A-E 12.01A-E 12.01 Authority and purpose. The rules in this chapter are adopted by the examining board of architects, landscape architects, professional engineers, designers, land surveyors, and registered interior designers pursuant to ss. 15.08 (5) (b), 227.11 (2) and 443.015, Stats., and govern the biennial continuing education requirements for architect registrants.

A-E 12.02(1)(1) “Asynchronous” means a process of learning where instructor-student interaction is delayed over time allowing the learners to participate intermittently according to their schedule, and be geographically separate from the instructor, and includes correspondence courses, e-learning, instructional television, or online courses.

A-E 12.02(2)(2) “Biennium” means a 2-year period beginning August 1 of each even-numbered year.

A-E 12.02(3)(3) “Contact hour” means 50 minutes of instruction or participation spent by the registrant in actual attendance or completion of an approved educational activity.

A-E 12.02(4)(4) “Continuing education” means professional educational activity designed to advance the professional skills and knowledge of a registrant in the practice of architecture for the improvement of the public health, safety and welfare.

A-E 12.02(5)(5) “Health, safety and welfare topic” or “HSW topic” means technical or professional subjects which safeguard the public’s health, safety and welfare including building design; landscape design; environmental or land use analysis; life safety; architectural programming; site planning; site and soil analysis; plant material; accessibility; structural systems consideration; lateral forces; building codes; evaluation and selection of building systems, products or materials; construction methods; contract documentation; construction administration; energy conservation; zoning and governance policies and procedures; sustainability; mold mitigation; the impact of design on human physiology and neurology; state statutes, rules and ordinances that regulate architects or the practice of architecture; and professional conduct and ethics.

A-E 12.02(6)(6) “Synchronous” means a process of learning where the student and instructor interact simultaneously in real-time, including traditional classroom events, computer conferencing, interactive video conferences or online communications where participants are logged on at the same time and communicate directly with each other.

A-E 12.03(1)(1) During each biennial registration period, unless granted a waiver under s. A-E 12.08, every registrant shall complete at least 24 contact hours of continuing education, of which 16 contact hours shall be in HSW topics pertinent to the practice of architecture.

A-E 12.03(2)(2) Continuing education may be obtained by successful completion of any of the following:

A-E 12.03(2)(a)(a) Structured educational activities in which the teaching methodology, either synchronous or asynchronous learning, consists primarily of the systemic presentation of information by qualified individuals or organizations which present identifiable technical and professional subjects in a planned manner.

A-E 12.03(2)(b)(b) A college or university course in the area of architecture, related sciences and ethics. One college or university semester credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours. One college or university quarter credit hour is equivalent to 10 contact hours.

A-E 12.03(2)(c)(c) Seminars, tutorials, monographs, lectures, presentations, workshops, short courses or in-house courses in person or via distance education by computer, video or telephone.

A-E 12.03(2)(d)(d) Attending technical or professional membership meetings at which at least one contact hour is spent discussing architecture issues, attending a lecture on architecture-related issues, or both. Each qualified meeting will be awarded one contact hour.

A-E 12.03(2)(e)(e) Teaching or instructing an architectural course in the area of architecture, related sciences or professional ethics. Teaching credit may not apply to full-time faculty at a college, university or educational institution. Teaching credit may be valid for the initial presentation only and claimed for credit only once. Teaching credit does not apply to faculty in the performance of their regularly assigned duties. One college or university semester credit hour of teaching is equivalent to 15 contact hours. One college or university quarter credit hour of teaching is equivalent to 10 contact hours.

A-E 12.03(2)(f)(f) Serving as a member of a professional board, commission, committee of the state or its political subdivisions related to architectural matters, including planning commissions, building code advisory boards, urban renewal boards, code study committees or regulatory boards. A maximum of 2 contact hours shall be awarded per year.