Continuing Education Exemptions
The Board requires that all Registered Landscape Architects in active status complete continuing education activities on an annual basis. The Board addresses possible exemptions to standard continuing education requirements in Board rule
804-025-0010. As an example, there is a possible exemption for a registrant facing illness, physical disability, or economic hardship. Exemptions must be confirmed by the Board. Please direct any questions about the exemption process to the Board office at
oslab.info@bgelab.oregon.gov.
Continuing education for landscape architects
The Board requires that all Registered Landscape Architects in active status complete continuing education activities on an annual basis. The Board does not pre-approve continuing education activities but has provided through Board rules a detailed explanation of the types of activities generally accepted. Board rules also identify where annual limits apply to certain types of activities. The Board does accept continuing education activities by the American Society of Landscape Architects Continuing Education Series, known as LA CES, but also accepts a wide range of other activities.
Board rules address how professional development hours (PDH) are determined, the type of documentation required for activities, how the Board's audit process works, and when exemptions from the continuing education requirements can be requested.
Annual continuing education is not required of Landscape Architects-in-Training, Registered Landscape Architects on inactive status and Registered Landscape Architects on inactive emeritus status. Individuals on inactive or inactive emeritus status need to be aware that modified continuing education requirements do apply upon request to the Board for return to active status. See 804-025-0015 for details, or contact the Board office.
The Board conducts audits throughout the year. Registered Landscape Architects are drawn randomly for audit at each quarterly meeting of the Board. Board staff remove identifying information (e.g., name, address, registration number) so that Board review is of unidentified submissions.
Documentation of PDH
Each Registered Landscape Architect in active status must maintain the following continuing education documentation for at least those activities completed during the 3 most recent annual renewal periods:
- A PDH log (see below) for each annual renewal period showing for each activity completed the activity subject, type, sponsoring organization, location, duration and any instructor or speaker name; and
- Documentation sufficient to prove completion of activities claimed on the PDH logs.
Each Registered Landscape Architect is responsible for obtaining verification of participation or otherwise documenting PDH. Upon receipt of Board notification of selection for audit, the individual must turn in the PDH log and supporting documentation. The Board audits approximately 5% of active registrants per year.
The Board will look for documentation from a third party provider that includes at a minimum the name of the provider, the title of the event, dates attended, and the anticipated PDH value. Preferred documentation is as follows:
- Certificate of completion;
- Certificate of attendance;
- Letter of confirmation of attendance; or
- Transcript.
In cases where proof of attendance was not provided by the third party provider and the Registered Landscape Architect is unable to obtain such documentation even after request to the third party provider, then a copy of the sign-in sheet which includes the date, title, and presenter along with the agenda may be submitted to validate participation for purposes of PDH compliance.
In the absence of the above-described documentation or for a self-directed activity including those described in 804-025-0020(3), an activity summary may be submitted to the Board for review but must include at a minimum the following:
- Name/Title of the activity;
- Date(s) and hours of the activity;
- Location of the activity;
- Presenter or instructor of the activity;
- Written summary of the subject matter; and
- PDH anticipated and whether PDH subject was related to health, safety, and welfare and if so explain the key elements which addressed protection of health, safety and welfare as related to the practice of landscape architecture.
Examples of PDH documentation
The following examples are provided to assist Registered Landscape Architects with understanding what the Board looks for as documentation of PDH.
NOTE: Additional example documents may be added to this page as they become available.