CPD Recertification Program

1. After passing the Certified in Plumbing Design exam, continuing education is required to maintain Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) status through recertification. The recertification application must be completed and submitted two years after the exam and each subsequent two years to maintain CPD certification. CPD status expires on the last day of the month that is printed on the certificate issued on a biennial basis.

2. Recertification is achieved by accumulating 2.4 CEUs (continuing education units) within the two-year certification period using the following criteria:

• Acquiring additional professional plumbing design, fire protection, or engineering-related education
• Participating in activities that advance or broaden the plumbing design, fire protection, and engineering professions

Failure to accumulate the required CEUs before the expiration of the certification period will result in the cessation of CPD status, removal from the Certified in Plumbing Design Directory, and removal from the official CPD registry.

The Certified in Plumbing Design Directory is available to ASPE membership, the general public, state registries/ boards/agencies, and any other requesting agencies. The directory is available at aspe.org.

3. A total of 2.4 CEUs (continuing education units) are required for Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) recertification. Different units are commonly used to track continuing education, but ASPE uses CEUs (continuing education units) as the primary unit.

Some useful conversions are:

• 0.1 CEU = 1.0 PDH (professional development hours) = 1 contact hour
• 1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs = 10 contact hours
• 1.0 PDH = 0.1 CEU = 1 contact hour

A contact hour is defined as a 50- to 60-minute period devoted to the education and learning effort.

Any combination of the following minimum and maximum continuing education is allowed:

3.1 A minimum of 50 percent or 1.2 CEUs must be from an approved provider such as ASPE (Society), an ASPE Chapter, or an approved ASPE CEU provider: Minimum of 1.2 CEUs (50%)

3.2 Approved Education and Professional development in plumbing engineering, plumbing design, or fire protection programs issuing CEUs or PDHs: Maximum of 1.2 CEUs or PDH equivalents (50%)

3.2.1 Approved Education and Professional development programs are defined as efforts undertaken to advance, broaden, and enhance the individual’s technical knowledge and job skills in plumbing engineering, plumbing design, or fire protection, such as engineering-related education and professional development programs offered at local or national events. These activities are required to offer CEUs or PDHs. Activities such as workshops, seminars, technical presentations at ASPE chapter meetings, and training sessions shall earn 0.1 CEU for every hour of training.

3.2.2 Activities such as tours of a manufacturing or research facility of a company/organization that is in the plumbing or fire protection industry also qualify for continuing education. The tour shall be sponsored by the Society or an ASPE Chapter and be at least one hour in length excluding any travel, meal or social activity. Participants shall earn 0.1 CEU in total for participating in the tour of a sponsored manufacturing/research facility that is hosted by the Society or ASPE Chapter.

3.3 Higher education and professional development courses: Maximum of 1.2 CEUs (50%)

3.3.1 Higher Education and Professional development courses are defined as the successful completion with a grade of “C” or higher and the awarding of credits for course work at colleges, universities, or technical schools that advance, broaden, and enhance the individual’s technical knowledge and job skills in engineering. Activities such as college, university, and technical school course work earn 1.0 CEU per semester-based hour or 0.7 CEUs per quarter-based hour.

3.4. Advanced professional activities: Maximum of 0.6 CEUs (25%)

3.4.1 Advanced professional activities include volunteer or for-hire education or professional development activities such as participating in professional membership organizations that advance the plumbing/ fire protection design and engineering profession or providing professional engineering expertise to assist committees, taskforces, or working groups; presenting educational or professional development to increase technical, engineering, and design knowledge; or writing technical or engineering-related research papers pertinent to the engineering profession for publication or distribution.

3.5. Industry leadership activities: Maximum of 1.2 CEUs (50%)

3.5.1 Committee, taskforce, and/or working group activities = 0.1 CEU/year

3.5.2 Instructor of continuing education that awards CEUs or PDHs = 0.1 CEU/hour of instruction

3.5.3 Author of a published plumbing design article in a reviewed publication. = 0.1 CEU per article

3.5.4 Author of an engineering or plumbing design-related book = 1.0 CEU per book

4. A courtesy recertification reminder notice will be emailed after one year. A final courtesy notice of pending expiration will be e-mailed three months prior to the end of the certification period. It is the responsibility of the individual to keep a valid and updated email address on file with ASPE, as well as to meet the recertification application submission deadline. In the event an individual holding the CPD designation is unable to be located or otherwise fails to receive recertification notification mailings through their email, it will be the responsibility of the individual to petition the Credentialing Committee for a recertification extension waiver.

5. Reinstatement of an expired CPD certification may occur only during the 18 months immediately following the expiration date. The full reinstatement procedure can be found on aspe.org . The reinstatement process shall include:

• Payment of the recertification fee and a reinstatement fee
• Meeting all of the recertification requirements for the current and previous recertification periods
• Submitting a signed memo stating that the hours used for reinstatement will not be used for future recertification periods.

6. An expired CPD certification that is no longer eligible for reinstatement will be treated as an initial (first-time) applicant and must satisfy the Certified in Plumbing Design criteria. The individual must retake the CPD exam.

7. CPD recertification requires submitting the completed recertification form no later than the expiration date of the certification.

8. Continuing education activities must be completed before the certification expires subject to the following exceptions:

Exception 1: Additional time is required to obtain continuing education because the individual had to allocate substantial time for military duty, jury duty, or illness. Each case will be reviewed on its own merits.

Exception 2: ASPE requires additional time to complete an audit of the information supplied.

9. Information provided on the CPD status recertification forms will be processed and evaluated as follows:

A. Information supplied may be reviewed for adherence to the recertification criteria as described in section 3, as well as proper documentation of continuing education. If necessary, clarification may be requested.

B. Selected CPD recertification applications will be audited.

Individuals selected for an audit shall be identified by a combination of fixed and random sampling methods that ensures selection equality across ASPE regions and chapters and ASPE members and nonmembers.

Audits shall be conducted at the end of the certification period.

In the event of an audit, the individual will be required to document courses, seminars, workshops, and attendance earned from sources outside the Society (ASPE). This includes ASPE chapter technical programs, courses from ASPE approved CEU providers, and other courses being claimed for recertification. Acceptable documentation includes a copy of a certificate.

Copies of personal records requested for audit verification must be supplied within 30 days of the receipt of the request. Individuals failing to supply the requested information in a reasonable timeframe shall be deemed to be in noncompliance. Copies of personal records need only be maintained until the audit process is completed.

In the event of an audit, it is the responsibility of the individual to provide the documentation. ASPE will not request documentation from outside organizations on behalf of the individual.

10. Recordkeeping is the responsibility of the individual. A log should be maintained to record CEUs. The Personal Continuing Education Log is supplied as a simple tool to help avoid inaccuracies and incompleteness of the recertification application. Use of the log is by personal choice and is not required to be submitted as part of the recertification program. ASPE members are also provided with an online tool to help keep track of their continuing education. It can be found here: aspe.org/CEUCenterInfo.

11. The fee for active CPD recertification must be paid in advance. The recertification fee is not refundable in whole or in part if recertification is not achieved.

12. Inactive CPD status may be elected by an individual if he/she is unemployed.

A. Inactive CPD status must be requested in writing within 12 months from the start of the unemployment period.

B. Reinstatement to CPD status must be done within 18 months from the date inactive status begins or can be determined on a case-by-case basis.

C. The full reinstatement process can be found on aspe.org. Reinstatement is done by:

• • Documentation of recent work experience appropriate to CPD recertification, and
  • Payment of a reinstatement fee.
  • Submitting a signed memo stating that the hours used for reinstatement will not be used for future recertification periods.

13. All documentation and materials submitted for CPD recertification become the property of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers and will not be returned.

The recertification application form must be returned to ASPE by the expiration of the CPD status. An online application is available and must be submitted to ASPE. The CPD recertification application must be accompanied by the nonrefundable recertification fee for the application to be processed. ASPE will not separately bill or invoice. The recertification procedures and online application form are found on education.aspe.org/CPDRecert. Paper applications are not available.

Retired individuals who desire to maintain CPD status for occasional consulting efforts or for other reasons must recertify in the same manner as all other recertification applicants. The recertification fee for a retired individual meeting the recertification requirements is $15, provided that the retiree is 65 years of age or older and engages in consulting or other professional activity no more than the equivalent of three months of full-time effort per year. Recertification fees shall be waived for retired ASPE Honorary Members.

In making this application, and by my signature, I fully understand and subscribe to the tenets, rules and procedures of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers’ Certified in Plumbing Design recertification program and hereby acknowledge that all information supplied in this Recertification Application to be true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and that any false statement or misrepresentation that I may make in the course of the CPD recertification process may result in the revocation of this application, the issuance of a formal complaint to the Society and the permanent revocation of my Certified in Plumbing Design status. Furthermore, I hereby understand and agree that:

A. This application, and all information and data submitted with this application, become the sole property of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers.

B. All information and data submitted with this application will be used by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers only to verify the qualifications of the CPD recertification applicant, and all such information and data shall remain confidential and will not be divulged to any other person.

C. The CPD recertification applicant hereby authorizes the American Society of Plumbing Engineers to investigate and verify all information, references and other data and attachments to this application or as may be requested and provided during a recertification audit.

D. The CPD recertification applicant hereby acknowledges that the American Society of Plumbing Engineers may audit the personal records of the applicant, and the recertification applicant hereby agrees to provide all requested information and data in a reasonable time period (not to exceed 30 days) and fully cooperate with recertification audit personnel.

E. The recertification applicant agrees to hold all information, audit contents, interview contents, tests and other certification matters in the strictest confidence and that all such information shall not be copied or divulged in any manner.

F. The Certified in Plumbing Design certification and recertification program is administered by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers for the benefit of applicants, and, as an applicant, I hereby agree to hold the American Society of Plumbing Engineers harmless from any consequences of acceptance or rejection of this recertification application and to hold the American Society of Plumbing Engineers harmless from statutory violations or conflicts of the Certified in Plumbing Design certification and recertification program.

The completed recertification application must be submitted prior to your CPD expiration date in order to be considered a valid application. Late applications may be subject to a reinstatement fee or rejection.

The CPD Recertification Fee must have been prepaid or must accompany this application for this Recertification Application to be considered and processed. The Recertification Fee is nonrefundable.

• CPD Recertification Fee: $75
• CPD Retired Inactive Status Fee: $0
• Non ASPE Member w/CPD: $165
• CPD Reinstatement Fee: $200*
• CPD Retired Active Status Fee: $15

* Fee includes $50 recertification fee.