ConEd Program FAQ

When is the deadline to complete the cycle?
The current Continuing Education Cycle is from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024. All learning activities must be reported in one’s OAA Transcript by that date. The OAA strongly recommends members complete their transcripts well in advance of June 30 in order to ensure time for any technical issues or responses to enquiries.

Why was the 2021-2022 Continuing Education Cycle only 18 months?
Traditionally, the biennial Continuing Education cycle runs from July 1 to June 30 over the course of two years. The Continuing Education cycle (2018–2020) was extended to December 31, 2020 due to the COVID-10 pandemic. The OAA made this change to give members extra time to complete their requirements during unprecedented times. Moreover, the carryover limit has been lifted for the 2018–2020 cycle allowing members to begin working on the 2021-2022 Cycle. This temporary policy change was meant to ensure all learning activities are accounted toward the Continuing Education requirements, including the ones that exceed the current caps.

The pandemic or other factors have impacted my ability to fulfil my Continuing Education responsibilities. What are my options?
OAA Council has adopted a policy that a leave of absence from membership requirements, including Continuing Education, may be granted for medical, maternity, or parental leave or on compassionate or other specified grounds. Relief under this policy may be granted a maximum of three times within a 10-year period. Click here to read the policy.

Why is the OAA making it a requirement to learn about Climate Action?
Established as a priority for the OAA in 2020, and reconfirmed this year as a theme for its five-year Strategic Plan, Climate Action is a lens through which the OAA examines its work of regulating the practice of architecture. The Association maintains a focus in its programming and framework to ensure members have the education and resources needed to incorporate design approaches that address the climate emergency in both new construction and renovation. Having an educated, skilled profession able to design a resilient, sustainable built environment, including dwellings and communities, is paramount for the public interest. OAA Council approved this new requirement for the 2022-2024 Cycle in January of 2022.

Which sessions are eligible for Climate Action?

Members can seek out their own learning opportunities or select from related sessions included in the OAA Continuing Education Webinar Series. To be eligible, the sessions must focus on topics including, but not limited to:
• Adaptive reuse;
• Deep-energy retrofits;
• Embodied carbon;
• Energy modelling;
• Energy step codes (e.g. Toronto Green Standard)
• High-efficiency wall assemblies;
• Life cycle analysis;
• Local materials and supply chains;
• Low-carbon design;
• Material reuse strategies
• Operational and embodied carbon (and offsets);
• Passive House;
• Regenerative design;
• Resiliency;
• Sustainability metrics (e.g. TEUI, TEDI, and GHGI);
• Sustainable design; and
• Zero emissions design.

How do I include hours as “Climate Action” on my OAA Transcript?
Learning activities that are eligible for the “Climate Action” requirement should be reported as Structured Learning, under the sub-category “Climate.” The subcategory is listed in the drop-down box of the OAA Transcript.

Is Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion part of the 2022-24 ConEd Cycle?
The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion mandatory requirement was specific to the OAA’s 2021-22 Cycle, but members are encouraged to continue their learning in this critical area.

How many hours can I carry over to the next cycle?
An individual who has accumulated a surplus of learning hours is permitted to carry over 10 Structured and 20 Unstructured Learning hours to the next reporting cycle.

What if my primary jurisdiction is not Ontario?
If an OAA member is licensed in more than one Canadian jurisdiction, there are two reporting options—the OAA Transcript or to other jurisdictions that have equivalency in place with the OAA. For more information, click here. Note: The Primary Jurisdiction Declaration form must be filled out for each new cycle, with a copy emailed as a pdf to oaaconed@oaa.on.ca.

Where can I find opportunities to gain Continuing Education points before the end of the cycle?
To help its members continue their professional development as well as find opportunities to fulfil their Structured Learning education requirements, the OAA created its biweekly Continuing Education Webinar Series in 2020. These virtual events most often occur on Thursdays—click here for current offerings. The OAA will be hosting its annual Conference in Toronto this May, and will be offering both in-person and virtual live-streaming education opportunities. More details will be shared soon at this link. Additionally, the OAA offers its online Self-Study Series, which comprises foundational practice material also included in the OAA Admission Course completed by intern architects as part of their licensing process. You can select from several courses to cover the material at your own pace and complete quizzes to earn up to a total of 27 Structured Learning hours. Finally, third-party providers may have virtual or in-person sessions that qualify for Structured Learning if they offer certificates or proof of attendance. To see a non-exhaustive list of possibilities listed on the OAA Website, click here. Otherwise, the sessions will still be eligible for Unstructured Learning, as would other types of activities.

I have a question that’s not covered here. Who do I contact?
You can reach the OAA’s Continuing Education team at OAAConEd@oaa.on.ca

What learning activities qualify as Structured Learning?
All the following requirements must be met for a learning activity to qualify as Structured Learning hours:
a) The topic must be relevant to the practice or business of architecture.
b) The activity falls under one of the following categories:
    • in-person learning;
    • distance education; and
    • teaching.
c) The activity is at least one hour in length.
d) A certificate or proof of attendance is uploaded to your OAA Transcript.
e) The learning activities must be completed and reported within the given cycle dates—currently, January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.

What learning activities qualify as Unstructured Learning?
All the following requirements must be met for a learning activity to qualify as Unstructured Learning hours:
a) The topic is relevant to the practice or business of architecture.
b) The activity falls under one of the unstructured learning categories:
    • OAA Committee meetings;
    • Council meetings;
    • discussion groups;
    • distance education;
    • in-person learning;
    • mentoring;
    • teaching;
    • professional writing;
    • listening to audio books and podcasts, watching documentaries and videos, or reading books, periodicals, or journals related to the
       business or practice of architecture;
    • scholarly research; and
    • tours.
c) The activity is at least one hour in length.
d) The learning activities must be completed and reported within the given cycle dates—currently, January 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022.

What is the difference between Structured and Unstructured?
The difference between Structured and Unstructured learning is proof of attendance. Structured learning requires a certificate or a letter confirming attendance, whereas unstructured learning does not.
All learning activities that do not provide proof of attendance or completion should be reported as Unstructured Learning.

What type of learning does not qualify as Structured or Unstructured Learning?
Examples of activities that do not qualify for Continuing Education learning hours include participating in social media or browsing a tradeshow.

What are the Continuing Education requirements for an architect?
Architects must collect, and self-report on their OAA Transcript, 70 hours of learning, at least 25 of which are Structured (of which at least two are eligible for the Climate Action requirement).

What are the maximums for each learning category?
Except for in-person learning and distance education, each learning category for both Structured and Unstructured Learning has a maximum. This was implemented to encourage a diverse learning experience.

Are learning activities from other provinces/countries eligible for OAA learning hours?
Learning activities that relate to architecture and are at least one hour are eligible. Certificates must be uploaded to the OAA Transcript for Structured Learning hours.

Is the AIA Transcript accepted as proof of attendance?
Transcripts from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) can be used as proof of attendance, only if the learning activity was logged by an AIA provider. However, self-reported AIA activities only qualify as Unstructured Learning.

What are OAA Events?
OAA events are learning sessions administered by the Association, including the Conference, OAA Continuing Education Webinar Series, and SHIFT Challenge virtual events. If you have a question about whether an event falls under this category, please contact OAA ConEd. Do not self-report Continuing Education hours obtained at OAA-administered events. Your attendance will be uploaded to your transcript. Duplicate hours could result in errors on your transcript.

Who/what is a provider?
A provider is the host of a learning session. If you require a certificate for a lecture/course/workshop you attended, please contact the provider.

Are breaks and meal times within an educational session eligible for learning hours?
Breaks and meal times are excluded from the total learning hours that should be reported.

What information should appear on the certificate?
Certificates must consist of the following:
a) name of OAA member;
b) title of lecture/course, total hour(s) attended, final date of lecture/course; and
c) provider’s name, logo, and email/phone number.
If you do not have the certificate, please request it from the session provider. The OAA does not accept receipts and registration confirmation as proof of attendance.

Will the OAA report hours for technical sessions, lectures, or lunch and learns at The Buildings Show (Construct Canada) or another industry convention? What about an RAIC lecture?
No, these lectures are to be self-reported to your OAA Transcript, and a certificate/proof of attendance must be uploaded for Structured Learning hours. If a certificate is not available, the lecture should be reported as unstructured learning.

Are tradeshows eligible for learning hours?
Only lectures or lunch and learns within tradeshows are eligible for Continuing Education learning hours.
The topic must be related to architecture and the activity must be at least one hour in length; proof of attendance must be provided for Structured Learning hours. Please contact the provider for the certificate/proof of attendance.
Guided tours and reading materials are eligible for Unstructured Learning and proof is not required.

Are design charrettes/workshops eligible for learning hours?
If a certificate or proof of attendance is uploaded to your OAA Transcript, and meets the learning eligibility criteria, the courses can qualify for Structured Learning hours. To request a certificate, please contact the provider.
If a certificate is not available, the lecture should be reported as unstructured leaning.

How do I access my OAA Transcript?
At the top right of the OAA Website, click “Transcripts” to log in. You can also simply click here.

How do I change/reset my password?
1) Go to your Transcript.
2) Click “Forgot my Password” (below the “Sign In” button)
3) Type in your username
4) A link will be emailed to you. Click on the link and you will be directed to a webpage where the password can be changed.

Why does the OAA Transcript not accept 0.5 hours?
All ConEd for both Structured and Unstructured categories must be 1 hour or more to be eligible; the system is setup to not accept anything under 1.0 hours.

Where can I report hours after end of cycle?
If you are submitting your Continuing Education after the deadline, please complete this form and send to oaaconed@oaa.on.ca for review and processing. Do not report outstanding hours to the next cycle.

How do I know whether my Continuing Education requirements are complete?
Refer to the “Status” field on your OAA Transcript. If it states “Completed,” then your Continuing Education requirements have been met.

Can I report learning activities that occurred before or after an OAA Continuing Education Cycle?
OAA members are not permitted to backlog learning activities that took place outside the given Continuing Education Cycle.
Newly licensed architects are permitted to report eligible learning activities that took place within 12 months prior to the date of licensure. These hours are to be self-reported on the current OAA Transcript, proof of attendance is required for structured learning activities.

Will the OAA report hours on my behalf?
The OAA will upload all Continuing Education hours for OAA-administered events. If you have a question about whether an event falls under this category, please contact OAA ConEd. OAA members will still be responsible for reporting Continuing Education hours received from third-party providers.