EducationFor Providers

Latest Continuing Education Update: Sustainable Design Credit Requirement Terminated

At December’s Annual Meeting of the AIA Board of Directors, the Sustainable Design (SD) Continuing Education Credit Requirement was terminated. Recognizing that sustainable design practices have become a mainstream design intention in the architectural community, the Board of Directors voted to allow the sustainable design education requirement to sunset at the end of calendar year 2012.

AIA members will no longer need to complete the sustainable design requirement to fulfill their AIA continuing education.  For 2013, AIA members are required to satisfy a minimum of 18 LUs per year. Of this total, 12 must meet the Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) criteria.

Sustainable design credits and the potential Board ruling have been discussed throughout 2011 and 2012 at many Education Committee and Continuing Education Team meetings. These conversations have highlighted that the original intent and hope for the Sustainable Design pilot program was for sustainable design to become mainstream in the architectural communities’ design practices and forefront in the general public’s mind. The Board decision was based on the realization that this goal has been fulfilled and feels that this credit designation is no longer needed to carry the banner of high performance buildings.

To all of you, our Providers, we would like to offer our profound gratitude and congratulate each of you for making this possible through your unwavering support to quality education and the architectural community. The Continuing Education Team recognizes that this is a significant shift in our efforts and there will be some necessary transition time, but we are confident that through continued collaboration and dedication to quality education, the Provider Program will continue to thrive within the design community.

The Institute has not lost sight of its broad reaching and long- range environmental goals but rather recognized that sustainably sensitive practices are now folded into the larger design process. As educators, we must mirror this trajectory and respond to these trends. Sustainable Design is still very much a high demand educational topic so the need for this educational content will not go away but rather adds to the value and expectations of the HSW credit designation.

Please read this month’s Course Reviewer’s Corner for more information about how the sustainable design decision will affect the course submission process.

I encourage all of you to attend our upcoming training opportunities [workshops, webinars, tutorials, calls etc.] as we transition so that you will be able to effectively offer valuable content to our architects. Moving forward, it is important to learn how to properly re-purpose your Sustainable Design materials as well as market these courses to meet our continuing shared goals for quality education. I look forward to working with you all and once again thank you for your efforts and dedication!