AIPG Introduces New Member Category “Nationally Licensed Geologist”
R. Douglas Bartlett, CPG-08433 Adam Heft, CPG-10265
At our January 21, 2017, Executive Committee Meeting in Orlando, FL, the ExCom Board authorized the formation of a new member category and profes- sional title designated the Nationally Licensed Geologist or NLG. It is hoped that this new title will be recognized by the ASBOG states as a means by which NLGs can more quickly obtain perma- nent or temporary licenses to practice in those states that license geologists in the US.
The requirements for the NLG mem- ber category will include:
1. Certification as a Professional Geologist by AIPG (holding the CPG credential).
2. Successful passage of both the fundamentals and professional practice parts of the ASBOG exam.
3. Mandatory participation in AIPG’s continuing professional development (CPD) program and the logging of at least 16 hours of CPD each year, includ- ing 1 hour devoted to professional ethics.
These requirements are intended to meet or exceed the most rigorous state regulations for geologist licensure in the United States.
Why is the NLG category needed and why should AIPG take this on?
In recent years, there has been a con- certed effort to deregulate professions and thereby ease the restrictions that limit individuals from entering those professions. This viewpoint originates from the libertarian idea that govern- ment should not be in the business of deciding who gets jobs. While this is an admirable concept, in practice it is far more complex than simply limiting who can work as a professional. Professional registration originated to safeguard the public from inferior or fraudulent work products. Registration, while not a per-
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fect shield from problem practitioners, provides one mechanism to limit abuses and convey the importance of profes- sional integrity to those who are licensed. If there were no geologic licensure and one individual in our profession were to do something that caused a scandal or injury to the public, the whole profes- sion could become tainted in the public’s eye, especially in this day and age with social media ready to pounce and quickly spread the word.
If governments retreat from manag- ing professional licensure, we believe it is imperative that we (the geologic profession) police ourselves to prevent poor or unsafe work from occurring. This is for ethical reasons and for our own protection as a profession. AIPG is ideally suited to be the leader of profes- sional licensure of geologists because our organization was founded to represent all disciplines of geology. Our members work in virtually every geologic field or discipline and while the distribution of membership in disciplines varies with the marketplace for geologic work, AIPG has striven to avoid focusing on any one discipline. Of prime importance to AIPG is the adherence to rigorous standards of ethical practice, one of the key drivers for licensure.
One of the requirements for maintain- ing the NLG will be the completion of 16 CPD hours per year including one hour of ethics training. David Abbott, in a separate paper for the Nashville meet- ing, describes the CPD concept and why it is so important that it be included in the NLG requirements.
By creating the NLG, AIPG is provid- ing states with the opportunity to main- tain a high degree of professionalism for geologists practicing in their states without the governmental bureaucracy needed to oversee and regulate geolo- gists. Over time, as state statutes are changed to recognize the NLG, national licensure through AIPG will make is
easier for geologists to practice in mul- tiple of states without having to pay numerous licensing fees. In this way, the NLG will provide mobility and cost savings to geologists.
Facilitating Multi-state Licensing
Once an applicant has successful- ly applied for an NLG, the member will have support from AIPG to obtain licenses from other states that require licensure. AIPG headquarters will sub- mit copies of transcripts, resumes, and related documents to state boards sim- plifying the licensing process in states recognizing the NLG title. The current President and Executive Director of ASBOG support AIPG’s NLG concept and AIPG will be looking to ASBOG for assistance in setting up the program. The requirement to meet CPD hours per year can be met by simply keeping personal CPD records. If the member is audited, he/she can submit the personal CPD log to the auditor.
What will this cost AIPG and its members?
The number of NLG members in AIPG will depend on the effort to deregulate geologists; the more rapidly and broadly this occurs the more geologists will seek the NLG membership in AIPG. At the moment, serious efforts to deregu- late geologists are occurring in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois. We expect interest in the NLG will start slowly. It may or may not even catch on. The cost to AIPG will be minimal until such time that NLGs become as prevalent as CPGs. The cost of the NLG membership is initially proposed to be only $30 more than the CPG member category, which is lower than what many states charge for licensure. Our intent is to provide a worthwhile service at a modest price.
Jul.Aug.Sep 2017 • TPG 11
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