Washington, DC—The Intern Development Program (IDP) took center stage at the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ (NCARB) 2008 Annual Meeting and Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, last week. Member Boards representing 51 of the Council’s 54 jurisdictions attended the meeting and approved a group of resolutions related to improvements to the program on 28 June 2008.
The most debated resolution both prior to and during the Annual Meeting, Resolution 2008-07 (also known as the “Six-Month Rule”), passed with a vote of 49-1. The rule stemmed from a 2005 study conducted jointly by AIA and NCARB that suggested regular reporting would help facilitate more accurate reporting and a better internship experience. For the last three years, NCARB Member Boards and committees have debated and discussed how to best incorporate the suggestion before bringing the rule to a vote last week.
The resolution will require interns establishing a new NCARB Record on or after 1 July 2009 to submit training reports of no more than six-months duration within two months of the end of each reporting period. On 1 July 2010, the “Six-Month Rule” will go into effect for all interns. The resolution is dependent on a “fully tested and operational” online reporting system. Should the online reporting system not be fully tested and operational by the end of 2008, each implementation date will be pushed back and will go into effect six months after the system has been deemed fully operational by an independent tester.
The resolution was amended by Member Boards to allow parents of newborn infants or newly adopted children to receive a six-month extension of the reporting deadline upon proper application. The same extension was also applied to the Five-Year Rolling Clock for the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) through Resolution 2008-04.
Member Boards that arrived in Pittsburgh hesitant about the Resolution 2008-07 said that all of their concerns had been addressed and answered by the NCARB Board of Directors, Committee on the Intern Development Program members, and NCARB staff throughout the meeting. Many delegates expressed their belief that the resolution was a step in the right direction for overall improvement to IDP and voiced their confidence in NCARB leadership from the voting floor.
Other resolutions related to IDP included changes to employment duration in full- and part-time work and an increase in the number of training units interns may earn from the Emerging Professional’s Companion. A summary of all the resolutions including the votes can be found on NCARB’s home page.
Another notable event of the week was the installation of the FY09 Board of Directors (BOD). Gordon E. Mills, FAIA, of Dubuque, IA, was installed as president along with other officers and regional directors. The Board now includes two new representatives, a Member Board Executive (MBE) Director and a Public Director. Cynthia J. McKim, executive of the Alabama Board for Registration of Architects, was elected the first MBE director and Ava J. Abramowitz, Esq., Hon. AIA, was elected the first public director.
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards is committed to exemplary service and effective regulation to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. In order to achieve these goals, the Council develops and recommends standards to be required of an applicant for architectural registration; develops and recommends standards regulating the practice of architecture; provides to member boards a process for certifying the qualifications of an architect for registration; and represents the interests of member boards before public and private agencies. NCARB has also established guidelines for the reciprocal registration of architects in the United States and Canada and is engaged in similar discussions with several other countries under trade agreements negotiated by the United States government.
