21 NCAC 56 .1713             SPONSORS

(a)  The Board may approve sponsors of Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) activities. The Board may maintain a list of sponsors which have agreed to conduct programs in accordance with the standards of CPC activities set forth in 21 NCAC 56. 1700. Such sponsors shall indicate their agreement with the requirements by executing a Sponsor Agreement on a form provided by the Board. These sponsors shall be designated as "Approved Sponsors" based upon approval by the Board of the sponsor application and payment of a one hundred fifty dollar ($150.00) application fee. The application form contains the following:

(1)           Name of applicant, contact name, mailing and physical address, phone number, and email address;

(2)           Type of organization;

(3)           Delivery of course type(s), program offerings (to public or in-house);

(4)           Offered to Professional Engineers or Professional Land Surveyors, or both;

(5)           Example of certificate of completion that attests to attendance;

(6)           Summary of qualifications of organization;

(7)           Types (subjects) of courses offered;

(8)           Sample course outline(s); and

(9)           Qualifications of course instructor(s)

(b)  By entering into an agreement with the Board to be designated as an "Approved Sponsor," the sponsor shall agree to the following terms as the sole terms of the agreement:

(1)           Allow persons designated by this Board to attend any or all courses, without fee or charge, for the purpose of determining that said course meets the standards of the Board;

(2)           Allow persons designated by this Board to review course material for the purpose of determining that the course meets the standards of the Board;

(3)           State in every brochure, publication or announcement concerning the course, the general content of the course and the specific knowledge or skill to be taught or addressed, as well as the credit to be earned in Professional Development Hours (PDH);

(4)           Ensure that the instructors or presenters of the course or program are qualified by education, training or experience to teach the subject matter;

(5)           Provide persons completing the course with written documentation attesting to that person's attendance to the course, as well as the name of the course, the date and location held, the instructor's name and the number of PDHs earned;

(6)           Provide attendees an evaluation form as provided by the Board that is to be collected and retained for audit by the Board;

(7)           Have a visible, continuous and identifiable contact person who is charged with the administration of the sponsor's CPC program and who has the responsibility for assuring and demonstrating to the Board compliance with this Rule, as well as for any other organization working with the sponsor for the development, distribution or presentation of CPC courses or activities; and

(8)           Retain for a period of three years a copy of the documentation required by this Paragraph.

(c)  Sponsors shall renew annually on a form provided by the Board.

(d)  Failure of an approved sponsor to comply with the terms of the CPC sponsor agreement is grounds for the Board to revoke, suspend or terminate the agreement, to remove the sponsor's name from the list of approved sponsors and to notify the public of such action. A sponsor that is given notice of revocation, suspension or termination may request an administrative hearing to be conducted as provided in 21 NCAC 56 .1400 Contested Cases.

(e)  Approval of a sponsor is equivalent to the language of licensing a sponsor in G.S. 89C-10(h).

History Note:        Authority G.S. 89C-10; 89C-17;

Eff. February 1, 1996;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2011; July 1, 2009; August 1, 2002;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. April 27, 2019;

Amended Eff. March 1. 2023.