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Alaska Ethics, Rules, and Laws for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Architects


Quiz Questions

1. A person ______ practice or offer to practice the profession of architecture, engineering, land surveying, or landscape architecture in the state, or use in connection with the person’s name or otherwise assume or advertise a title or description tending to convey the impression that the person is an architect, an engineer, a land surveyor, or a landscape architect unless the person has been registered under the provisions of this chapter or is a person to whom these provisions do not apply, or, in the case of a corporation, limited liability company, or limited liability partnership, unless it has been authorized by the rules and laws of Alaska’s State Board.
may not
may
2. An individual with a retired status registration may apply for a certificate of registration. Before issuing a certificate of registration under this subsection, the board may require the applicant to meet reasonable criteria as determined under regulations of the board. The criteria may include submission of continuing education credits and reexamination requirements.
True
False
3. A person who practices or offers to practice architecture, engineering, land surveying, or landscape architecture in the state without being registered or authorized to practice in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, or a person presenting or attempting to use the certificate or the seal of another, or a person who gives false or forged evidence of any kind to the board or to a member of the board in obtaining or attempting to obtain a certificate, or a person who impersonates a registrant, or a person who uses or attempts to use an expired or revoked or nonexistent certificate, knowing of the certificate’s status, or a person who falsely claims to be registered and authorized to practice under this chapter, or a person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both.
True
False
4. Civil penalty for unregistered or unauthorized practice.

  1. In addition to any other provision of law, if a person practices or offers to practice architecture, engineering, or land surveying in the state without being registered or authorized to practice in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, the board may enter an order levying a civil penalty.
  2. A civil penalty levied under this section may not exceed ________ for each offense. In levying a civil penalty, the board shall set the amount of the penalty imposed under this section after taking into account appropriate factorsincluding the seriousness of the violation, the economic benefit resulting from the violation, the history of violations, and other matters the board considers appropriate.
  3. Before issuing an order under this section, the board shall provide the person written notice and the opportunity to request, within 30 days of issuance of notice by the board, a hearing on the record.
  4. In connection with proceedings under (a) and (b) of this section, the board may issue subpoenas to compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the disclosure of evidence, and may request the attorney general to bring an action to enforce a subpoena.
  5. A person aggrieved by the levy of a civil penalty under this section may file an appeal with the superior court for judicial review of the penalty under AS 44.62.560.
  6. If a person fails to pay a civil penalty within 30 days after entry of an order under (a) of this section, or if the order is stayed pending an appeal, within 10 days after the court enters a final judgment in favor of the board of an order appealed under (e) of this section, the board shall notify the attorney general. The attorney general may commence a civil action to recover the amount of the penalty.
  7. An action to enforce an order under this section may be combined with an action for an injunction under AS 08.48.131.
$5000
$10,000
5. (a) To be eligible for the professional land surveyor examination, an applicant must

  1. have been approved for or have passed the fundamentals of land surveying examination; and
  2. submit to the board satisfactory evidence that the applicant’s education or work experience or both are equivalent to the requirements set out in the following applicable table of education and work experience requirements for professional land surveyors; the board will evaluate the applicant’s education and work experience that meet the requirements of AS 08.48 and this chapter and give credit as appropriate: (A) for board approval of an application made on or before June 30, 2014,
True
False
6. RETIRED STATUS REGISTRATION.

  1. An individual holding a retired status registration under AS 08.48.215 may use the title "architect", "engineer", "land surveyor", or "landscape architect", as appropriate, but may not indicate that the individual is practicing or soliciting to practice architecture, engineering, land surveying, or landscape architecture in the state.
  2. The board will issue an active certificate of registration to an individual who holds a retired status registration if the applicant
    1. submits a completed application for reactivation on a form provided by the department;
    2. pays the biennial registration renewal fees established in 12 AAC 02.110;
    3. seeking an active certificate of registration
      1. as a professional architect, engineer, or landscape architect meets at the time that application is made under this section the continuing education requirements applicable under 12 AAC 36.510(j);
      2. as a professional land surveyor meets at the time that application is made under this section the continuing education requirements of 12 AAC 36.510 – 12 AAC 36.550 for one biennial registration period; and
    4. meets the requirements of 12 AAC 36.165(b), if the individual has held a retired status registration for more than five years.
True
False
7. A Professional Architect can design any seal for him/herself as long his/her name and their license number is correct.
True
False, The seal authorized for use by professional architects is of the following design or a substantially similar electronic or digital representation of the design.
PDH Course - Alaska Board of Engineers, Land Surveyors and Architects Rules, Laws and Ethics
8. The seal authorized for use by professional engineers must reflect the branch of engineering authorized by the board. This identification is to be placed below the registrant’s name and preceding the registrant’s number on the seal as noted:
Alaska Board of Engineers, Land Surveyors and Architects Rules, Laws and Ethics

AG – Agricultural engineer

EC – Chemical engineer

CE – Civil engineer

CS – Control systems engineer

EE – Electrical engineer

EV – Environmental engineer

FP – Fire protection engineer

IN – Industrial engineer

ME – Mechanical engineer

MM – Metallurgical and Materials engineer

EM – Mining and Mineral Processing engineer

NM – Naval architecture and Marine engineer

NU – Nuclear engineer

EP – Petroleum engineer

SE – Structural engineer

True
False
9. Use of seal,

  1. A registrant may
    1. not sign or seal a drawing or document dealing with professional services in which the registrant is not qualified to sign or seal by virtue of education, experience, and registration;
    2. approve and seal only design documents and surveys that are safe for public health, property and welfare in conformity with accepted architecture, engineering, land surveying, and landscape architecture standards in Alaska;
    3. seal only final drawings, surveys, reports, and required construction documents for which the registrant is qualified to seal and for which the registrant claims responsibility;
    4. not knowingly allow the use of his or her seal by another person on a document that the registrant has neither prepared nor reviewed personally;
    5. not use the seal or a reproduction of the seal of another registrant on a document, regardless of the intended use of the document;
    6. not sign a name other than his or her own name over a seal, and may not forge the signature of the individual to whom the seal was issued by the board; and
    7. not sign or seal drawings, documents, or other professional work for which the registrant does not have direct professional knowledge and direct supervisory control.
  2. If portions of drawings, documents, or other professional work are prepared by other registered professionals, a registrant may seal only that portion of the work for which the registrant has direct professional knowledge and direct supervisory control.
  3. Each office maintained for the preparation of drawings, specifications, reports, or other professional work that will require a professional seal must have a registrant assigned to and regularly employed in that office who has direct knowledge and supervisory control of that work.
  4. The registrant shall include the date each time the registrant signs and seals a document by electronically or manually inserting the date within the seal or within two inches of the seal.
  5. The registrant, by sealing final drawings, takes responsibility for related discipline specifications included in the final drawings, unless under AS 08.48.221 the registrant certifies on the face of the document the extent of the registrant’s responsibility.
True
False
10. a) A registrant

  1. shall attempt to avoid all conflicts of interest with his or her employer or client, but, if some conflict is unavoidable a registrant shall promptly inform his or her employer or client of the registrant’s business association, interests, or circumstances that could influence the registrant’s judgment or the quality of the registrant’s service to the employer or client;
  2. may not accept financial or other compensation from more than one party for services on or pertaining to the same project, unless the circumstances are fully disclosed to and agreed to by all interested parties or their authorized agents;
  3. may not solicit or accept financial or other valuable consideration from a supplier for specifying a supplier’s product, unless the registrant is the vendor or supplier of the specified product and has fully disclosed that fact to the client; and
  4. may not solicit or accept gratuities from other parties dealing with the registrant’s client or employer in connection with the work for which the registrant is responsible.

(b) If a registrant is in public service as a member, advisor, or employee of a government body, the registrant may not review work previously performed by the registrant or the registrant’s former private sector employer.

True
False
11. Does this current revision add a different kind or classification of structural engineer or will the two be the same? In other words, I received my AEL C11152 (Civil Engineering) stamp in 2004. Then I submitted plans and calculations in 2012 to receive my AEL T13423 (Structural Engineering). Once this new regulation is in place, will I need to submit again to get an AEL SE XXXX if I want to perform structural engineering on major structures or will the AEL T13423 suffice?
Yes, you need to submit again.
Under the proposed regulations, you will not have to reapply. You will just buy another stamp that says "Professional Structural Engineer" instead of Professional Engineer and your number is SE 13423. Use the two letter designation for structural engineer instead of the T.
12. Is there anywhere in the board minutes that discusses how they came up with the proposed regulations? Was there a committee report or something else that shows the logic used?
No.
You will find a discussion on this in the November 2013 minutes starting at the bottom of page 17. The motion to public notice it is in the January 2014 minutes on page 4. The link to the webpage is: Click Here
13. It appears from the proposed addition of requirements to sit for a Structural Engineering exam one must first already have a PE license in some other Alaska discipline, which I presume to be a Civil Engineering license. Is this correct? Does this mean that future applicants for Structural Engineering must first have to sit through an exam in some other discipline before they can qualify to sit for the Structural exam? I have been involved in comments submitted to the Board from the IEEE as it relates to new sub-disciplines created in Electrical Engineering. In those proposals it was clarified that those with general "Electrical Engineering" registrations would be allowed to continue work in the sub-discipline if they deemed themselves qualified; but that new applicants for the sub-discipline need only take the exam for that sub-discipline and not be required to already have an EE designation. It sounds like the state is proposing current Civil Engineers that might already practice Structural Engineering must sit for a new exam. Am I understanding this correctly?
No
Yes, to sit for the SE exam an applicant must already have a PE registration in any branch, it doesn’t have to be civil. Those civil engineers who already practice structural engineering and did not opt to get the SE stamp during the previous grandfathering period will have another chance to do so without taking another exam. The Board is going to allow a second grandfathering period because the Board changed the regulations after telling them they could continue to practice as they always have.
14. For those just graduating that wish to practice in Structural Engineering does this mean they will have to first sit for another exam discipline? Or can they just take the Structural Engineering exam outright for the first time? The way the proposed regulation is written it sounds like they would first have to become some other type of engineer to qualify to be a Structural Engineer.
No
Yes, an individual would have to have a PE license in some other discipline before they can sit for the SE.
15. How will a person licensed in Alaska as PE but passed SE-l and SE-II be able to be licensed as SE in Alaska? Shall I submit an application, document 2 project plans and get reference letters? Or just submit an application without submitting 2 project plans and reference letters?
No
If you are already licensed as a structural engineer in Alaska, the only part of these proposed regulation changes that effect you is the one regarding the continuing education requirements. The Board is proposing to change it from a total of 24 PHD’s to a minimum of 24 PDH’s with at least 8 in each discipline you are licensed in.
16. Can the same two engineers who are used as references in (d) be the references for the projects of (e) or are 4 different reference engineers required in total. In other words how many total individual reference engineers are required two or four.
four
Yes, under proposed 12 AAC 36.xxx the same two engineers can be used if they can attest to the requirements of (d) and (e).
17. For the proposed changes to 12 AAC 36.108. I am currently a registered structural engineer in Alaska. With the proposed changes will I need to resubmit an application and supporting documents to renew my license which expires on 12/31/15?
Yes
No, you already have your SE so you will just submit a renewal form. Prior to adding structural engineering to our regulations, structural was done by civil engineers. The Board told everyone that if they had been practicing structural they could continue to do so. The Board also allowed those civil engineers who wanted their SE stamp a grandfathering period in which to get their SE without taking the exam by showing the Board their expertise in structural engineering. However, since they could continue to practice structural as a civil PE many opted not to get the SE stamp. Then the Board decided to change the rules so certain types of structures would require the SE stamp, so the Board is now allowing another grandfathering period for those who chose not to get the SE last time and that is what 12 AAC 36.108 is about.
18. How will a person licensed in Alaska as PE but passed SE-l and SE-II be able to be licensed as SE in Alaska? Shall I submit an application, document 2 project plans and get reference letters? Or just submit an application without submitting 2 project plans and reference letters?
No
If you are already licensed as a structural engineer in Alaska, the only part of these proposed regulation changes that effect you is the one regarding the continuing education requirements. The Board is proposing to change it from a total of 24 PHD’s to a minimum of 24 PDH’s with at least 8 in each discipline you are licensed in.