| # | Name | Comments |
|---|
| 401 | brett mascaro, aicp | agreed |
| 402 | Julie Tilley | |
| 403 | Anonymous | AICP/APA are nothing more than an overpriced lobyying firm out for the sole purpose of making money for themselves and losing sight of each's intended goals.
I for one am in favor of state certifications like in NJ, rather than the laughingstock of all professional certifications, one given by an organization to its own members. Talk about conflict of interest and lack of credibility. If planning is take a serious step, AICP needs to be done away with. |
| 404 | Thomas A. Martin | As an AICP Planner I must agree that the APA continuing education program as currently designed is counter productive and does not achieve its goal of improving the planning profession. |
| 405 | Dan Rolfs, AICP | I am a Wisconsin Chapter Member, and a member of our State's Executive Board. I have had concerns about AICP CM all along. Given the warped approach they have taken, I cannot help but support any kind of change. This may not address all of the issues, but right now, the program is so far off the mark that damn near anything has to be better than what's in place. |
| 406 | Eric Gundrum | ACIP fees for CM certification are too high for eductation providers to provide reasonable and affordable education |
| 407 | Philip B. Caton | |
| 408 | Anonymous | |
| 409 | J Gelber, AICP | I work for a large, urban City Planning Agency. Our buget for travel, conferences, coutinuing education, and APA/AICP dues has been cut to zero.
In my free time, I am working on a Masters Degree in Real Estate from an accredited State University. None of my coursework is recognized for CM approval. I do not have the time or resources to seek out additional official CM credits.
I advocate that graduate level courses in planning and certain related fields (Public Policy, Real Estate, Economics, Urban Design, Land Use Law, etc) at accredited universities be accepted without additional AICP CM certification or fees.
If AICP trusts these colleges and universities to educate planners with undergraduate and graduate degrees, it should also trust these colleges and universities to provide continuing education. |
| 410 | Louis C Joyce, PP/AICP | If APA is a concerned member driven organization it must respond to this petition. |
| 411 | Milton Ospina | |
| 412 | Gary A. Adams, AICP | |
| 413 | Erik O Johnson | |
| 414 | Katie Wilken, AICP | |
| 415 | Alfred E. Walker, AICP | As a long time AICP member and long time Local Section Board Member I also find the CM process onerous, heavy handed, and overburdening. The number of credit hours is extremely high especially when compared to other Professional Organizations. The fee structure has always been seen as a stand alone income producing scheme for the APA as well as forced attendance at the highly expensive APA conferences in order to get the required number of approved credits. I have been told by several very good training providers that they are not going to provide AICP CM credits because they can not justify the added expense to their budget or cost structures. For those who can not afford to go to APA conferences the AICP CM credit requirements are a membership culling mechanism. |
| 416 | Anonymous | |
| 417 | Thomas Hankins | |
| 418 | Larry Reichhart | |
| 419 | Heather Jacksy | It is already difficult enough to get courses up here, and programs I attend such as Department of State education series do not count towards my CM because they cannot or will not pay the fees. |
| 420 | Sarah Humphrey, AICP | |
| 421 | Linda E. Hollis | |
| 422 | Megan Cronise | Several worthy and educational non-APA courses I have taken over the past year have sadly not been eligible for CM credits. Now I know why. I am disappointed in the new system and am anxious to see change for the better. |
| 423 | Callum Murray | |
| 424 | Callum Murray | |
| 425 | Robert Balmes, AICP | APA/AICP needs to take a step back and realize how unethical they are being. As a transportation planner, I am unable to obtain CM's for transportation courses, while other seminars like touring a sewage plang and de-salination plant get credit. How unreal is that? It is ludicrous and shameful. Let's all get real, make the system cost-feasible for all providers and ensure the future of AICP members. Otherwise, they will begin to drop out and the image of APA and AICP will be forever tarnished. |
| 426 | Anonymous | |
| 427 | Wendell Johnson | I participated in a workshop taught by Dr. Nelson two or three years ago. The class was extremely valuable and I would hope that APA /AICP policies can be amended to allow him to continue to provide such high quality course material that also meets the requirements for AICP continuing education. |
| 428 | John Richardson | As a professional planner who will be eligible to sit for the AICP exam in May, concerns like those listed in this petition--as well as in Arthur C. Nelson et al.'s article on Planetizen.com--certainly weigh heavily on my decision to become certified. After all, while there is traditionally a monetary benefit (i.e., a higher salary) and status sybmol associated with planners who are certified versus those that are not, I'm not sure I would want to become entangled in a CM program with so many noted shortcomings and frustrations. Conversely, something modeled on the AIA continuing education program may be a step in the right direction.
Lastly, I suspect that there are several of us non-AICP members of the APA who are strongly considering these same issues. That said, if revenue is a big factor in all of this for both the APA and the AICP, then appealing to those of us who are on the fence makes a great deal of sense (and cents). After all, many of us non-AICP members are also well aware of the jump in APA membership dues when one becomes AICP certified. I'm guessing that both the APA and AIPC would want to avoid a downward trend in AICP certification as a result of a flawed CM program. Certainly that wouldn't be good for anyone's bottom line.
On a more positive note, I applaud your efforts to develop the CM program and put Planners on a more even playing field with the other related professionals. My point in all of this is that there seems to be a better way of designing the program so that it accomplishes its mission: economic solvency with diverse, quality continuing education.
Thank you for your consideration of this petition and these comments. |
| 429 | Phil Mason | |
| 430 | Eva A. Peterson | |
| 431 | Kelly E. Templin, AICP | Please demonstrate some common sense or risk losing a large portion of your membership! |
| 432 | Brian Foote, AICP | I submitted written correspondence in early 2007 via e-mail to APA during the public comment period for the CM proposal. While I agreed (and still do) to the CM concept, it has some faults and I mentioned several points of concern. A few of my comments were similar to what is discussed in the 03/06/08 Planetizen editorial. Yet I received no response or indication that my comments were even read... hopefully the authors of the editorial will elicit some type of reaction or response or changes. |
| 433 | James J. Galvin Jr. AICP | The bulk of the nation is run on a shoestring, especially public sector. Budgets are always restrained. The salaries paid are OK, but not sufficient to pay annual dues let alone attend a national conference $2,000.00 away. Travel and education budgets can't support $20 to $50 or more per CM credit., if they pay at all. |
| 434 | Anonymous | I agree with 1,2,3, and 5. The retroactive fee should be removed as a compromise for a change in the way CMs work. |
| 435 | Laurence Fronk | |
| 436 | Andy Johns | |
| 437 | Anonymous | |
| 438 | Patrick L. Etchie | As an AICP member that is specialized in Transportation Plannning I feel that the CM program excludes many sources of continuing education that transportation planners are required to maintain to practice work for state and federal agencies. Many of our continuing education comes from State and Federal Departments of Transportationa nd also Environmental Agencies. I believe these courses and seminars should be included as continuing education and all that should have to be submitted is documentation that one has attended (such as a program outline, registration confirmation or signature of instructor). The agencies should not be required to pay and go through the difficult certified provider process since they are State and Federal agencies that are presenting transportation standards. If AICP does not alter its program to be more accepting of sources outside of APA I anticipate letting my certification expire. In my opinion, the AICP is a nice designation to have, but it is not like a professional license such as a P.E. or P.S. in which agencies REQUIRE such licenses to prepare plans and surveys. Very few communities or agencies require someone to have an AICP to prepare a master plan or planning study, and until this is the case, our AICP designation is simply something nice to have and is not something required to conduct work for agencies. |
| 439 | Thomas E. Russell AICP | |
| 440 | Julie Black | |
| 441 | Steve Lane | |
| 442 | William Courson Jr. ex-AICP | Absolutely...... I have yet to see any CM programs which would actually benefit me in my area of planning. The entire CM requirement is nothing more the a money stream to university's and CM providers. It's time we as professional planners begin to ask, is APA/AICP really the organization which serves our interest? WE NEED A NEW PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION WHICH REPRESENTS US, THE PROFESSIONAL, "in the field" PLANNER, not the Elitist academic subculture which has taken control of APA/AICP. |
| 443 | Cheri Rekow | |
| 444 | Frank J. Tokarsky, Jr., AICP | As I've commented previously, I take many training courses that are from providers that will not go to the great expense of certifying their courses with AICP. These are related to my job and include hsitoric preservation and environmental courses. A system must be provided that will recognize these courses...perhaps nomination by the student (not the provider) to APA with NO COST? |
| 445 | Susan C Swartz | |
| 446 | Amelia Costanzo | |
| 447 | Anonymous | |
| 448 | Anonymous | |
| 449 | Anonymous | |
| 450 | Tracey Corbitt | |