In my post about the Kentucky conference, I mention proposed changes to the Continuing Professional Development requirements. Specifically, a course can currently be pre-approved as meeting the boards requirements for continuing education, proposed changes would remove the pre-approval as even an option. Pre-approval is optional, but available now.
In a quick search of the web, I find that many (most?) states do not require pre-approved courses. There are a very few states that seem to require a course be pre-approved.
It seems to me that pre-approval would guarantee that the courses meet the states standards for CPD hours. Thereby safeguarding the licensees time, effort and money; as well as protecting the public from folks receiving improper instruction in a subject matter.
How does your state operate and what do you think about the subject of pre-approval?
I know a land surveyor who is registered in six states. He says that most
of the states that approve courses are broke. Most of the state-approved
seminars have some of the dumbest speakers; the rest of the speakers at the
state-approved seminars are so nuts and bolts that 98% of the surveyors don't
understand the speaker or only learn about 1% of what he says. Nuts and bolts
for example: how to do a statistical analysis on the variance of the 23rd epoch
of some GPS reading or how to look for angels in cloud analysis for laser scanning.
Another problem is some, not all, of the people on the board of registration do not
know what the heck they are approving.
Another trend is hire the speaker that writes articles in POB. Seems like a nice
lady that is trying to learn surveying but does not know who she is dealing with.
I have testified in court a dozen times. The mock trials the surveyors association
puts on at the conventions is a joke.
It's a two way street. If they don't pre-approve they are pretty much obliged to accept whatever you choose.
Florida needs new CEU Providers!
Here in Florida, the course providers have to be licensed with our board, and have all their courses pre-approved. Only these pre-approved courses count towards the 24 hours we need each and every bienum license renewal! Our board also has what they call "Required" courses. Every bienium, we are required to take either an "MTS" or "Florida Laws" course. If you take MTS this time, next time you have to take "Florida Laws".
Having been licensed since 1988, I think I have been to every approved course on the agenda! It has really gotten old. I wanted to take a two or three day course from a vendor on GPS procedures, post processing, etc., costing upwards of $1000.00! I also want to take some indepth software classes from another vendor. But Unless the vendor pays the license fee to the board and gets their courses pre-approved, it doesn't count towards the mandatory 24 CEU's we need! Because I still need to attend other approved courses and pay those fees, this has hindered me from taking the more costly training I really want and need! I would really like to see them do away with this current system. I do like the fact that you have to take a law course every bienium, but the rest should be approved without fees and reviews, so long as it is survey related! If you are a vendor (Topcon, Carlson Software, leica, Trimble, etc), it would really behooth you to become a registered continuing education provider here in Florida! We (all of us PLS's) are desperate for NEW courses and would be much more willing to pay for a two or three day one on one hands on training course on your equipment and software if we could apply the time to our Continuing education credits required by the Florida Board!
Florida needs new CEU Providers!
This is a plug for TAPS, but some here might find this information helpful. TAPS is now a Florida approved CEU provider. This will definitely help me and a few others out.
Florida needs new CEU Providers!
Last year a friend and PE/PLS who had dual licenses in KY, TN, and FL
said Florida was a hassle because your boards in Florida were somewhat
separate and he had to take courses for both. About 5 years ago, he
said Florida PE board would take Kentucky PE courses, then Florida
stopped--only approved providers. Of all the engineering course providers,
it doesn't appear Florida has a 'buy Florida' symptom; there are plenty of
choices. He took surveying courses from a lady in Orlando, but ran out of
her courses like Steve is running out.
I have found state ethics, standards, and administration rules courses to
be extremely boring. My PE friend told me that over 20 years ago, he went
to a ethics seminar where they spent the majority of the seminar building
toy bridges.
