ADOPTED: October 2005 LATEST REVISION: July 2006 SUNSET: July 2011

OP No. 84—Competency Recognition and Certification
In Engineering Technologies

ADOPTED: October 2005 LATEST REVISION: July 2006 SUNSET: July 2011

NSPE CONTACT: Board of Directors

It is the policy of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NPSE) that a semi-autonomous organization known as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (hereafter referred to as NICET) shall be empowered to certify engineering technicians and technologists in conjunction with NSPE.

Procedure

1. There is hereby established the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (hereafter referred to as NICET) as an instrument of the National Society of Professional Engineers and successor to prior corresponding entities with the objectives of:

a. Evaluating competency in the field of engineering technology.

b. Recognizing the attainment of such competency through the awarding of certificates.

c. Maintaining records of such attainments as a service to the recipients and as a public service.

d. Providing services to appropriate related bodies for the purposes of testing, recording, and documentation of competencies in technology.

e. Providing communication programs to disseminate knowledge of the services available.

2. The policy direction of NICET shall be effected through an eight-member Board of Governors appointed by the President of NSPE. Seven of these persons shall be qualified and knowledgeable in the field of engineering and engineering technology and one person shall be a public member. The nonpublic members of the Board of Governors shall consist of three Licensed Members of NSPE and four NICET certificants from the engineering technician and engineering technologist populations, with at least one certified engineering technician and one certified engineering technologist as members of the Board of Governors at all times. To maintain administrative independence in matters of certification, the members of the Board of Governors shall be limited to those persons identified in this bylaw. Selection of the members of the Board of Governors and conditions of service shall be governed by the following:

a. The NICET Board of Governors shall provide general criteria for filling board vacancies. These criteria shall insure a board make-up that is diverse and shall include recognition of the demographics of the NICET certificants and governor residence location, employer type and size, and area of practice.

b. All governors shall be appointed for terms of three years. Reappointment for one additional three year term will be considered for all governors.

c. All Governors shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses entailed in the performance of their duties.

d. Governors may be removed for cause by the President of NSPE provided the action is approved by a two-thirds majority of the NSPE Executive Committee.

e. The Licensed Engineer members of the NICET Board of Governors shall be selected from candidates identified by NSPE interest groups. The candidate(s) shall meet the vacancy criteria established in accordance with a., above.

f. NICET-certified engineering technicians shall be selected from candidates identified by nationally recognized engineering technician membership organizations and from candidates identified by the NICET Board of Governors from the entire body of active NICET engineering technician certificants. The candidate(s) shall meet the vacancy criteria established in accordance with a., above.

g. NICET-certified engineering technologists shall be selected from candidates identified by nationally recognized engineering technologist membership organizations and from candidates identified by the NICET Board of Governors from the entire body of active NICET engineering technologist certificants. The candidate(s) shall meet the vacancy criteria established in accordance with a., above.

h. The public member shall be a person selected from candidates identified by nationally recognized organizations such as the American Association of Retired Persons. The public member shall not be involved in engineering or engineering-related activities as a practitioner, administrator, or supplier of services.

3. Officers of NICET shall consist of the following: the Chair of the Board of Governors; a Vice Chair, who shall act in the absence of the Chair, and a Recording Secretary, who shall be elected by the governors from among their membership. The term of office for each such position shall be for one year. The General Manager shall serve as Treasurer.

4. The operations of NICET shall be effected by a General Manager selected by the Executive Director of NSPE with the approval of the NICET Board of Governors. The General Manager shall serve ex-officio on the Board of Governors without vote. The General Manager shall implement the policies determined by the Board of Governors, but shall report administratively to the Executive Director of NSPE. It is intended that the NICET staff shall have consistent and compatible relationships of service with the NSPE staff. To this end, the position of the General Manager shall be held to be comparable with similar NSPE staff positions. Co-location of NICET with NSPE shall be effected to the fullest extent feasible, and the NICET staff shall be a part of the NSPE staff although supported by and chargeable to NICET funds in the implementation of NICET objectives. The administrative year of NICET shall coincide with that of NSPE.

5. NICET shall function as a separate fiscal entity within NSPE, but with its own funding sources, while utilizing the fiscal control systems and administrative services of NSPE. The Treasurer of NSPE shall be the primary custodian of the NICET funds with the NICET Treasurer functioning appropriately as financial officer of NICET and responsible for NICET accounts within the fiscal and administrative procedures of NSPE. NICET funds shall be audited annually, and a copy of the audited financial statement be made a part of the NSPE financial records.

6. The Board of Governors may adopt rules and regulations for operation of NICET consistent with the objectives herein before stated and the Bylaws of NSPE. In implementing this action, a set of Policy Rules and Regulations shall be prepared which shall be subject to approval of the NSPE and which include but are not limited to the following:

a. Designation of grades or classes of the certifications to be issued in the name of NICET, together with the corresponding criteria for competency evaluations.

b. Methodology to be employed in the development of examinations, the security thereof and the implementation and grading processes for the examinations.

c. Methodology to be employed in the post-certification processes involving renewals, use and availability of records, and other matters involving relations of NICET to its certificated constituency.

d. Methodology to be employed for communicating NICET objectives and operations to potential constituencies and related organizations.

e. Methodology to be employed for developing and implementing discipline and other functional areas of NICET responsibility.

f. Development of procedures for negotiation of agreements for services to other Society organizations, industrial or governmental bodies, institutions of learning, or other certifying bodies.

g. Methodology for discipline, including suspensions or revocations of certification, and consideration of the causes for such actions.

7. In order to logically implement these objectives, the NICET Board of Governors shall develop and file with NSPE for concurrence of the NSPE Executive Committee:

a. An Operation Plan.

b. An Examination Plan.

c. A Certification Plan.

d. A Fiscal Plan.

e. A Communication Plan.

f. A Personnel Plan.

g. A Records and Documentation Plan.

h. An Interface and Contractual Relations Plan.

8. The NICET Board of Governors shall function as outlined herein and may delegate to the General Manager through the NICET Chair the authority to make the necessary operational decisions required for the efficient operation of NICET. In the event that the NICET Board of Governors is unable to function, the President of NSPE may act on behalf of the NICET Board of Governors or may designate an NSPE Licensed Member to so act.

9. NICET shall solicit the advice and assistance of other engineering, technical, or related organizations in the implementation of its objectives. The Board of Governors shall have the authority to form such internal committees or task forces as may be deemed appropriate. These may be supplemented as necessary with external assistance consistent with properly approved rules and procedures and within the fiscal constraints of the approved fiscal plan and authorized budget.

10. NICET Operating Budget Contingency Fund

a. The NICET annual operating budget shall contain a Contingency Fund to accommodate un-programmed expenses for the current operating budget.

b.  NICET shall set and control contingency funds in accordance with policies adopted by their appropriate committees.

11. A Licensed MemberThe Chair of the NICET Board of Governors shall be designated by the NICET Board of Governors to serve as an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the NSPE Board of Directors. This Licensed Member shall be designated such that he/she can serve one full two-year term on the NSPE Board of Directors, while simultaneously serving on the NICET Board of Governors.

12. The NICET Treasurer shall serve as an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the NSPE Budget Committee.