Section 1270.14  Definition of Approved Programs

a)         The Division, upon the recommendation of the Land Surveyors Licensing Board (Board), shall approve a land surveying or related science program if it meets the following criteria:

1)         The educational institution is legally recognized and authorized by the jurisdiction in which it is located to confer a baccalaureate degree in land surveying or related science.

2)         Faculty

A)        The faculty shall have a sufficient number of full-time, or full-time equivalent, instructors to make certain that the educational obligations to the student are fulfilled.  A program at the basic level shall have no fewer than 1 full-time faculty member whose primary commitment is to that program.  If an institution relies on part-time faculty members, it shall demonstrate that, in addition to the commitment of at least 1 full-time equivalent faculty member, effective mechanisms are in place to provide adequate levels of student advising and faculty interaction, and faculty control over the curriculum.

B)        The faculty shall have demonstrated competence in their area of teaching as evidenced by appropriate degrees from professional colleges or institutions.  Other evidence of faculty capability includes non-academic surveying experience, experience in teaching, ability to communicate effectively, participation in professional/scientific/other learned societies, licensure as a professional land surveyor, and an interest in students’ curricular activities.

C)        Teaching loads shall allow time for research and professional development activities.  Stimulation of students’ minds requires faculty involvement in scientific and technological development and in instructional innovation.

3)         Curriculum

A)        The curriculum shall include at least 4 academic years leading to the conferral of the baccalaureate degree while providing integration of the educational experience with the ability to apply the knowledge gained to the identification and solution of practical problems.

B)        The overall curriculum shall include a minimum of 120 semester hours or their equivalent (e.g., 180 quarter hours) and shall include at least the following subjects:

i)          Mathematics shall be satisfied by one of the below options.  Courses in computer usage and/or programming shall not be used to satisfy the mathematics requirement.

·     College algebra and beyond (including but not limited to, trigonometry, calculus 1, calculus 2, numerical analysis and statistics) – 15 semester hours; or

·      Calculus 1 (or above) and statistics.

ii)         Basic Sciences – 8 hours

Must include at least 4 hours of general chemistry and 4 hours of general physics providing a foundation of understanding of basic scientific principles.

iii)        Additional Sciences – 20 hours

Additional sciences have their roots in mathematics and basic sciences but carry the knowledge toward creative application.  Such subjects include, but are not limited to, geology, geography, dendrology, astronomy, biology, soil mechanics, mechanics, and engineering sciences.

iv)        Land Surveying – 24 hours

Land Surveying courses provide the basis of understanding and implementing the role of land surveyor and include, but are not limited to:  fundamentals of land surveying, boundary surveying, route surveying, topographic surveying, descriptions, legal aspects, subdivision design, data computations and adjustments, map projections and geometric geodemy and photogrammetry.

C)        The program shall require that the student demonstrate competency in both written and oral communication.

D)        An understanding of ethical, social, economic and safety considerations shall be included in the land surveying program.

4)         Facilities

A)        The laboratory facilities shall reflect the requirements of the offered educational program.  The laboratory should provide for individual project work by the students and the faculty.  The facilities shall be equipped with instruments and scientific equipment of a kind and quality to ensure the effective functioning of the laboratory.

B)        The libraries in support of the land surveying program shall be both technical and nontechnical, to include books, journals and other reference material for collateral reading in connection with the instructional and research programs and professional work.  The library collection shall reflect the existence of an active acquisition policy; this policy shall include specific acquisitions on the request and recommendation of the faculty of the engineering program.  There shall be computer-accessible information centers and inter-library loan services for both books and journals.  The library collections, whether centralized or decentralized, shall be readily available for use with the assistance of trained library staff, or through an open-stack arrangement, or both.

C)        There shall be computer facilities accessible to the land surveying students and faculty.

5)         The institution shall maintain permanent student records that summarize the credentials for admission, attendance, grades and other records of performance.

b)         In determining whether a baccalaureate degree program should be approved, the Division shall take into consideration but not be bound by accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

c)         The Division, upon the recommendation of the Board, has determined that the following domestic baccalaureate degree land surveying programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET and/or of the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET meet the minimum criteria set forth in subsection (a) for an approved land surveying program and are, therefore, approved, subject to review.  Approved Land Surveying Programs include:

1)         Ferris State University:  Surveying Engineering;

2)         Michigan Technological University:  Surveying Engineering;

3)         Pennsylvania State University, Wilkes-Barre Campus:  Surveying Engineering; and

4)         Great Basin College:  Land Surveying and Geomatics

5)         Kennesaw State University – Geospatial Technology Land Surveying Option, BS;

6)         Florida Atlantic University – Geomatics Engineering, BSGE;

7)         Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico – Land Surveying and Mapping, BS; and

8)         California State Polytechnic University, Pomona – Geospatial Engineering option in Civil Engineering, BS.

d)         The Division, upon the recommendation of the Board, has determined that the following domestic related science baccalaureate degree program meets the minimum criteria set forth in subsection (a) for an approved related science program and is, therefore, approved, subject to review.  Approved Related Science Programs includes Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville:  Construction Management – Land Surveying Specialization.

e)         Withdrawal of Program Approval

1)         The following are grounds for withdrawal of approval of a land surveying program or a program leading to a degree in basic technology with a land surveying specialty:

A)        Non-compliance with any provisions of the Illinois Professional Land Surveying Act of 1989 [225 ILCS 330] (the Act);

B)        Non-compliance with any provision of this Part;

C)        Fraud or dishonesty in furnishing documentation for evaluation of the program; or

D)        Failure to continue to meet the criteria of an approved program as set out in this Section.

2)         If the Board has reason to believe there has been any fraud or dishonesty in the furnishing of any documentation for the evaluation of a program on the part of any licensee, it shall refer such matter to appropriate Division personnel for any disciplinary action which might be appropriate under the Act.

3)         A program whose approval is being reconsidered by the Division shall be given 15 days written notice prior to any recommendation by the Board and may either submit written comments or request a hearing before the Board.

f)         Evaluation of Newly Submitted Programs

1)         An educational institution with a baccalaureate degree program that has not been evaluated will cause to be forwarded to the Division documentation concerning the criteria in this Section.

2)         Once the Division has received the documentation or after 6 months have elapsed from the date of application, whichever is later, the Board will evaluate the program based on all documentation received from the school and any additional information the Division has received that will enable the Board to evaluate the program based on the criteria specified in this Section.

(Source:  Added at 47 Ill. Reg. 798, effective January 5, 2023)