courses from AIA Continuing Education System Providers.

On April 22, 2010, the Wisconsin Examining Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, Professional Engineers, Designers and Land Surveyors approved new administrative rules outlining continuing education requirements for renewing a license as an architect.  Now, architects registered in Wisconsin must earn 24 hours of continuing education every two years, including 16 hours related to health, safety and welfare.  The rule became effective July 1, 2010, and will first apply when architects renew their next two-year license by August 2012.

The requirement will strengthen the profession as registered architects will be required to learn on a lifelong basis.  The new administrative rules will help to reassure the public who expect quality design and quality projects from architects.

Recently AIA spoke with Bill Babcock, Hon. AIA, Executive Director of AIA  Wisconsin (mp3) about the state’s new mandatory continuing education requirements.   Specifically, a question was asked as to what prompted the Wisconsin Joint Examining Board to pursue mandatory continuing education as a requirement of license renewal.  According to Bill, when the idea was first addressed in the 1990s, a growing number of states were in the process of adopting continuing education requirements.  As a result, the Joint Examining Board was interested in pursuing mandatory continuing education in Wisconsin, but the Board did not have legislative authority to do so.  Within the podcast, you can hear Bill describe the process to promote the requirement, which eventually became an administrative rule. 

Bill discussed the involvement of AIA Wisconsin within this legislative process and why the legislation was a priority for the state society.  Once the continuing education requirement was on AIA Wisconsin’s legislative agenda, it collaborated with other allied design professions to support the enabling legislation.  As soon as the enabling legislation was approved by the Wisconsin Legislature and signed into law by the Governor, the Joint Examining Board reviewed the continuing education requirements in the neighboring states of Minnesota and Illinois as well the most recently adopted requirements in states across the country, including Hawaii.

AIA Wisconsin consistently advocates on behalf of the profession by meeting regularly with the Architect Section of the Joint Examining Board.  The state society also works with the Governor’s office by submitting recommendations for appointments to the Architect Section, which includes three architect members and two public members.

In response to the new rules, AIA Wisconsin is work closely with volunteer leaders of the four local AIA chapters to create and promote programs to meet the demand and interest for quality continuing education opportunities for AIA members and other interested registered architects.  Bill notes how AIA Wisconsin members should not be surprised by these new state continuing education requirements because many members already have been complying with similar continuing education requirements in neighboring states as well as to maintain their AIA membership.  Many architects registered in Wisconsin reside outside of the state and may be required to earn continuing education to renew their license elsewhere.  Wisconsin’s administrative rules recognize the American Institute of Architects as a provider of continuing education programs and allow architects to use their AIA/CES transcript to document compliance with the continuing education requirements for license renewal.

Since 1996, AIA members have completed continuing education as a requirement of AIA membership.  Currently, all active AIA members must successfully complete 18 learning unit (LU) hours each year, with at least 8 of the 18 LU hours relating to health, safety, and/or welfare (HSW).  Of the 8 HSW, at least 4 credits must be in sustainable design (SD) topics.  Forty-two states and the District of Columbia require continuing education for registered architects.

What are Self-Reported Activities?
If a program is not offered by an AIA/CES Registered provider, members have the option of self-reporting the program or activity. The intent of this activity must educational in nature and new knowledge in reference to their practice of architecture. Members must indicate whether the activity they are reporting is self-designed, professional community service, or a structured self-reported program.

Members can not self-report courses offered by AIA/CES providers. If credits offered by providers are missing from members’ transcripts they should contact the provider directly. If members self-report credits offered by approved providers the self-reports will be rejected.

• Self-Designed Activity. This type of learning activity is organized by the member specifically to meet his or her individual needs. A self-designed activity frequently involves more than one type of medium or method, such as research, reading, interviewing subject experts, listening to audiotapes, and/or viewing videos. To determine what qualifies for self-reporting, ask yourself the following questions: (1) Is this a planned learning activity? (2) Is this activity intended to be educational or operational? (3) Are you acquiring new knowledge or are you sharing your knowledge with others? (4) How will you apply this new knowledge to your practice? This method is not acceptable for health, safety, and welfare (HSW) credit or sustainable design (SD) credit. Some state licensing boards will not accept this type of reporting for mandatory continuing education (MCE) requirements. (Recommended minimum of three hours) .
• Structured Self-Reported Course. This is a structured activity offered by an organized, third-party, non-CES provider. Documentation of attendance/participation will usually be required as a supplement when reporting this activity to meet a state licensure requirement. For members who self-report a structured activity, the AIA is not able to assist in acquiring any support documentation that may be required by a state licensing board MCE audit.
  • Members who present a program or class, or serve on a panel, or give a speech one hour or longer can self-report the topics as a structured activity program. If the topic relates to HSW, members can claim the program as HSW. AIA members can self-report the research and preparation time for presentations, speeches, and classes that they teach. The research must be self-reported as self-designed and, regardless of the topic, will not qualify for HSW credit.
  • The AIA allows a maximum of 10 LU hours of research time for each hour of actual class presentation time. Members may select just one option, either teaching credit or research, but cannot claim both for the same event.
  • University/College faculty: Full-time (FT) university faculty can not apply for credit if the course in question is part of their regular curriculum workload. They can however, apply for credit if the course or program is outside of their normal work assignments. Part-time (PT) faculty can apply for teaching credit for any course taught once every 3 years.
  • For each semester hour of credit assigned to the course the AIA will allow 15 LUs hours. (1 semester hour = 15 LU hours; 3 semester hours = 45 LU hours
  • For each quarter hour of credit assigned to the course the AIA will allow 10 LUs hours. (1 semester hour = 10 LU hours; 3 semester hours = 30 LU hours.
• Professional Community Service.  This type of activity could include architecture panels or community board meetings.  Members can self-report 2 hours of community service per calendar year.

For AIA members, using the CES Discovery system will require little preparation. However, those who have bookmarked the AIA/CES Records Department site may find that the Web address no longer works. Remember that going to the AIA CES Web page, and clicking on the sign-in link on the left will always take you to the new CES Discovery site.

Once you sign in you will see the Self Reported Activities tab on the red horizontal navigation bar near the top of the page. Once you click on the Self Reported Activities tab you will be able to view all self-reported activities already submitted. Also, you have the option to submit a new self-report by clicking on the “Add New” button near the bottom of the page. Please follow these steps when completing the self-report:

1. Enter the activity title

2. Include a description of the activity

3. For structured self-reports (formal courses not offered by approved AIA/CES providers)

a. Enter the contact name of the course presenter

b. Enter the contact email for the presenter

c. Enter the contact phone for the presenter

4. Enter the number of learning units (1 LU is equal to 1 contact hour)

5. Select the category of self-reported activity

a. Professional Community service for time spent on community boards, panels, commissions, volunteer work. Members can self-report at most 2 hours total/calendar year for professional community service. This time is not eligible for health safety welfare or sustainable design credit.

b. Self Designed for time spent in research, study time, writing an article, self-guided tours. This time is not eligible for health safety welfare or sustainable design credit. Members can self-report at most 50 hours per self-designed activity.

c. Structured for formal courses not offered by approved AIA/CES providers

6. Select credit designation

7. Chose the start date and end dates of the activity.

8. Upload a certificate of completion or other relevant file to complement the information submitted. The file must be an image file (.pdf, .jpg, .bitmap, .gif.)

9. Click save

The course will appear on your list of Self Reported Activities with a Pending status. Once it is approved the credit will be visible on your transcript, and the status will be Approved.

The AIA does not guarantee that state licensing boards will accept any individual course for credit towards an architectural registration or renewal. Please consult the relevant licensing board for their exact regulations. Please contact AIA Member Care CES if you have questions.

Members who teach can self-report the time taught OR the time in preparation.  If a member self-reports the time taught then the member would fill out a structured self-report.  Also, that time is eligible for HSW or SD if 75% of the content is HSW or SD.

If a member decides to self-report the time in prepration then the member would fill out a self-design activity self-report.  That time is not eligible for HSW or SD.  However, for each hour taught the member can self-report 10 hours of preparation.

University courses are self-reported differently.  If a member attends or teaches a semester course that member would self-report 15 learning units for each semester credit a student earns.  If a member attends or teaches a quarter long course that member would self-report 10 learning units for each quarter credit a student earns.  University courses either attended or taught should be self-reported on structured self-reports and are eligible for HSW or SD if the content is at least 75% HSW or SD.