If anyone on the board is reading this, I hope you're happy. The Florida Surveyor's Board is the most unresponsive outfit I have ever dealt with. You can't get through on the phone, and you can't get an email message answered. Maybe Rick Scott had the right idea trying to get the board abolished.
Complaining on here might help you feel better, but it's not going to do much good.
One of Florida's initiatives has been to go on line with all licensing matters.
They make it tough to even mail in your fees.....they want them paid with a credit card on line.
Registered letters, cc the Governor's office. Attach a note of explanation to the Governors copy as to their lack of response.....someone will see to it.
I once emailed the Florida BOR with a detailed letter requesting information on a possible infraction ... and never heard back. You'd think I would have at least got a form letter response. Nothing.
maybe we have enough surveyors here already???
I have no problem with conducting business with them online. With email, they can answer on their own schedule. The problem is, they aren't answering at all.
I'll post my problem here, maybe someone in Florida has run into this before.
Florida requires all continuing education providers to be licensed, and the courses to be approved. I took a classroom-setting course from an approved provider. The course is approved as a correspondence course. I'm trying to make an appeal to them to get credit. Has anyone had any luck appealing to them in for credit?
"Correspondance" = Interchange Of Written Communications
Did that not occur in the classroom? Transmission by US Mail is not a legal requirement for correspondance. Have the Florida Attorney General's office explain that to the Board.
I had a similar situation with the PA State Board failing to reply. Even phone calls went to voice mail and there was no return call. I contacted the PA Attorney General's Office and explained my problem in contacting them, they then put through a 3 way call to the Board and someone answered immediately. When the AG office explained they had me on the line for a conference call, you could hear somebodies jaw hit the floor in Harrisburg. Problem one solved.
Best help I can give and BTW, be prepared to really tee somebody off.
Major problem is I believe they get a fee for every course, are you prepared to cover that cost?
Paul in PA
> I took a classroom-setting course from an approved provider. The course is approved as a correspondence course. I'm trying to make an appeal to them to get credit.
Why isn't the course provider, who I assume you paid $$$$ to, trying to get this done?
Most CEU course providers have previous experience with BORs and they know who to call and how to get it done.
Seems to me if a course provider took your money, he/she/they should be helping you out here.
> Florida requires all continuing education providers to be licensed, and the courses to be approved. I took a classroom-setting course from an approved provider. The course is approved as a correspondence course. I'm trying to make an appeal to them to get credit. Has anyone had any luck appealing to them in for credit?
Surely your approved CEU provider can submit your completion certificate (whether classroom or correspondence) electronically to the BOR.
I've never had to appeal as I've never paid for CEUs before verifying approved provider/course status. It might be worth another $99 CEU correspondence course instead of poking the BOR...IMHO.
> I've never had to appeal as I've never paid for CEUs before verifying approved provider/course status.
Well, of course that's the other issue......I would not sign up for a course that has not already been approved by the BOR. Hoping it gets approved after you take it is just asking to be caught up in a bureaucratic maze.
I'm guilty of that. I knew that Auburn University was an approved provider. I just made the mistake assuming that a course given by Milton Denny was approved. You can bet that I won't do that again.
This continuing education nonsense is getting out of hand. It is becoming less about the surveyor actually learning something than filling out a bunch of checkmarks.
Milton Denny gave a great presentation at the seminar at Jefferson, Texas last May, it was accredited.
It is also the responsibility of the Seminar host to make sure that all the proper paperwork has been filed with the BOR and approval has been give by the date of seminar.
In the past our local organization has had to change horses in the middle of planning because of course accreditation.
Well, the Florida Board reads this forum.
There is no way in hell I will get credit for the course.
My goal in life is to strike down this continuing education nonsense.
Here's another update.
Auburn University does not have the resources to comply with the approval requirements.
The more I get into this, the more I have concluded that requiring pre-approval of continuing education courses is a bane upon our profession. The only states I am licensed in that require this nonsense are Florida and Tennessee.
