by Ida Clair, AIA, AIACV Treasurer
DSA Acting State Architect
As Baby Boomers and Generation Xers, we have witnessed great change in our profession that affects how we deliver services: the Americans with Disabilities Act, the effects of global warming, natural disasters that necessitate changes to Building Codes, and the development of electronic and digital resources that facilitate project delivery and provide us with communication tools to convey design intent and context. Many of us have had to rely on continuing education opportunities to learn about change in our profession, while many Millennials learned about such influences in architecture school. The AIA seeks to be responsive to such change, and one of the many reasons I value AIA membership is because the AIA values continuing education.
At the Division of the State Architect (DSA), we have a mandate to provide continuing education on disability access. I often get asked by my colleagues “Do you have a class soon?” and “I need 5 accessibility credits by the end of the month!” I find it interesting that many of us find the time to schedule our favorite television programming, but wait until the last minute to seek continuing education opportunities, and then do so with the sole criteria of meeting the minimum credit requirements. Those who hold multiple licenses and certifications that require continuing education as part of credential maintenance know that a critical eye in regard to course selection and expertise of the educator generally translates to an effective use of time spent in the classroom, and that a planned and targeted continuing education approach is needed to find offerings that can provide cross-sectional credits.
AIA local chapters periodically offer programming to combine fun and education, and because the AIACV excels in programming, the opportunities afforded to our members are ample and varied. Beyond the local fare, I encourage you to subscribe to the various knowledge communities of the AIA KnowledgeNet. As a subscriber, there is an opportunity to connect with architects around the country, and even the globe, who share a similar passion for a specific expertise. It is within the KnowledgeNet that I find posts about courses that free, taught by leaders in their field, offer AIA HSW credits, and qualify for continuing education credits for other credential maintenance programs. Emails occur on a regular basis if you subscribe, and the KnowledgeNet Events page has a listing of ways to engage with colleagues. My subscribed communities: Codes and Standards, Committee on Architecture for Education, Committee on the Environment, K-12 Design Education and Outreach, Public Architects Committee, and Universal Design.
What’s your KnowlegeNet? Find out today at network.aia.org.
P.S. If after reading this your question is still “Does DSA have an ADA class soon?” I can help you there as well. Coming this summer, DSA will offer online on-demand education on disability access. I will keep you posted……….