Chapter A−E 10
CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR LAND SURVEYORS

(1) “Biennium” means a 2−year period beginning February 1 of each even−numbered year.
(2) “Continuing education” means the planned, professional development activities designed to contribute to the advancement, extension and enhancement of the professional skills and scientific knowledge of the registrant in the practice of land surveying and for improvement of the safety and welfare of the public.
(3) “Professional development activities” means organized educational programs on topics related to the practice or theory of land surveying and which foster the enhancement of general or specialized knowledge, practice and values of land surveying.
(4) “Professional development hour” or “PDH”, unless specified otherwise, means 50 minutes of instruction or participation spent by the registrant in actual attendance or completion of an approved educational activity.

(1) (a) Beginning in the February 2012 biennial registration period, unless granted a waiver under s. A−E 10.07, every registrant shall complete at least 20 hours of approved professional development hours or equivalent continuing education hours, pertinent to the practice of land surveying, except that between initial registration and the first renewal period, a new registrant shall not be required to comply with the continuing education  requirements for the first renewal of registration.
(b) During each biennial registration period, the registrant shall complete a minimum of 2 professional development hours of the total number required in each of the following categories:

1. Programs, courses or activities in the area of Wisconsin statutes and rules that regulate professional land surveyors and surveys.
2. Programs, courses or activities in the area of professional conduct and ethics.
3. Programs, courses or activities in the area of land surveying or related sciences.

(2) Continuing education offered by approved providers shall include the following:

(a) Successful completion of online, correspondence, televised, videotaped, or other short courses or tutorials.
(b) Successful completion of a college or university course in the area of land surveying, related sciences or surveying ethics. One semester credit hour of course work is equivalent to 20 professional development hours and one quarter credit hour of course work is equivalent to 13.5 professional development hours.
(c) Successful completion of land surveying courses or programs offering professional development hours on land surveying topics.
(d) Active participation and successful completion of land surveying programs, seminars, tutorials, workshops, short courses or in−house courses.
(e) Attending program presentations at related technical or professional meetings at which at least 50 minutes is spent discussing surveying issues or attending a lecture on survey−related issues, or both. Each qualified meeting will be awarded one professional development hour.
(f) Teaching or instructing courses or programs on a land surveying topic. Teaching credit is counted for teaching a course or seminar for the first time only and does not apply to faculty in the performance of their regularly assigned duties. Two professional development hours will be awarded for every 50 minutes of teaching or presentation.
(g) Authoring land surveying related papers or articles that appear in circulated journals or trade magazines. Credit is earned in the biennium of publication. A maximum of 5 professional development hours per renewal will be awarded for this activity.

(3) Continuing education shall be completed within the preceding biennium.
(4) A land surveyor who fails to meet the continuing education or professional development hours by the renewal date, as specified in s. 440.08 (2) (a) 39., Stats., may not engage in the practice of land surveying until the registration is renewed based upon proof of compliance with the continuing education requirements.

(1) To be approved for credit, a continuing education program shall meet all of the following criteria:

(a) The program includes instruction in an organized method of learning contributing directly to the professional competency of the registrant and pertains to subject matters which integrally relate to the practice of the profession.
(b) The program is conducted by individuals who have specialized education, training or experience and are considered qualified concerning the subject matter of the program.
(c) The program provides proof of attendance by the registrants and fulfills pre−established goals and objectives.

(2) The land surveyor section may approve providers for continuing education programs including the following:

(a) Wisconsin society of land surveyors.
(b) National council of examiners for engineering and surveying.
(c) National society of professional land surveyors.
(d) American congress on surveying and mapping.
(e) Colleges, universities or other educational institutions
approved by the land surveyor section.
(f) Other technical or professional societies or organizations.

(3) An advisory committee selected by the land surveyor section
will make recommendations as to approval of courses, credit,
PDH value for courses and other methods of earning credit.
(4) Credit for college or technical school courses approved by
the land surveyor section shall be based upon course credit established
by the college or technical school.

(1) Each registrant shall certify on the renewal application full compliance with the continuing education requirements set forth in this chapter.
(2) The land surveyor section may conduct a random audit of its registrants on a biennial basis for compliance with these requirements. It is the responsibility of each registrant to retain or otherwise produce evidence of compliance.
(3) The land surveyor section may require additional evidence demonstrating compliance with the continuing education requirements, including a certificate of attendance or documentation of completion or credit for the courses completed.
(4) If there appears to be a lack of compliance with the continuing education or professional development requirements, the land surveyor section shall notify a registrant in writing and request submission of evidence of compliance within 30 days of the notice.
(5) The land surveyor section may require a registrant to appear for an interview to address any deficiency or lack of compliance with the continuing education or professional development requirements.

(1) The name and address of the sponsor or provider.
(2) A brief statement of the subject matter.
(3) Printed program schedules, registration receipts, certificates
of attendance, or other proof of participation.
(4) The number of hours attended in each program and the
date and place of the program.

(1) A renewal applicant seeking renewal of registration without having fully complied with the continuing education requirements shall file a renewal application along with the required fee, and a statement setting forth the facts concerning non−compliance and requesting a waiver of the requirements. The request for waiver shall be made prior to the renewal date. Extreme hardship shall be determined on an individual basis by the land surveyor section. If the land surveyor section finds from the affidavit or any other evidence submitted that extreme hardship has been shown, the land surveyor section shall waive enforcement of the continuing education requirements for the applicable renewal period.
(2) In this section, extreme hardship means an inability to devote sufficient hours to fulfilling the continuing education requirements during the applicable renewal period because of one of the following:
(3) A renewal applicant who prior to the expiration date of the license submits a request for a waiver, shall be deemed to be in good standing until the final decision on the application by the land surveyor section.