Ethics

At the FY18 Annual Business Meeting, NCARB’s members finalized the three-year effort of the Ethics Task Force to review and strengthen the role of ethics in the regulation of architecture by refreshing our Model Rules of Conduct. Approved unanimously by delegates at the meeting, the updated Rules serves as a national model that each board can adapt to ensure ethical practice among architects.

NCARB’s deep dive into the topic of ethics began in 2015 when then-president Dennis S. Ward, FAIA, NCARB, established an Ethics Task Force. Comprised of architects, attorneys, educators, and other volunteers, the task force was charged with reviewing the existing Rules of Conduct and determining how ethics could be more prominently featured in the relationship between architects, NCARB, and licensing boards.

Chair

Dale McKinney, FAIA, NCARB

Members

Michael Archer, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

Jan Burgess

John Cameron Jr.

John Ehrig, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Florida Member Board Member

David Hinson, FAIA

George Miller, FAIA, NCARB
New York Member Board Member

Jenny Owen
Mississippi Member Board Executive

Darryl R. Hamm,
Pennsylvania Member Board Member, BOD Liaison

Stephen Nutt, FAIA, NCARB, CAE, Staff Liaison

Paths to Certification

The NCARB Certificate is a valuable credential for architects that facilitates reciprocal licensure across the 54 U.S. jurisdictions (55 as of FY19) and several countries, and provides continuing education and leadership opportunities. To qualify for certification, applicants must meet NCARB’s education, experience, and examination standards and be licensed in at least one
U.S. jurisdiction.

In FY17, NCARB launched two new alternative paths to certification: the education alternative and the foreign architect path to certification, which replaced the former Broadly Experienced Architect (BEA) and Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect (BEFA) programs. In FY18, we were able to monitor the progress and success of both new alternatives, and make an important update to the education alternative.

The impact the new alternative paths are having on the profession can already be seen: nearly 600 architects have become certified through the education alternative and foreign architect path in the past year and a half, while only 184 architects received an NCARB Certificate through the BEA and BEFA programs during their entire 10-year history.

Continuing Education

As part of their mission to protect the public, the majority of U.S. jurisdictions require a certain amount of continuing education (CE) credit before each license renewal to ensure that architects are staying on top of modern practice and developing their professional skills post-licensure. To simplify the process of earning and reporting CE for architects licensed in multiple jurisdictions, NCARB recommends CE subject areas that are recognized for Health, Safety, and Welfare credit (HSW) in our Model Law, which licensing boards can then adopt and amend as necessary.

In FY18, NCARB’s members voted to update the CE subjects outlined in NCARB Model Law. The re-aligned categories are now distributed in categories that mirror the six phases of practice seen in NCARB’s updated AXP experience areas, as well as the six divisions of the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) 5.0. The redefined subject areas better reflect current trends and evolving technologies and allow for simpler modifications to keep up with trends and changes in the practice of architecture. Over the next year, NCARB will also introduce Continuing Education Guidelines to provide further assistance for Member Boards and architects regarding HSW topics that count toward CE requirements.

Education Alternative

The education alternative includes two paths to certification for architects without a degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Depending on educational background as evaluated by NCARB, applicants can satisfy the education requirement by either documenting two times the AXP’s required hours or submitting an NCARB Certificate Portfolio addressing unsatisfied areas of the NCARB Education Standard.

Previously, architects with more than 64 credit hours of post-secondary education were required to have their education evaluated by the NAAB’s Education Evaluation Services for Architects (EESA) before completing portions of the Certificate Portfolio identified by the EESA.

At this year’s Annual Business Meeting in Detroit, delegates approved an update to the education alternative that removes the EESA requirement, allowing architects to choose whether they would prefer to obtain the EESA or complete the entire Certificate Portfolio. EESA evaluations can be both cost- (the NAAB charges $2,200 for an EESA) and time-intensive; this update removes unnecessary barriers to NCARB certification and helps make the education alternative available to a wider range of architects.

Futures Task Force

FY18 NCARB President Gregory L. Erny, FAIA, NCARB, Hon. FCARM, announced at the 2017 Annual Business Meeting that he would create a Futures Task Force charged with exploring the ever-changing landscape of the profession.

Chaired by FY17 President Kristine Annexstad Harding, FAIA, NCARB, the task force met throughout FY18 to discuss current trends in the profession and research architecture’s expected evolution, especially in areas impacted by technology, licensure, and workforce changes. The Futures Task Force will continue their work in FY19, and their findings will help inform potential updates to NCARB’s programs and initiatives.

American Institute of Architects (AIA)

AIA and NCARB often work hand-in-hand on initiatives to support the practice of architecture. Collaboration opportunities this year included the annual AIA Grassroots conference, the biannual AIA-NCARB Leadership Summits, senior staff informational meetings, and the biannual Five Collaterals meetings. In addition, NCARB staff and leadership collaborated with local AIA chapters throughout FY18 in areas facing potential deregulation, helping inform legislators and other key stakeholders about the important role that licensing boards play in protecting the public health, safety, and welfare.

A’18 Conference on Architecture

In June 2018, NCARB joined thousands of architects and licensure candidates who gathered in New York for the A’18 Conference on Architecture. While there, CEO Michael Armstrong moderated a panel on the future of licensure with Past President Harding; FY18 Think Tank Chair Avik Guha, AIA, NCARB; and New York Board Member Nicole Dosso, FAIA, LEED AP. NCARB staff assisted customers throughout the expo, providing insight into programs and services at the NCARB booth.

Professional Practice Initiatives

Professional practice courses play a major role in preparing architecture students for independent practice and are an essential part of earning NAAB accreditation. But for many professors and students, it can be difficult to connect pro-practice curricula with the other components of an architectural education or to real-world practice. In FY18, NCARB began preparing a new initiative, NCARB Scholars in Professional Practice, which seeks to help enhance the delivery of professional practice courses. Applications for the inaugural NCARB Scholars event launched in January 2018, with the three-day training taking place in early FY19.