History
“Associates” have been part of the architectural profession’s landscape since the original Act to Incorporate the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. A variety of associate classes have been defined, incorporated into, and at times, removed from the bylaws.
From about 2009 to 2013, successive councils grappled with establishing a rationalized approach to the regulation of associates.
In 2013, council passed a series of transitional motions to reduce the number of associate classes from nine to today’s three, and to provide for consistent associate designations:
- Intern Architect AIBC;
- Retired Architect AIBC; and
- Architectural Technologist AIBC.
In March 2015, council formally asked the Bylaw Review Committee (BRC) to review bylaws related to AIBC associates and provide recommendations to council for amendment, repeal and new bylaw development that may be deemed advisable.
After completing its analysis, the BRC recommended simplifying the current bylaws into a suite of four bylaws. One existing bylaw, related to associates’ participation in chapters, would be amended and moved to the chapter portion of the bylaws.
The thrust of these proposed amendments was the requirement of AIBC Council to establish qualifications for admission and appropriate designations for every associate class. Qualifications and designations would be created by council rules.
In anticipation of the bylaw vote, a draft set of rules, mirroring existing designations and qualifications for associates, were proposed and available for review along with the proposed bylaw amendments. Please see below for the draft bylaws and rules or review the BRC’s June 2016 Memorandum to Council (PDF).
Following the successful bylaw vote (results posted below), the requisite notification period for the proposed council rules was triggered.
The bylaws came into effect early January, after the disallowance period lapsed. Council approved Council Rules 6: Designation and Admission Qualifications for Associates at a January 2017 council meeting.
Consultation
Consultation on the associates bylaw initiative began in the summer of 2016. In-person and online consultation sessions were held at the AIBC office at 100-440 Cambie Street at the following times:
- Consultation One
Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Time: 12:30-2 p.m.
Location: In-person (AIBC office) and online
Learning Units (LUs): 1 Core
RSVP: In-person (by September 12, 2016) or online session (by September 8, 2016) - Consultation Two
Date: Thursday, September 22, 2016
Time: 5-6:30 p.m.
Location: In-person (AIBC office) and online
Learning Units (LUs): 1 Core
RSVP: In-person (by September 20, 2016) or online session (by September 18, 2016)
The in-person and online sessions will be available to a maximum of 25 participants (each) on a first come, first serve basis.
Member Feedback
Members, encouraged to review the material and attend the consultation sessions, emailed feedback by September 23, 2016 for consideration by the BRC and AIBC Council. In addition, an online feedback form (opened July 29-September 23, 2016) was also available for comments.
Powerpoint Presentations
Member Vote & Results (bylaws)
AIBC members and honorary members are entitled and encouraged to vote on proposed new and amended bylaws. The passage of AIBC Bylaws requires at least five per cent of the number of eligible voters and a minimum of two-thirds of affirmative majority of ballots cast by eligible voters.
The member vote for the associates bylaw initiative ran October 24 until November 17, 2016. The proposed amendments put forward for electronic vote received strong approval from the institute’s voting members, with 95.6 per cent of voters in support. The requisite two-thirds support for the bylaws was achieved.
With an overall participation rate of 21.7 per cent, voter turnout dipped somewhat from the stronger spring 2015 bylaw e-vote turnout of 27 per cent.
The provincial government’s disallowance period for the new bylaws lapsed in early January 2017, and the bylaws came into effect.
Notification, Member Feedback & Results (council rules)
During the same time the bylaw amendments were proposed to members, a corresponding draft set of council rules, reflective of existing designations and qualifications for associates, was also available for review.
Following the successful bylaw vote outcome, the requisite notification period for the proposed council rules was triggered. Taking all feedback into consideration, council will vote on the rules at a January council meeting.
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Draft Bylaws: Associates
ASSOCIATES
13.1 Associates shall be those persons who have been admitted by the council as associates.
13.2 Associates shall not be members of the institute or have any interest in or claim against the property of the institute. They will, however, be permitted to attend all general meetings of the institute unless the council shall otherwise direct in respect to any particular meeting or part thereof but shall have no right to vote. Further they will be eligible to sit on committees of the institute, and to receive institute communications, as determined from time to time.
13.3 The council shall establish a designation for each class of associates and may pass rules for the use of such designation.
13.4 The council shall establish admission qualifications for each class of associates it creates and may pass rules for persons to qualify for and remain registered in any associate class.
Former Bylaw 13.3 would be amended and moved to become new Bylaw 8.6 within the chapter area of institute bylaws. The language below shows deletions in strikeout and new language in yellow highlighting:
8.6 Associates shall be eligible to become members of Chapters as set forth in Section 8 of these Bylaws, with have equal rights within the Chapter with other members except the right to vote and hold office.
Draft Council Rules: “Designation and Admission Qualifications for AIBC Associates”
Commentary to Proposed Rules:
As noted in the Memorandum at paragraph 3.10 and 4.1, these proposed rules reflect the status quo for designation and admission qualifications for intern architects and architectural technologists.
For example, council approved by motion the current Canadian Architectural Licensing
Authority Internship in Architecture Program, which established the core requirements for AIBC internship, in August 2011. The use of the current designations for the three associate classes was passed as a council motion in October 2013.
The proposed retired architect rules also reflect the current designation and the basic admission requirement that an individual seeking retired status resigned in good standing as an AIBC member. They remove the barrier under the current bylaws by which resignation must have occurred for reasons of “health or age”.
The following AIBC Council Rules would require approval by AIBC Council in accordance with council’s authority under proposed AIBC Bylaws 13.3 and 13.4 to establish rules for associate designations and admission qualifications.
1.0 Intern Architect AIBC
Designation
1.1 All individuals admitted to the intern architect associate class are entitled to use the designation Intern Architect AIBC after their name.
1.2 This designation is only permitted to be used while an individual is duly registered with the AIBC. No other designation or abbreviation is acceptable.
Admission Qualifications
1.3 In order to qualify for admission as an intern architect associate, an individual must be successfully accepted into the current Canadian Architectural Licensing Authority Internship in Architecture Program (IAP) as endorsed by the AIBC.
1.4 Successful acceptance into the IAP with the AIBC is contingent upon submitting a completed Intern Architect Application in the form provided by the institute, including a Canadian Architectural Certification Board certificate and all other documentation required on the form, as well as payment of the applicable application and annual fees.
1.5 An intern architect is not formally admitted to the institute and registered as an associate until the Registration Board has reported to council on the qualification for admission of that individual and the council has formally approved such admission.
1.6 It is a pre-requisite for continued registration as an intern architect associate that all applicable registration fees are paid on an annual basis. Under Section 75 of the Architects Act, AIBC Council may direct removal of an associate from the register for non-payment of annual fees.
2.0 Architectural Technologist AIBC
Designation
2.1 All individuals admitted to the architectural technologist associate class are entitled to use the designation Architectural Technologist AIBC after their name.
2.2 This designation is only permitted to be used while an individual is duly registered with the AIBC. No other designation or abbreviation is acceptable.
Admission Qualifications
2.3 In order to qualify for admission as an architectural technologist associate, an individual must demonstrate, through documentation satisfactory to the Registration Board, completion of the education and/or experience requirements of one of the three admission categories below:
2.3.1 Category 1:
Education: Graduation from an AIBC Council-approved two-year technology diploma program (such as the BCIT Architectural and Building Engineering Technology Diploma Program) or equivalent.
Experience: Two years of related work experience, at least one year of which must be under the direct supervision of an Architect AIBC.
2.3.2 Category 2:
Education: Graduation from an AIBC-approved one-year certificate program or equivalent.
Experience: Five years of related work experience, at least three years of which must be under the direct supervision of an Architect AIBC.
2.3.3 Category 3:
Education: No AIBC-approved education necessary.
Experience: Seven years of related work experience under the direct supervision of an Architect AIBC.
2.4 In addition to satisfying the requirements of 2.3 above, an architectural technologist must, prior to making application for admission: complete the AIBC’s Ethics, Act and Bylaws course; successfully complete the Architectural Technologist Examination as established by the institute from time to time; and pay the applicable application and annual fees.
2.5 An architectural technologist is not formally admitted to the institute and registered as an associate until the Registration Board has reported to council on the qualification for admission of that individual and the council has formally approved such admission.
2.6 It is a pre-requisite for continued registration as an architectural technologist associate that all applicable registration fees are paid on an annual basis. Under Section 75 of the Architects Act, AIBC Council may direct removal of an associate from the register for non-payment of annual fees.
3.0 Retired Architect AIBC
Designation
3.1 All individuals admitted to the retired architect associate class are entitled to use the designation Retired Architect AIBC after their name.
3.2 This designation is only permitted to be used while an individual is duly registered with the AIBC. No other designation or abbreviation is acceptable.
Admission Qualifications
3.3 In order to qualify for admission as a retired architect associate, an individual must have resigned in good standing as an architect from the AIBC, completed the application form, paid any outstanding charges, including administrative amounts, and paid the applicable registration and annual fees. A formerly-registered architect can apply for retired architect status at any time after resignation and it is not a requirement that a transition to associate registration occur immediately upon resignation as an architect.
3.4 A retired architect is not formally admitted to the institute and registered as an associate until the Registration Board has reported to council on the qualification for admission of that individual and the council has formally approved such admission.
3.5 It is a pre-requisite for continued registration as a retired architect associate that all applicable registration fees are paid on an annual basis. Under Section 75 of the Architects Act, AIBC Council may direct removal of an associate from the register for non-payment of annual fees.