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Continuing Education

Continuing Professional Development Program

The Connecticut Chapter has a deep commitment to all its member planners, with or without AICP certification, to provide a broad range of continuing education opportunities. This has meant developing a collaborative relationship with a great variety of educational providers who offer programs that can benefit our membership. We will continue to advise our membership of those programs in e-mail and website alerts. Although we would like to offer CM credit (see below) for all these programs, the requirements of the new CM program will simply not make that possible. Regardless, we urge each of our members to develop a personal continuing professional development program which meets their individual professional development needs, whether or not these programs are available for credit.

Certification Maintenance

On April 13, 2007, the AICP Commission voted to approve a mandatory Certification Maintenance Program for AICP certified planners. This program replaces the optional Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program. The CM Program is effective commencing January 1, 2008. A “preview” period, extending from April 14, 2007 through December 31, 2007, allows certified planners to claim credit from approved programs held during that period, and apply those credits to the first CM round.

CM Program Requirements
Under the CM Program, certified planners must earn a total of 32 credits of “eligible professional development activities” every two years, commencing January 1, 2008.

No minimum numbers of credits must be earned annually.

A total of 16 CM credits may be carried over to the next reporting cycle, excluding credits earned for both current planning and ethics requirements.

Planners have a 4-month grace period to achieve CM credit requirements

Any planner who fails to achieve CM requirements within a 4-year period will loose certification, and will need to seek recertification to retain AICP credentials.

How to Achieve CM Credit Requirements
Planners may earn the required 32 credits from APA, APA-sponsored, PAB graduate degree courses or registered providers.

  • Voluntary, unpaid planning instruction may qualify, but the amount of credits equals the length of the presentation plus one hour of preparation
  • Credits that satisfy the educational needs of another professional organization can be counted towards CM requirements
  • Of the 32 credits, 1 ½ credits must be on the topic of ethics
  • Of the 32 credits, 1 ½ credits must be on the topic of current planning law

Activities That Do NOT Count for CM Credit

  • APA business meetings and other activities
  • Mentoring;
  • Volunteer services
  • Teaching for a salary, fee, or honorarium
Exemptions and Waivers
  • Retired members are exempt from CM requirements
  • APA may grant special exemptions for:
    • Parental leave
    • Military service leave
    • Health
    • Care leave
    • Foreign residency
    • Other reasons on a case-by-case basis
  • Inactive members are not required to pay dues, but cannot use their credentials while inactive.
  • Most CM requirements may be waived during a period of unemployment, provided membership is paid (at reduced rate), and the AICP credential may be used if ¼ of credits are earned.
  • Hardship will be considered by APA in the case of planners that face extraordinary barriers to high-quality, accessible, affordable course offerings.
  • Planners residing outside the U.S. will not be required to take qualified CM courses, but must maintain certification through professional development.
  • Planners who earned a Continuing Professional Development Certificate that is valid through the end of December, 2009, is exempt from CM requirements through that period, and may roll over up to 16 credits earned during the preview period to the period commencing January 1, 2010.

Information for Educational Providers
Educational providers, including the Connecticut Chapter, APA, must register with APA, pay a fee of $95, and must give assurances that their activities:

  • are designed to meet a specific planning-related training objective.
  • are led by one or more experts on the subject. An expert is a professional who has made a contribution to the profession through practice, teaching, research or publications; completed works that proclaim individuality and mastery of the principles of planning taught; and whose work demonstrates outstanding quality and professionalism.
  • are designed to teach subject matter appropriate in depth and scope and at a level beyond a planner with at least two years of professional planning experience.
  • are non promotional in nature.
  • address demonstrated educational needs.
  • communicate a clearly identified educational purpose or objective.
  • use learning methodologies and formats that are appropriate to the activity's educational purpose or objectives.
  • use evaluation mechanisms to assess an activity's quality and relevance to its purpose or objectives.
  • include a mechanism of recording attendance of each AICP member

For more detailed information, educational providers, or potential educational providers, are encouraged to see a provider fact sheet at http://www.planning.org/cm/pdf/providerhandout.pdf

For more information on the CM Program, generally, go to http://www.planning.org/cm/foraicpmembers.htm

CM Programs Available to Connecticut Planners
The Executive Committee formed a Certification Maintenance Committee for the purpose of recommending a program for Certified Planners so they can meet their CM requirements close to home. The Committee developed the outline of a program, which was endorsed by the Executive Committee on December 7, 2007. Please see the following link to view or download the CM Committee Report: View Report

The following is the status of programs as of April 1, 2008. Planners wishing to log their CM credits for seminars they attended should go to https://www.planning.org/cm/member/log.htm , click on “Report CM Credits”, enter the venue under “location” at “Search for events…” ; click on “Search”;  then select from among the seminars listed:

2007 Programs

  • APA National Conference (National APA) – Philadelphia, PA – April 14-18, 2007 (approved for multiple CM credits)

  • Friendly Processes for Quality Community Development (CCAPA), Berlin, CT - June 20, 2007 (approved for multiple CM credits)

  • Hot Topics in Land Use Law and Practice, Hartford, CT – July 27, 2007 (approved for CM credit)

  • Creating Great Downtowns and Neighborhoods(CBI), Berlin, CT, September 5, 2007 (approved for CM credit)

  • Story Time – An Oral History of Planning in Connecticut (CCAPA), New Haven, CT – September 6, 2007 (approved for CM credit)

  • Southern New England Planning Conference (CT, MA, RI Chapters), Hyannis, MA – October 11-12, 2007 (approved for CM credit)

  • Development Techniques Mother Nature Would Love (CBI), Berlin, CT, October 30, 2007 (approved for CM credit)

  • 1st Annual Smart Growth Conference (1000 Friends), New Haven, CT - November 14, 2007 (funding of CM credit costs approved by CCAPA EC; submission pending)

  • Marketing on a Shoestring Budget (CBI), Berlin, CT, November 27, 2007 (approved for CM credit)

 

 2008 Programs

  • Visualizing Density(HOME CT), Hartford, CT, March 11, 2008 (approved for 2.5 CM credits)
  • Visualizing Density (HOME CT), Fairfield, CT, March 12, 2008 (approved for 2.5 CM credits)

  • Planning for Economic Development, Part II (CBI), Berlin, CT, March 18, 2008 (approved for 4.0 CM credits)

  • New Haven’s Road to Revitalization: Recreating a Community from the Route 34 Corridor (City of New Haven), New Haven, CT, April 16, 2008 (Approval pending for 4.0 CM credits)

  • Connecticut Population Projections: 2005-2030 (CCAPA), Wallingford, CT, April 17, 2008 (Approval pending for 1.0 CM credit)

  • APA National Planning Conference (National APA), Las Vegas, NV, April 27-May 1, 2008 (Approval pending for multiple CM credits)

  • Affordable Housing Summit (SWRPA), Stamford, CT, April 29, 2008 (approved for 4.0 CM credits)

Pending 2008 Programs

  • Designing Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities in CT( CTI), Norwalk, CT, April 23-24, 2008; Farmington, CT, May 7-8, 2008; Storrs, CT, May 21-22, 2008 (NO CM credits offered)

  • Creative Tax Plans for Development (CBI), Berlin, CT,  May 8, 2008

  • Impacts of Energy and the Environment on Economic Development (CCAPA), Berlin, CT, May 15, 2008

  • Moving to the “A” List – How to Get Your Town Noticed (CBI), Berlin, CT, June 5, 2008

  • Implementing Responsible Growth (CBI), Berlin, CT, date TBD

  • Growing Your Own – Tending to Your Own Businesses (CBI), Berlin, CT, September 4, 2008

  • Issues in Infrastructure (CBI), Berlin, CT, October 14, 2008

  • Staying on “The Show” – How to Win the Site Selection Process (CBI), Berlin, CT, November 13, 2008

  • Hot Topics in Land Use Law and Practice (CCAPA), Location TBD, June 20, 2008 (will be designed to meet the current planning law 1.5 CM requirement)

  • Luncheon Series (CCAPA), Topic & Location TBA, July 17, 2008

  • Southern New England Planning Conference(RI, MA, & CT Chapters), Providence, RI September 4 & 5, 2008

  • Luncheon Series (Topic: Ethics), Location TBA, October 16, 2008 (will be designed to meet the ethics 1.5 CM requirement)