Licensing board approves multiple engineer and surveyor applications, reaffirms prior denial and debates foreign-degree policy

The Consumer Protection Department licensing board met July 8 and approved a series of licensure and exam applications by voice vote, reaffirmed a prior denial of a reinstatement application, approved one applicant to sit for an exam despite an irregular experience record, and discussed how the board should treat foreign-degree evaluations and technology degrees.

Board members said the majority of the meeting consisted of routine approvals of applicants who met the board's criteria for the various license classes and reciprocity reviews. John DeWolf, board member, handled multiple sections of the agenda and reviewed several groups of class 1 and class 4 applications; motions to approve those groups were moved and seconded and carried by voice vote.

The meeting also contained a contested personnel decision. The board voted to reaffirm its prior denial of a reinstatement application for Colin O'Neil after further review of his education and transcript. Board members reported that O'Neil's master's program totaled 48 credits, including a thesis, but the board concluded those credits were discipline-specific and did not provide the breadth the board expects under the model law and ABET-aligned standards. A motion to deny reinstatement was made and seconded and carried by voice vote; the board also discussed asking the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) to clarify the evaluation criteria it uses for undergraduate equivalency.

Separately, the board approved John Gatchel Jr. to sit for the class 8 exam despite an atypical presentation of his experience. Board members noted he holds licenses in New Hampshire and Maine dating back to 2007 and has many years of practice, but his application showed only four years of experience under a licensed surveyor (the board's counting depends on documented time under a licensed professional). After discussion about whether to apply the letter of Connecticut experience rules or make an exception given his long licensed practice elsewhere, members moved to allow him to take the exam; the motion passed by voice vote.

The board also reconsidered and approved a previously deferred class 4 license application for Luca Senatore after the applicant supplied missing experience information. Multiple class 4 reciprocity approvals, class 6a exam approvals, and class 9 (EIT) licenses were also approved during the meeting; those routine approvals were taken in grouped motions and carried by voice votes.

Board members spent a substantive portion of the meeting discussing how to treat foreign-degree evaluations. Staff described the board's current practice: when a foreign degree is evaluated and deemed equivalent, the applicant is treated as a class 1 (model-law equivalent); if a foreign evaluation shows specific missing elements (for example a missing general-education course), the board has generally permitted licensure as long as the deficiency was minor. By contrast, technology degrees (the board's historic "class 2" pathways) still require additional years of experience depending on the curriculum. The board agreed to continue treating most foreign-degree applicants who receive an equivalency evaluation as class 1 unless the evaluation shows a substantive deficit.

In correspondence items, the board discussed a public inquiry about whether an engineer may advertise building design services and concluded there was no apparent statutory prohibition; the board suggested the engineer could act as the prime consultant and assemble licensed architects for architectural elements when the project requires them. The board directed staff to draft a short explanatory response to that correspondent.

The board approved minutes from its June meeting, reviewed lists of recent exam passers and newly licensed model-law applicants, and noted receipt of information from out-of-state surveying programs (including Idaho) for the board's records. With no substantive complaints reported, the board adjourned.