AIAA Provides Opportunities for Continuing Education Program Credits

During the 78^th Texas Legislative session (2003), State Bill 277 was passed instructing the Texas Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE) to develop and implement a Continuing Education Program (CEP). The CEP will begin in calendar year 2005, meaning non-exempt licensed engineers must provide CEP hours with the renewal received in 2005. The CEP rules adopted by the Board require each non-exempt licensed engineer to obtain 15 hours of continuing education annually. Of the 15 hours, one hour must be spent on ethics training, and a maximum of five hours can be obtained from self-directed study. If more than 15 hours are obtained in one year, up to 14 hours can be rolled over to the next year. There are several approved methods of obtaining CEP hours:

• complete/audit college credit course
• complete continuing education course
• completion of short course/tutorials
• present/attend seminars/technical presentations
• teaching/instructing any of the above
• publishing papers, articles, books
• participation in professional/technical societies
• patents issued
• engaging in self-directed study

The Board has decided to allow license holders to begin collecting hours as of September 1, 2003. This was done to ensure adequate time is provided to collect CEP hours prior to the beginning of the program in January 2005.

The Houston Section of the AIAA provides several opportunities for licensed engineers to obtain CEP hours throughout the year:

• Lunch and Learns: 1 hour of credit per Lunch and Learn
• Annual Technical Symposium: 1 hour of credit per Track Session (6 Track Sessions offered in 2004)
• Executive Council: 1 hour of credit for 1 year of active service
• Serving on a Committee: 1 hour of credit for 1 year of active service

For more information regarding the TBPE CEP, please refer to the following website: www.tbpe.state.tx.us/CEP_Info.htm.

For information regarding open positions in the AIAA Houston Section, please contact our Vice Chair-Operations or Vice Chair-Technical.