The Arizona Board of Technical Registration is considering a requirement for continuing education for maintenance of professional licensing of geologists.
The Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Professional Geologists has weighed in on the proposal, evaluating the benefits and costs, and effectiveness in states where similar measures have been instituted.
In the Chapter newsletter circulated today, Erick Weiland, the geologist on the ABTR, summarized his analysis of the proposal. Only 8 of 30 ASBOG states (states using the ASBOG test procedures for licensure) have Continuing Education requirements. Erick wrote:
Several States have indicated that they “believe” that CEU requirements help protect the Public, but each indicated that they do not have any data to support this belief. Several States indicated that they were just following the lead from the Engineering Boards when implementing the requirement and did not provide any justification for this to their legislatures. Most believe that CEU requirements help professionals stay current.
From a professional’s perspective staying current may provide an individual with an edge over the competition, and may increase the public protection and welfare in the process. However, having a CEU requirement for registrants has not been demonstrated to increase public protection and welfare and may add a significant burden to the Board in the administration of the program. In fact, twenty-two (22) of the thirty (30) ASBOG States have determined not to include a CEU requirement in the renewal of registrations. In Arizona it is rare that a Geologist appears before the Board. Adding a CEU requirement will not change this (except that the Board will have to evaluate CEUs every year adding to the administrative workload).
This sounds like an attempt to justify the AZBTR's existance with some nonsense bureaucratic tasks and workload. "No data to support their belief." There is sound reason why over 70% of other "ASBOG" states have rejected this requirement. Geologists by nature are naturally curious and seek out educational and on-the-job experience. There is no need to formalize the experience. More oversight is not the answer.
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