OAR 161-020-0015: Course Approval

(1) Courses shall be reviewed and approved under these rules as either Qualifying Education or Continuing Education and shall be identified as either synchronous/classroom, asynchronous, or a hybrid. A hybrid Course must meet the criteria for both synchronous/classroom and asynchronous as set forth in this Division 020. A course approved for Qualifying Education may also be used for Continuing Education if the course meets the requirements of this section. An appraiser does not need to take or pass an examination in order to receive Continuing Education credit for the course. (a) A Qualifying Education Course must include an examination and, except in the case of an AQB-approved course on Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations, must provide at least 15 classroom hours of instruction. A Qualifying Education Course must be consistent, in terms of content, with the qualifying education course content guidelines in these rules; (b) A Continuing Education Course must include a minimum of 2 hours of instruction and be consistent, in terms of content, with the Continuing Education course content guidelines in these rules. (2) Course approval commences on the date initial approval is granted by the Board. Course approval by the Board is not retroactive (applicable prior to the date approval is initially granted) because previous offerings of an approved course have not been reviewed under these rules. (3) Each Qualifying Education course shall be assigned to one specific category as outlined in 161-020-0110(2)(a) and 161-020-0110(3). (4) Each approved course shall be assigned a maximum number of classroom hours of instruction (including examination time if applicable). A classroom hour means 60 minutes, of which at least 50 minutes must be instruction time attended by students. (5) Each approved course shall have an index number assigned to indicate approval. (6) Upon receipt of course approval, the course owner/affiliated entity (such as a state or local chapter of a national organization that owns a course) may represent in any advertising or other materials that the course is a Board approved course, provided that the number of classroom hours credit awarded by the Board is also clearly indicated when the number of credit hours awarded is less than the actual number of scheduled classroom hours. (7) Course approval granted to a course owner shall apply to any affiliated entity subject to the following conditions: (a) The course owner requires the affiliated entity to conduct the course: (A) Utilizing the owner's course materials (including textbook and examinations, if any); and (B) The affiliated entity awards the same number of classroom hours as the course owner; and (C) The affiliated entity delivers the course in accordance with the course owner's policies relating to instructor qualifications, student attendance, course scheduling and course prerequisites (if applicable). (b) The course owner assumes full responsibility in the event the affiliated entity violates any of the provisions of these rules. (8) The Board reserves the right to conduct a full review of any approved course for any reason in connection with any course approval or at any other time. Further, the Board may establish a system of periodic course review including but not limited to attending the course for audit purposes. (9) Board approved courses will be assigned an expiration date three (3) years from date of Board approval for the course or the same expiration date as the AQB approval, whichever occurs first. Course approval for asynchronous and hybrid education courses offered online via the internet shall expire the same date as ADMAE and/or AQB approval, whichever occurs first. (10) To renew an approved course, a course provider must submit a course approval application, application fee and all other required materials as outlined in OAR 161-020-0045 and 161-020-0055 prior to the course expiration date. Current copies of ADMAE and AQB approval letters are also required for renewal of an approved course when applicable.