Technology in Architectural Practice

This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Committee on Design and Technology in Architectural Practice .
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Continuing Education

A Requirement for Certification for Architects

 

If licensed architects are not mandated by the AIA and by State licensing boards to annually participate in a certain quantity of continuing education hours, then:

 

1. They will create havoc on the public and their clients through faulty, uninformed design practices.
2. They will never move past the level of education that got them the license in the first place.
3. They will be unable to provide design that is satisfactory to building code enforcement officials.
4. They will remain unaware of advancements in the building sciences.
5. Their building projects will inexorably fail.
6. They will educate themselves as appropriate to their projects, interests and practice anyway.

 Mandated CE requirements must be predicated on the determination by somebody that professional architects are incapable of or unwilling to continue to "properly" educate themselves in the natural course of their work. Is that not an insult? Do you really need to be forced to educate yourself beyond the entry-level knowledge that you started out with? If the requirement was removed, would you really cease to continue to educate yourself?

Acknowledging that most professional fields' certifications include a CE mandate, I say that architects are leaders. Let us be the first to eschew the ridiculous notion that we lack the responsibility to continue to educate ourselves without external coercion.

I would ask the membership and leadership of the AIA to consider whether mandated continuing education really makes sense. If we are children, then leave it alone. If we are capable professionals, let us remove this offensive requirement.

 

Maybe, sometimes you do have to spit in the wind.

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Steven Cox AIA
President
Cox Architecture
Mccomb MS
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Dennis Olson AIA
Architect
Olson Architecture
Appleton WI
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In the same vein of thought, why do we allow ourselves to be subjected to bureaucrats (ie: plan approval agencies) that have NO architectural training, design sense, or professional license to tell us as registered Licensed Architects how to comply with codes? Why are there so many codes - I assume it is related to the MONEY, and employment issues. The codes required to be purchased every few years are only being changed to continue the livelihood of those changing the codes.


Original Message:
Sent: 07-19-2014 16:43
From: Steven Cox
Subject: Continuing Education

This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Committee on Design and Technology in Architectural Practice .
-------------------------------------------

Continuing Education

A Requirement for Certification for Architects

 

If licensed architects are not mandated by the AIA and by State licensing boards to annually participate in a certain quantity of continuing education hours, then:

 

1. They will create havoc on the public and their clients through faulty, uninformed design practices.
2. They will never move past the level of education that got them the license in the first place.
3. They will be unable to provide design that is satisfactory to building code enforcement officials.
4. They will remain unaware of advancements in the building sciences.
5. Their building projects will inexorably fail.
6. They will educate themselves as appropriate to their projects, interests and practice anyway.

 Mandated CE requirements must be predicated on the determination by somebody that professional architects are incapable of or unwilling to continue to "properly" educate themselves in the natural course of their work. Is that not an insult? Do you really need to be forced to educate yourself beyond the entry-level knowledge that you started out with? If the requirement was removed, would you really cease to continue to educate yourself?

Acknowledging that most professional fields' certifications include a CE mandate, I say that architects are leaders. Let us be the first to eschew the ridiculous notion that we lack the responsibility to continue to educate ourselves without external coercion.

I would ask the membership and leadership of the AIA to consider whether mandated continuing education really makes sense. If we are children, then leave it alone. If we are capable professionals, let us remove this offensive requirement.

 

Maybe, sometimes you do have to spit in the wind.

-------------------------------------------
Steven Cox AIA
President
Cox Architecture
Mccomb MS
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