CPC Rules 21-56.1700

21-56.1700. CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY

21-56.1701. INTRODUCTION

Every licensee shall meet the continuing professional competency requirements of this Section for professional development as a condition for licensure renewal.

21-56.1702. DEFINITIONS

Terms used in this Section are defined as follows:

    (1)        Professional Development Hour (PDH) - A contact hour (nominal) of instruction or presentation.  The common denominator for other units of credit.

    (2)        Continuing Education Unit (CEU) - Unit of credit customarily used for continuing education courses.  One continuing education unit equals 10 contact hours of instruction or presentation.

    (3)        College/Unit Semester/Quarter Hour - Credit for Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology approved course or other related college course.

    (4)        Course/Activity - Any course or activity with a clear purpose and objective which will maintain, improve, and expand the skills and knowledge relevant to the licensee's field of practice.

    (5)        Dual Licensee - A person who is licensed as both an engineer and a land surveyor.

    (6)        Sponsor - Organization or individual that has supplied information on a form prescribed and furnished by the Board with respect to the organization or individual's ability to provide instruction in "for credit" courses.  Courses offered by those designated as "Sponsor" must contain a clear purpose and objective, and result in the maintenance, improvement, and expansion of skills and knowledge relevant to a licensee's field of practice.  Courses offered by "Sponsors" are deemed acceptable for PDH credit without scrutiny of individual course content.

21-56.1703. REQUIREMENTS

Every licensee shall  obtain 15 PDH units during the renewal period.  If a licensee exceeds the annual requirement in any renewal period, a maximum of 15 PDH units may be carried forward into the subsequent renewal period.  Selection of courses and activities which meet the requirements of Rule .1702 Item (4) of this Section is the responsibility of the licensee.  Licensees may select courses other than those offered by sponsors.  Post evaluation of courses offered by other than sponsors as defined in Rule .1702 Item (6) of this Section may result in non-acceptance.  PDH units may be earned as follows:

        (1)        Completion of college courses.

        (2)        Completion of continuing education courses.

        (3)        Completion of correspondence, televised, videotaped, audiotaped, and other short courses/tutorials.

        (4)        Presenting or attending seminars, in-house courses, workshops, or professional or technical presentations made at meetings, conventions or conferences.

        (5)        Teaching or instructing in Items (1) through (4) of this Rule.

        (6)        Authoring published papers, articles, or books.

        (7)        Active participation in professional or technical societies.

        (8)        Patents.

        (9)        Authoring exam questions accepted for use in the engineering or land surveying exams.

21-56.1704. UNITS

The conversion of other units of credit to PDH units is as follows:

        (1)  1 College or unit semester hour     45 PDH

        (2)  1 College or unit quarter hour         30 PDH

        (3)  1 Continuing Education Unit           10 PDH

         (4)  1 Contact hour of professional development in course work, seminars,or professional or technical presentations made at meetings, conventions or conferences.  Contact hours equal the actual time of instruction and shall be credited to the nearest one-third of an hour.      1 PDH

        (5)  For teaching in Items (1) - (4) of this Rule, PDH credits are doubled.  Teaching credit is valid for teaching a course or seminar for the first time only.  Teaching credit does not apply to full-time faculty, as defined by the institution where a licensee is teaching.

        (6)  Each published paper, article or book.       10 PDH

        (7) Active participation in professional and technical society.  (Each organization.)    2 PDH

        (8)  Each patent                                      10 PDH

        (9)  Each question used                           2 PDH

21-56.1705. DETERMINATION OF CREDIT

(a)        The Board of Examiners has final authority with respect to approval of courses, sponsors, credit, PDH value for courses, and other methods of earning credit.

        (b)        Credit for college or community college courses shall be based upon course credit established by the college.

        (c)        Credit for seminars and workshops shall be based on one PDH unit for each hour of attendance.  Attendance at programs presented at professional and technical society meetings shall earn PDH units for the actual time of each program.

        (d)        Credit determination for published papers, articles and books and obtaining patents is the responsibility of the licensee.

       (e)         Credit for active participation in professional and technical societies (limited to 2 PDH per organization), requires that a licensee serve as an officer or actively participate in a committee of the organization.  PDH credits are not earned until the end of each year of service is completed.

21-56.1706. RECORDKEEPING

The licensee shall maintain 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;

    (2)        attendance verification records in the form of completion certificates, or other documents supporting evidence of attendance; or

    (3)        records as maintained by the National Professional Development Registry for Engineers and Surveyors (NPDRES) of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).

These records must be maintained for a period of three years and copies may be requested by the board for audit verification purposes.

21-56.1707. EXEMPTIONS

A licensee may be exempt from the professional development educational requirements for one of the following reasons:

    (1)        New licensees by way of examination or reciprocity shall be exempt for their first renewal period.

    (2)        A licensee serving on temporary active duty in the uniformed services of the United States for a period of time exceeding 120 consecutive days in a year shall be exempt from obtaining the professional development hours required during that year.

    (3)        Licensees experiencing physical disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstances as reviewed and approved by the board may be exempt.  Supporting documentation must be furnished to the board.

    (4)        Licensees who list their occupation as "Inactive" on the board approved renewal form and who further certify that they are no longer receiving any remuneration from providing professional engineering or land surveying services shall be exempt from the professional development hours required.  In the event such a person elects to return to active practice of professional engineering or land surveying, professional development hours must be earned in accordance with the requirements of Rule .1708 in this Section before returning to active practice for each year exempted not to exceed the annual requirement for two years.

21-56.1708. REINSTATEMENT

A licensee may bring an inactive license to active status by obtaining all delinquent PDH units.  However, if the total number required to become current exceeds 30, then 30 shall be the maximum number required.  Reinstatement of a license that was not renewed within 12 months after expiration (archived license), in addition to a new application, requires obtaining all delinquent PDH units as required to reinstate an inactive license.

21-56.1709. COMITY/OUT-OF-JURISDICTION RESIDENT

Licensees who are residents of jurisdictions other than North Carolina must meet the CPC requirements of their resident jurisdiction.  The requirements for North Carolina will be deemed as satisfied when a non- resident licensee provides evidence of having met the requirements of his or her resident jurisdiction. If licensees reside in a jurisdiction that has no CPC requirement, the resident must meet the requirements of North Carolina.

21-56.1710. DUAL LICENSEES

The number of PDH units required shall remain the same for persons who hold a second licensure as engineer or land surveyor.  Holders of second licensure must obtain a minimum of one-third of the total PDH requirements in each field.  The remaining one-third requirement may be obtained in either field at the sole discretion of the licensee.

21-56.1711. FORMS

Renewal applications may require the completion of a continuing education form specified by the board outlining PDH credit claimed.  The licensee must supply sufficient detail on the form to permit audit verification, must certify and sign the continuing education form, and submit the form with the renewal application and fee.

21-56.1712. COMPLIANCE

(a) Compliance with annual Continuing professional Competency (CPC) requirements shall be determined through an audit process conducted by the Board. Determination of individuals to be audited shall be accomplished through a random selection process or as the result of information available to the Board. Individuals selected for auditing shall provide the Board with documentation of the CPC activities claimed for the renewal period, including but not limited to:

(1) Attendance verification records in the form of transcripts, completion certificates, other documents supporting evidence of attendance, or a log as defined in Rule .1706 of the Section.

(2) Information regarding course content, instructors and sponsoring organization, for activities presented by other than approved sponsors as defined in Rule .1713 of this Section.

(b) Attendance records shall be maintained by individual licensees for a period of three years for audit verification purposes.

(c) Failure to comply with annual CPC requirements shall result in non- renewal.

21-56.1713. SPONSORS

(a) The Board shall approve sponsors of Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) activities and not particular courses. The Board shall maintain a list of sponsors which have agreed to conduct programs in accordance with the standards of CPC activities set forth in 21 NCAC 56.1700. Such sponsors shall indicate their agreement with the requirements by executing a Sponsor Agreement on a form provided by the Board. These sponsors shall be designated as "Approved Sponsors."

(b) By entering into an agreement with the Board to be designated as an "Approved Sponsor," the sponsor shall agree to:

(1) Allow persons designated by this Board to attend any or all courses, without fee or charge, for the purpose of determining that said course meets the standards of the Board.

(2) Allow persons designated by this Board to review course material for the purpose of determining that said course meets the standards of the Board.

(3) State in every brochure, publication or announcement concerning the course, the general content of the course and the specific knowledge or skill to be taught or addressed, as well as the credit to be earned in Professional Development Hours (PDH).

(4) Ensure that the instructors or presenters of the course or program are qualified to teach the subject matter.

(5) Provide persons completing the course with written documentation attesting to that person's attendance to the course, as well as the name of the course, the date and location held, the instructor's name and the number of PDHs earned.

(6) Submit quarterly reports to the Board which shall include the sponsor's name, the name of the course, the date and location held, the instructor's name, the number of PDHs earned and a list of attendees.

(7) Have a visible, continuous and identifiable contact person who is charged with the administration of the sponsor's CPC program and who has the responsibility for assuring and demonstrating to the Board compliance with these Rules, as well as for any other organization working with the sponsor for the development, distribution and/or presentation of CPC courses or activities.

(8) Retain for a period of three years a copy of the above documentation.

(c) Sponsors shall renew annually on a form provided by the Board.

(d) Failure of an approved sponsor to comply with the terms of the CPC sponsor agreement shall be grounds for the Board to revoke, suspend or terminate the agreement, to remove the sponsor's name from the list of approved sponsors and to notify the public of such action.  A sponsor that is given notice of revocation, suspension or termination can request an administrative hearing to be conducted as provided in 21 NCAC 56.1400 Contested Cases.