Section 1150.105  Continuing Education Requirements

 

The continuing education required as a condition for license renewal under the Architecture Practice Act is set forth in this Section.  All architects shall meet these requirements.

 

a)         Beginning with the November 30, 2004 renewal (for the period from December 1, 2002 through November 30, 2004) and every renewal thereafter, in addition to other requirements, an architect must have acquired continuing education for each 24-month period since the architect's last renewal of licensure, or be exempt from the continuing education requirements, as provided in subsection (h).  Failure to comply with these requirements may result in non-renewal of the architect's license or other disciplinary action, or both.

 

1)         Beginning with the November 30, 2020 renewal and every renewal thereafter, the total CE hours required shall include one hour of Sexual Harassment Prevention Training which shall meet the requirements of Section 1130.400 of the Civil Administrative Code. (See Section 2105-15.5 of the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois [20 ILCS 2105]. A licensee that completed a course on sexual harassment prevention developed or offered by the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the licensee's employer, or an acceptable provider listed within this Section, may count that course toward the one-hour requirement under this Section.

 

2)         Beginning with the November 30, 2024, renewal, and every renewal thereafter, the total continuing education hours under the Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) category shall include a minimum of one hour of programs, courses, or activities related to design practices that reflect improved understanding of high winds or natural disasters.

 

b)         Renewal Period:  Within any 24-month biennial renewal period during which 24 contact hours must be acquired, at least 16 contact hours must be public protection subjects, which are relevant to safeguarding public health, safety and welfare, and acquired in structured educational activities.  A maximum of 8 contact hours may be in related practice subjects acquired either in structured educational activities or individually planned educational activities. 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.

 

c)         Restored Licensees:  In addition to other requirements as set forth in Sections 16 and 17 of the Act and Sections 1150.65 and 1150.70 of this Part, a licensee who has placed their license on inactive status or has allowed a license to lapse for reasons other than active duty in the military service of the United States, as set forth in Section 16 of the Act, and desires to have the license restored shall evidence completion of all continuing education hours that would have been required in order to maintain the license in an active status, not to exceed 24 contact hours.

 

d)         Reporting and Record Keeping

 

1)         Each renewal applicant shall certify, on the renewal application, to full compliance with the continuing education requirements set forth in this Section.

 

2)         For auditing or restoration purposes, it is the responsibility of each renewal applicant to retain or otherwise produce evidence of compliance.  The evidence shall be retained for at least 6 years following the renewal period for which the continuing education was taken.  The evidence may include, but not be limited to the following:

 

A)        Certificate of attendance;

 

B)        Signed attendance receipts;

 

C)        Sponsor's list of attendees (signed by a person in responsible charge of the activity);

 

D)        Records showing activity claimed, sponsoring organization, location, duration, etc.;

 

E)        A log of learning that may consist of diaries, summary of activities, photographs, public or organization records, receipts, etc.; or

 

F)         Transcripts or records of continuing education credits maintained by an acceptable provider of continuing education as defined by subsection (f).

 

3)         The Division may conduct random audits to verify compliance with continuing education requirements.

 

4)         If the Division disallows any continuing education hours, unless the Division finds, following notice and hearing, that the licensee willfully disregarded these requirements, then the licensee shall have 6 months from notice of the disallowance to make up the deficiency by acquiring the required number of contact hours.  Those contact hours shall not be used again for the next renewal.

 

5)         When it is determined by the Division that the licensee has willfully disregarded these requirements, the licensee may be subject to discipline as set forth in Section 22 of the Act.

 

e)         Acceptable Activities

 

1)         The following types of activities may qualify to fulfill the requirement for a minimum of 16 contact hours to be acquired in structured educational activities (all 24 hours may be acquired in these activities):

 

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 presentations on architectural subjects that are held in conjunction with meetings, conferences or conventions of architect professional organizations recognized by the Division to the extent that contact hours are credited only to that portion of the meeting, conference or convention that comprises the educational program.

 

C)        Contact hours in attendance at short courses or seminars, relating to professional practice or new technology and offered by colleges, universities, professional organizations or system suppliers.

 

D)        Teaching or instructing an architectural course, seminar, lecture, presentation or workshop shall constitute 3 contact hours for each hour spent in the actual presentation.  Teaching credit shall be valid for the initial presentation only.  Teaching credit shall not apply to faculty teaching regularly scheduled curriculum courses at a college, university or other educational institution.

 

E)        Contact hours spent in architectural research that is published or is formally presented to the profession or public.

 

F)         Successfully completing structured architectural self-study courses, presented by correspondence, internet, television, video or audio, ending with examination or other verification processes.  The contact hours acquired for this activity shall be as recommended by the program sponsor.

 

G)        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.

 

H)        Contact hours spent in educational tours of architecturally significant projects, when the tour is sponsored by a college, university or professional organization.

 

I)         Authoring published papers, articles or books.  A maximum of 12 contact hours may be acquired in this activity.

 

2)         The following types of activities may qualify for the maximum of 8 contact hours allowed to be acquired in individually planned educational activities that are self-directed:

 

A)        Contact hours spent in professional service to the public that draws upon the licensee's professional expertise on boards and commissions, such as: serving on planning commissions, building code advisory boards, urban renewal boards, code study committees or regulatory boards.

 

B)        Contact hours for serving as a mentor or supervisor for the AXP required to satisfy the diversified professional training requirements pursuant to Section 1150.10. This service to an intern, or interns, shall be consistent with the responsibilities set forth in the current edition of the NCARB AXP Guidelines for an intern's mentor and supervisor.

 

C)        Contact hours spent in planned activities, such as business and practice efficiency, business development, personal improvement, new skills and general education related to the practice of architecture.

 

D)        Contact hours spent in unstructured self-study tours of architecturally significant projects when there is a clear objective to maintain and strengthen competency in a design or technical field.

 

E)        Actively participating on an architectural board, in a technical or professional society or organization shall be the equivalent of 2 contact hours. Contact hours shall be limited to 2 per organization and shall not be acquired until the completion of each year of service.

 

3)         The content of public protection subjects acceptable for purposes of continuing education under subsection (e)(1) shall be limited to:

 

A)        Codes, statutes and administrative regulations governing the practice of architecture.

 

B)        Environmental issues.

 

C)        Professional ethics.

 

D)        State licensing law.

 

E)        Design proficiency.

 

F)         Interface with other design disciplines (e.g., planners, consultants, specialists and financiers) other than through normal day-to-day contact.

 

G)        Legal aspects of contracts, documents, insurance, bonds, project administration, etc.

 

H)        Specialization in preservation, adaptive reuse or building types.

 

I)         Construction documents and services.

 

J)         Materials and methods.

 

K)        Mechanical, plumbing, electrical and life safety.

 

L)        Structural technology.

 

M)       Energy efficiency.

 

N)        Project Administration.

 

O)        Accessibility issues.

 

P)         New technical/professional skills.

 

f)         Acceptable providers for structured educational activities shall include, but not be limited to:

 

1)         American Institute of Architects (AIA).

 

2)         National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

 

3)         Construction Specifications Institute (CSI).

 

4)         Association of Licensed Architects (ALA).

 

5)         Colleges, universities or other educational institutions.

 

6)         Other technical or professional societies or organizations.

 

g)         The Division will not pre-approve individual courses or programs.

 

h)         Exemptions:  A licensee may be exempt from the foregoing continuing education requirements if one of the following situations occurs.  If an exemption is claimed, it is required that the renewal fee and any documentation needed to support the exemption be submitted for renewal of a license.

 

1)         A licensee shall not be required to report continuing education hours during the first biennial renewal period in which the licensee obtained initial licensure in Illinois but shall be subject to the continuing education requirements for all subsequent biennial renewal periods.

 

2)         A licensee who is on full-time active duty in the military service of the United States, or is a licensee who is called to temporary active duty in the military service or Armed Forces of the United States for a period of time exceeding 120 consecutive days during the renewal period, when that activity or location restricts participation in a continuing education program.

 

3)         A licensee who demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Division that meeting these requirements would be an undue hardship by reason of disability, illness, or other clearly mitigating circumstances shall submit supporting documentation.

 

A)        The documentation shall be in the form of a sworn statement by the licensee, statement from a licensed healthcare provider, or medical record showing the disability, illness, or circumstance preventing the licensee’s participation in the continuing education program during a substantial part of the renewal period.

 

B)        If the Division finds from the evidence that good cause has been shown for non-compliance, the Division may waive enforcement, extend the time within which the applicant shall comply, or establish a particular program or schedule of continuing education for the renewal period in which the undue hardship existed.

 

C)        Consecutive waiver requests made for reasons of disability, illness, or other circumstances may be prima facie evidence for non-renewal of applicant’s license based on an inability to actively engage in licensed practice.

 

i)          Definitions

 

1)         "Contact Hour" means one 60-minute clock hour of an educational activity with no less than 50 minutes of instructional content within the hour.  Credit shall be granted in half-hour increments.  A qualifying activity of 30 to 49 minutes would be reported as 0.5 contact hours and an activity of 50 to 60 minutes would be reported as 1.0 contact hour.

 

2)         "Individually Planned Educational Activities" means educational activities in which the teaching methodology primarily consists of the architect himself or herself addressing public protection subjects or related practice subjects that are not systematically presented by others, including the study of such related subjects, rendering service to the public and advancing the profession's and public's understanding of the practice of architecture.

 

3)         "Structured Educational Activities" means educational activities in which the teaching methodology consists primarily of the systematic presentation of public protection subjects by qualified individuals or organizations, including monographs, course 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.  To qualify as a Structured Educational Activity, continuing education credit shall be awarded by the sponsor upon completion of the activity.

 

j)          There is no restriction on the amount of continuing education that can be completed through on-line or self-administered courses, provided that the courses meet the requirements of this Section.

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 19600, effective November 23, 2022)