Managing your CEU’s
Get on Track and Stay on Track – Managing your Continuing Education year-to-year:
As an IIDA Member you are required to show evidence of attending 10 credit-bearing IDCEC-approved continuing education courses every two years. If you are an Associate Member, this includes you! December 31st of each year is the deadline. You will not submit paperwork or evidence unless you are contacted for a random audit. If you became a member after January of any calendar year, you are exempt until the following CEU term.
You can find specifics here on the IIDA website – https://iida.org/membership
As a Registered Interior Designer in the State of Alabama, you are required to show evidence of attending credit-bearing continuing education courses every year by September 30th. The new calendar year for credit earning begins October 1st. The base requirements are listed below:
- Minimum of 10 HSW credits required
- Minimum of 4 of the 10 credits must be Codes & Standards units, subject code 6.1, 6.2, and sometimes 2.12 if the class focuses on a sustainability Code or Standard.
- Maximum of 6 credits from the overall 10 may be self-directed
- All credits must be HSW-designated
You will not submit paperwork or evidence unless you are contacted for a random audit. If you are accepted as a Registered professional between May and September of any calendar year, you are exempt until the following year. You can find specifics here on the ABRID website, in the Administrative Code – http://abrid.alabama.gov/designer-resources
Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC):
As an IIDA Member, you have free access to an IDCEC number and an online IDCEC CEU transcript. If you are a member and do not have a number, it is your responsibility to contact IDCEC to obtain one. IDCEC keeps ongoing records of all IDCEC-approved courses you attend. They will also track other units if you upload additional information to your transcript. Both IIDA and the State of Alabama accept IDCEC transcripts as official documentation of your CEU attendance, if you are audited.
To take advantage of this free and easy-to-use resource, follow this link – https://www.idcec.org/Pages/Forms/Public/About/About.aspx
*TIP* – Some providers offer paper certificates at the course conclusion and some offer to email a certificate. If you provide an IDCEC #, IDCEC will send and email for confirmation of course attendance and will direct you to the IDCEC site to check your records and submit a survey. Follow up with the presenter to make sure you have obtained your certificate within a few weeks. If not, you can contact the presenter directly for help. Waiting until the year-end to follow up will make it harder to obtain missing certificates. The presenter’s info is usually on the invitation and always provided during the presentation. IIDA officers can help confirm your attendance at most CEUs, but they cannot offer you copies of certificates. It is your responsibility to obtain your necessary certificates for courses attended and using the IDCEC system greatly simplifies this process.
*TIP* – Check your IDCEC records often to make sure the courses you attended are being tracked correctly. Courses are visible on both the Dashboard and the Transcript pages of the IDCEC website. Remember IDCEC tracks per calendar year, and the State year is Oct-Sept, so you will need to check both the current and previous years in your transcript accordingly.
*TIP* Make a special folder in your inbox for CEU invitations and IDCEC confirmations to quickly reference which courses have been offered and presented throughout the year.
*TIP* – Not all CEU courses are equal. Check the subject code and designation with the provider to confirm the course provides the type of credit you need. In general, ABRID does not recognize credits that pertain to business development and professional practice. Also check the content of ‘sustainability’ courses for content related to Codes & Standards – not all sustainability-focused course will satisfy the ABRID requirements. As a registered professional and a member of a professional organization, you are ultimately responsible for selecting appropriate courses to attend, and defending any inquiries pertaining to your transcript.
IIDA invites you to attend all the courses in our CEU series each year! Please respect the sponsors, CEU providers, and volunteer IIDA officers by accurately managing and adhering to your RSVP for each event.
If you have questions about these facts, tips, and links please contact your Professional Development officers via email at [email protected].
Legislation:
On April 29, 2010 Governor Riley signed HB440, the Alabama Interior Design Registration Act, recognizing Alabama’s continued interest in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens through responsible regulation of the interior design profession. The law officially went into effect August 1, 2010.
The law establishes the Alabama Board for Registered Interior Designers and recognizes the term “Registered Interior Designer” as a designer qualified by education, training, and certification through nationally recognized testing. Qualified designers registered under the act may submit drawings for a permit in commercial projects under 5,000 square feet in a building of any size as long as it is not assembly occupancy. The law also allows R.I.D.s to submit for permitting in single family residential projects of unlimited square footage. The Administrative Rules of the Act contain specifications for the stamp that R.I.D.s will be required to use when submitting drawings for a permit. The terms “Interior Design” and “Interior Designer” continue to be unregulated in Alabama, and the law does not impact an unregistered individual’s ability to provide unregulated interior design services. Space planning, lighting layouts, the selection of furniture and finishes, and more are not restricted to an R.I.D. and can be prepared for spaces of unlimited square footage. The Administrative Rules of the Act outline specific continuing education requirements, and all Registered Interior Designers must meet these requirements to maintain licensure.
Advocacy
As the voice for the industry, IIDA advocates for its members and the profession so interior designers may practice to their fullest abilities. Become an advocate today. https://iida.org/advocacy
Alabama Interior Design Coalition (AIDC)
https://al.asid.org/resources/alabama-interior-design-coalition
AIDC is a not for profit all volunteer organization founded in 1995 to promote the welfare of all persons engaged in the business of Interior Design. AIDC members include practicing professionals from design organizations, unaffiliated independent designers, allied industries, educational members such as faculty teaching interior design programs, and interior design students.
AIDC serves as an advocate for the Interior Design profession in Alabama. AIDC depends upon each and every member for financial and grass roots support. This support remains the cornerstone of AIDC’s efforts to protect the public and ensure the right to practice for Interior Designers. Please see the link above to the AIDC Facebook page for more information about becoming a member.