21 NCAC 57B .0606. COURSE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Course sponsors must at all times assure compliance with the criteria for course approval stated in Rule .0603 of this Section and must also comply with the following requirements relating to scheduling, advertising and conducting approved appraisal continuing education courses:

(1)           Courses must be scheduled and conducted in a manner that limits class sessions to a maximum of eight classroom hours in any given day and that includes appropriate breaks for each class session.  A classroom hour consists of 50 minutes of classroom instruction and ten minutes of break time.  For any class meeting that exceeds 50 minutes in duration, breaks at the rate of ten minutes per hour must be scheduled and taken at reasonable times.

(2)           Course sponsors must not utilize advertising of any type that is false or misleading in any respect.  If the number of continuing education credit hours awarded by the Board for a course is less than the number of scheduled classroom hours for the course, any course advertisement or promotional materials which indicate that the course is approved for appraiser continuing education credit in North Carolina must specify the number of continuing education credit hours awarded by the Board for the course.

(3)           Course sponsors must, upon request, provide any prospective student a description of the course content sufficient to give the prospective student a general understanding of the instruction to be provided in the course.

(4)           Courses must be conducted in a facility that provides an appropriate learning environment. At a minimum, the classroom must be of sufficient size to accommodate comfortably all enrolled students, must contain a student desk or sufficient worktable space for each student, must have adequate light, heat, cooling and ventilation, and must be free of distractions that would disrupt class sessions.  Sponsors are required to comply with all applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations regarding safety, health and sanitation. Sponsors shall furnish the Board with inspection reports from appropriate local building, health and fire inspectors upon the request of the Board. Sponsors must supply separate restroom facilities for males and females. Classes may not be held in a personal residence under any circumstances.

(5)           The course sponsor must require students to attend at least 90 percent of the scheduled classroom hours in order to satisfactorily complete the course, even if the number of continuing education credit hours awarded by the Board for the course is less than the number of scheduled classroom hours. Attendance must be monitored during all class sessions to assure compliance with the attendance requirement. Instruction must be given for the number of hours for which credit is given. Instructors may not accumulate unused break time to end the class early.

(6)           Instructors must require reasonable student attentiveness during class sessions.  Students must not be permitted to engage in activities that are not related to the instruction being provided.

(7)           Course sponsors for which an application fee is required by Rules .0602(b) and .0611(b) of this Section must fairly administer course cancellation and fee refund policies.  In the event a scheduled course is canceled, reasonable efforts must be made to notify preregistered students of the cancellation and all prepaid fees received from such preregistered students must be refunded within 30 days of the date of cancellation or, with the student's permission, applied toward the fees for another course.

(8)           Upon request of the Board, the course sponsor must submit to the Board a videotape in a manner and format which depicts the instructor teaching portions of any continuing education course specified by the Board and which demonstrates that the instructor possesses the basic teaching skills described in Rule .0306(c) of this Section.

(9)           Course sponsors shall provide the Board with the dates and locations of all classes the sponsor is or will be offering in the State of North Carolina at least 30 calendar days before such class is offered, unless circumstances beyond the control of the course sponsor require that the course be rescheduled. If the dates or location of the classes change after such information is provided to the Board, the course sponsor must notify the Board of such changes.

(10)         Course sponsors shall provide each student with contact information for the Appraisal Board so that students may contact the Board with questions or concerns regarding the course.

(11)         If an instructor has any disciplinary action taken on his or her appraisal license or any other professional license in North Carolina or any other state, or if the instructor has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any criminal act, the school or course sponsor must report that fact to the Board within 15 business days.

(12)         All courses, except those taught on-line via the Internet, must have a minimum number of five students enrolled in the course.

 

History Note:        Authority G.S. 93E-1-8(c); 93E-1-10;

Eff. July 1, 1994;

Amended Eff. January 1, 2013; July 1, 2010; January 1, 2008; March 1, 2007; July 1, 2005; August 1, 2002.