MINUTES
CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014
Seattle, WA
Voting MembersVisitors
Billy AustinChairDavid Eldridge
Matt NelsonVice Chair Mike Fullerton
Bill KlockMemberVanessa Maryott
Cameron LabunskiMember (absent)David Meredith
CSOwMemberMick Schwedler
Rich RoseMember
Shanta TuckerMember
Non-voting Members
Patricia GraefExOfficio
Dan PettwayCoordinating Officer
Steve ComstockPublisher/Director of Publications & Education
Tim KlineStaff Liaison
PASSED MOTIONS
Meeting of June 28, 2014
Motion 1: Approve the minutes of the Certification Committee’s May 7, 2014 meeting as distributed.
PASSED: 6-0-0
Motion 2: Not translate practice exams, or certification exams, into Spanish.
PASSED: 6-0-0
Motion 3: Not pursue development of the proposed BAS/BMS Technician certification and that the Chair communicate this decision to the individual who submitted the proposal.
PASSED: 5-0-1
ACTION ITEMS
Meeting of June 28, 2014
Action Item 1 (June 28, 2014): Staff to post the committee’s May 7, 2014 minutes on the committee’s web page and remove draft status.
Action Item 2 (June 28, 2014): Staff to ensure certification materials, including the website and Candidate Guidebooks,communicate the meaning and value of certification.
Action Item 3 (June 28, 2014): Staff to research if certifications earned can automatically populate a member’s ASHRAE bio.
Action Item 4 (June 28, 2014): Staff to incorporate an agreement to confidentiality and ASHRAE copyright of practice exam material in the practice examination process.
Action Item 5 (June 28, 2014): Mr. Nelson and Mr. Austin tohead a task force to meet in September to identify the following elements of a proposed HVAC Designer certification:
- HVAC Designer job description,
- Market and competition,
- Survey content and audience,
- Definitions of success for the survey and a new certification.
Action Item 6 (June 28, 2014): Mr. Nelsonwill communicate decision not to pursue development of the proposed BAS/BMS Technician certification to the individual who submitted the proposal.
Action Item 7 (June 28, 2014): Staff to inform exam subcommittee member this item is still under consideration by the committee at least through the fall meeting, and to research if offering the complimentary certification renewal fee to certificants who are exam subcommittee members would be in accordance with the ANSI 17024 personnel accreditation standard.
Action Item 8 (June 28, 2014): Staff to schedule conference call meeting for October.
1.CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Austin at 8:00 a.m. A roll call was conducted.
2.REVIEW OF AGENDA
Mr. Pettway requested the opportunity to share a few thoughts regarding certification promotion and the future of certification. Ms. Tucker requested that discussion of promotion of the certification value proposition be added to the agenda. With these changes, the agenda was accepted as distributed.
3.APPROVAL OF 7 MAY 2014 MINUTES
It was moved by Mr. Klock and seconded by Mr. Nelson that the Certification Committee:
Motion 1: Approve the minutes of the Certification Committee’s May 7, 2014 meeting as distributed.
PASSED: 6-0-0
Action Item 1 (June 28, 2014): Staff to post the committee’s May 7, 2014 minutes on the committee’s web page and remove draft status.
4.COORDINATING OFFICER PRESENTATION
Mr. Pettway stressed the importance of continuing to show certification prospects how ALI courses and seminars and ASHRAE guidelines and standards support exam preparation. Ms. Tucker said she would like to see more prominently communicated an explanation of what certification means together with better promotion of the value of certification.
Action Item 2 (June 28, 2014): Staff to ensure certification materials, including the website and Candidate Guidebooks,communicate the meaning and value of certification.
Action Item 3 (June 28, 2014): Staff to research if certifications earned can automatically populate a member’s ASHRAE bio.
Next, Mr. Pettway encouraged the Certification Committee to continue to seek avenues to promote the value of ASHRAE certification, and expressed confidence that continuing to be involved in the Commercial Workforce Credentialing Council will pay dividends. Lastly, Mr. Pettway encouraged the committee to support execution of the new strategic plan in the coming years.
5.EX OFFICIO PRESENTATION
Ms. Graef reported that the PEC recognizes the importance of certification renewal and she said she would be interested in understanding better why some certificants decide not to renew their certification.
6.REVIEW OF OUTSTANDING ACTION ITEMS
6.1 Relation to PE License Requirements
Action Item 1 from December 4, 2012: A Task Force of Mr. Klock, Mr. Nelson and Ms. Tucker was created to investigate PE license renewal requirements with input from Dr. Keen. Staff will provide support. It was determined to recommend changes as needed after completion of the ANSI accreditation process for HBDP; therefore, this action item was declared to remain open.
In discussion during the June 28 meeting, the committee agreed this action item had been completed for two reasons. First, the term “ACE unit”hasalready been changed to “PDH,” which stands for professional development hour, a more universally understood term in credentialing. Second, ASHRAE is taking part in the Commercial Workforce Credentialing Council’s efforts to develop certification schemes, including renewal requirements, for certain key jobs related to energy efficiency, which obviates the need to pursue an action item whose intent is to benchmark against PE license renewal requirements.
Action Item complete.
6.2 Practice Examinations
Action Item 1 (January 18, 2014): Staff continue with completion of practice exams for remaining certifications.
In Progress. CPMP, HFDP and BEAP now available. The BEMP is due to go live in July. The HBDP online review is scheduled to take place in July, and item writing for the OPMP practice exam in progress.
Action Item open.
The committee acknowledged while a benefit of the current practice exam format is that practice exams can be taken from a laptop or tablet at the convenience of the individual, a drawback is that practice exam items can be copied and potentially exposed, thereby compromising ASHRAE’s investment. Rather than sacrifice convenience and access by requiring practice exams to be taken at an AMP testing center, the committee requested that staff incorporate an agreement to confidentiality and ASHRAE copyright of practice exam material during practice exam registration.
Action Item 4 (June 28, 2014): Staff to incorporate an agreement to confidentiality and ASHRAE copyright of practice exam material in the practice examination process.
6.3 Translation of Practice Exams into Spanish
Action Item 2 (January 18, 2014): Staff to initiate translation of practice exams into Spanish, to provide an additional resource to Spanish-speaking exam candidates.
Following discussion, the committee agreed not to translate practice exams, or certification exams, into Spanish, as doing so would suggest to prospects and members that the committee intends to translate all exams and ancillary materials (certification and recertification applications, web pages, guidebooks and email communications) into Spanish, which is not the case.
It was moved by Ms. Tucker and seconded by Mr. Nelson that the Certification Committee:
Motion 2: Not translate practice exams, or certification exams, into Spanish.
PASSED: 6-0-0
Action Item complete.
7.CONTINUED DISCUSSION OF HVAC DESIGN PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
The committee reconsidered the results of a 2013 survey intended to gauge membership interest in a potential HVAC Designer certification. The committee agreed that data must support development of a new certification, but questioned whether the right questions were asked of the right audience in the 2013 survey. In the end, the decision was made to appoint a task force to define the job and market for a new HVAC Designer certification and determine the definition of “success,” not only for a potential new survey, but also for a new certification.
Action Item 5 (June 28, 2014): Mr. Nelson and Mr. Austin tohead a task force to meet in September to identify the following elements of a proposed HVAC Designer certification:
- HVAC Designer job description,
- Market and competition,
- Survey content and audience,
- Definitions of success for the survey and a new certification.
8.PROPOSAL FOR BAS/BMS TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION
The committee reviewed a proposal for a BAS/BMS Technician certification, submitted in light of these individuals’ responsibility to interpret standards 90.1, 62.1 and 55. Following discussion, however, the committee agreed that the responsibility of interpreting these standards resides with the engineer of record, not the BAS/BMS technician.
It was moved by Mr. Klock and seconded by Ms. Tucker that the certification committee:
Motion 3: Not pursue development of the proposed BAS/BMS Technician certification and that the Chair communicate this decision to the individual who submitted the proposal.
PASSED: 5-0-1
Action Item 6 (June 28, 2014): Mr. Nelsonwill communicate this decision to the individual who submitted the proposal.
9.EXAM SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBER CERTIFICATION RENEWAL FEE
The committee discussed the issue of an exam subcommittee member who expressed the belief that her/his certification renewal fee should be complimentary by virtue of having served actively on the subcommittee. Following discussion, the committee agreed the suggestion was reasonable, especially considering the fact that subcommittee members did not have to pay a fee to receive their initial certification when it was developed. In the end, the committee requested staff to research if offering the complimentary fee to certificants who are exam subcommittee members would be in accord with the ANSI 17024 personnel accreditation standard. The committee agreed to further consider this item in the fall meeting in light of the ANSI reply.
Action Item 7 (June 28, 2014): Staff to inform exam subcommittee member this item is still under consideration by the committee at least through the fall meeting, and to research if offering the complimentary certification renewal fee to certificants who are exam subcommittee members would be in accordance with the ANSI 17024 personnel accreditation standard.
10.UPDATE FROM STAFF
- Special Exam Administrations
A special exam administration (SEA) was held May 14 in Buenos Aires with 13 examinees and the SEA at the ASHRAE conference on July 1 has 11 examinees registered. Upcoming SEAs include a September 12 administration in Atlanta in conjunction with the 2014 ASHRAE/IBPSA-USA Building Simulation Conference and a September 30 administration in Bogota in conjunction with the ACAIRE Expo.
- Renewal Reminder to Lapsed Certificants
Certification renewal reminders were sent in June to the lapsed 2013 class and the 2014 class of certificants.
- Exam Taken YTD vs. LYTD
Through May there were 10% more exams scheduled (354) over last year (320) for the same time period.
11.NEW BUSINESS
There was no new business.
12.2013-14 MBOs
Chairman Austin noted progress on 2013-14 objectives and encouraged committee members to work to advance ASHRAE certification in 2014-15.
13.RETIRING 2013-14 COMMITTEE MEMBERS / INCOMING 2014-15 COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Chairman Austin presented Mr. Klock and Dr. Ow with certificates of appreciation and thanked them for their contributions to ASHRAE certification, and welcomed incoming committee members David Eldridge, Eric Fullerton and Vanessa Maryott.
14.NEXT CONFERENCE CALL MEETING
Incoming Chairman Mr. Nelson requested a conference call meeting be scheduled for October.
Action Item 8 (June 28, 2014): Staff to schedule conference call meeting for October.
15.ADJOURN
Mr. Austin adjourned the meeting at 12:12 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Tim Kline