21 NCAC 34B .0411          General Course Approval

(a)  Mortuary Science College Courses – Courses covering subjects required by G.S. 90-210.25(a)(1)e1., (2)e1., and (3)e1. and 2 that are offered for academic credit by a mortuary science college approved by the Board or accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education shall be approved activities unless the course is taken to obtain a funeral director, embalmer, or funeral service license. Computation of CE credit for such courses shall be as prescribed in 21 NCAC 34B .0415. No more than five CE hours in any year may be earned by such courses except in the cases of an inactive licensee who is seeking to earn enough CE credit to return to active status or an individual whose license has lapsed and who is seeking to reinstate the license. No credit is available for mortuary science college courses attended prior to becoming an active licensee of the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service, except in the case of an inactive licensee who is seeking to earn enough CE credits to return to an active status.

(b)  Approval – CE activities shall be approved upon the written application of a sponsor, other than an accredited sponsor, or of an active licensee on an individual program basis. An application for the approval of such CE courses and programs shall meet the following requirements:

(1)           The application and supporting documentation, including one complete set of the written materials to be distributed at the course or program, shall be submitted at least 30 days prior to the date on which the course or program is scheduled.

(2)           The application shall be submitted on a form furnished by the Board. The form shall require the applicant to furnish the name and address of the course sponsor, the title, date, length, and location of the course, and any other information the Board deems necessary as required by law.

(3)           The application shall be accompanied by a course outline or brochure that describes the content, identifies the teachers, lists the time devoted to each topic and shows each date and location at which the course or program will be offered.

(4)           The application shall include a calculation of the total number of CE hours using the method prescribed in 21 NCAC 34B .0415.

(c)  Course Quality – The application and written materials provided shall reflect that the program to be offered meets the requirements of 21 NCAC 34B .0409. Written materials consisting merely of an outline without citation or explanatory notations shall not be sufficient for approval. Any sponsor, including an accredited sponsor, who expects to conduct a CE activity for which suitable written materials will not be made available to all attendees may obtain approval for that activity only by application to the Board at least 30 days in advance of the presentation showing why written materials are not suitable or readily available for such a program.

(d)  Records – Sponsors, including accredited sponsors, shall within 30 days after the course is concluded:

(1)           furnish to the Board a list in alphabetical order, on electronic media if available, of the names of all North Carolina attendees and their North Carolina Board of Funeral Service license numbers;

(2)           furnish to the Board a complete set of all written materials distributed to attendees at the course or program.

(e)  Announcement – Accredited sponsors and other sponsors who have approval for courses may include in their brochures or other course descriptions the information contained in the following illustration:

This course [or seminar or program] has been approved by the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service for continuing education credit in the amount of ____ hours. This course is not sponsored by the Board.

(f)  Notice - Sponsors not having approval shall make no representation concerning the approval of the course for CE credit by the Board. The Board shall mail a notice of its decision on CE activity approval requests within 15 days of their receipt. Approval thereof shall be deemed if the notice is not mailed within 30 days. This automatic approval will not operate if the sponsor contributes to the delay by failing to provide all information requested by the Board or if the Board notifies the sponsor that the matter has been tabled and the reason therefore.

(g)  Facilities - Sponsors must provide a facility conducive to learning with sufficient space for taking notes. Sponsors must also ensure the following requirements are met:

(1)           Access to the facility shall be controlled so that attendees actually attend the entire program or portion of the program for which they are seeking credit. Attendees who are late or who leave early shall not be given credit for the portion of the program that they missed.

(2)           All licensees who attend a program and desire credit for attendance must present their license pocket card to gain admission to the program.

(3)           The individual or organization conducting the continuing education program must use registration sign in/sign out sheets to ensure attendance by all participants.

(4)           The reading of outside material, such as newspapers and magazines, is prohibited during a CE program.

(5)           Cell phones and other disruptive devices must be turned off or switched to a silent mode of operation during instructional periods of the CE program.

(6)           Persons obtaining CE hours for license reinstatement shall be provided a temporary card, valid for one year from the date of issue, from the Board in order to be allowed entrance to CE programs.

(h)  Course Materials - In addition to the requirements of 21 NCAC 34B .0411(d) and (f) above, sponsors, including accredited sponsors, and active licensees seeking credit for an approved activity shall furnish upon request of the Board a copy of all materials presented and distributed at a CE course or program.

(i)  Non-funeral service Educational Activities - Approval of courses shall not be given for general and personal educational activities. For example, the following types of courses shall not receive approval:

(1)           courses within the normal college curriculum such as English, history, and social studies;

(2)           courses that deal with sales and advertising only and would not further educate a licensee as to his or her product knowledge and development of funeral procedures and management models designed to increase the level of service provided to the consumer.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 90‑210.23(a); 90-210.25(a)(5);

Eff. July 1, 2005;

Amended Eff. March 1, 2008;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. August 19, 2017.