Continuing Education Program (CEP)

Earn Texas Professional Engineers CEP Credits Attending Monthly STS-AIChE Meetings

The Texas Engineering Practice Act, which was revised after sunset review by the Texas Legislature, now requires that all Professional Engineers licensed by Texas obtain 15 hours of continuing education each year in order to renew their licenses.  Continuing education obtained after September 1, 2003, can be used to meet this requirement, which began with renewals starting in 2005.

Three ways that the continuing education requirement can be met are by one of the following:

(1) Attending presentations at meetings and workshops of technical or professional organizations such as the STS-AIChE

(2) Participating as an officer or committee member in these organizations.

(3) Taking formal courses at a university, company seminars, and self study.

At least one hour of the continuing education each year must be on professional ethics, roles and responsibilities of professional engineering, or  review of the Texas Engineering Practice Act.

The basic unit for the Continuing Education Program is a Professional Development Hour (PDH), which is the equivalent of one hour of contact or activity; the CEP Rule provides equivalents between PDHs and other units such Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and class hours.

Typically, each workshop at the STS-AIChE monthly meetings will count for one PDH, and the after dinner presentation will count for another PDH.

The other method for meeting the CEP requirement of 15 PDHs per year is for active participation in the STS-AIChE as an officer or by serving on a committee.  This method is limited to 5 PDHs per organization per year, and the CEP Rule states that the PDH credits are not earned until completion of the year of service.  This is a good reason to volunteer to participate in one of the STS-AIChE committees.  Contact us if you are interested in earning PDHs in this most worthwhile manner.

The Texas PE Board wants to make the reporting process as simple as possible and has put almost all of the requirements on the individual licensed Professional Engineer.  For reporting PDHs, the STS-AIChE will be providing Monthly Meeting Attendance Forms at our monthly meetings for attendees to use for their attendance certifications.  Other forms of attendance certification mentioned by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers on its Web site include copies of newsletters, a flyer, or any other document that shows the date, location, duration, and type of activity.

In addition to obtaining the Monthly Meeting Attendance Forms, licensed Professional Engineers need to keep a log of their continuing education activities. While the attendance certifications and personal logs are not to be submitted when renewing Texas Professional Engineer licenses, they are to be maintained by the licensees and are subject to audit by the Texas PE Board.

Additional information and a Word file of the CEP Rule can be obtained on the Texas Board of Professional Engineers’ Web site: http://www.tbpe.state.tx.us/CEP_Info.htm

Dennis Griffith
Chair, Government Interaction Committee