Board debates valuation-bias course, approves several continuing-education equivalencies

Commissioners approved several continuing-education equivalency requests and discussed how to handle a contentious valuation-bias and fair‑housing submission that did not meet Appraiser Qualification Board (AQB) criteria.

On new business, the board approved two hours of CE for Richard McDermott’s IRWA webinar "Determining the Larger Parcel," approved 11 elective hours for Terrence Duffy’s Income Capitalization CCMA course, and accepted an 8‑hour elective allocation for Michelle Tarca’s CCMA revaluation module and for Michael Colburn’s suite of assessment/valuation courses. Commissioners discussed how many hours should be counted toward mandatory valuation content versus electives and opted for consistency with past practice when splitting hours.

Staff raised a separate matter: a submission from instructor Peter Christiansen for a valuation‑bias and fair‑housing course had been denied because it did not meet AQB checklist criteria. Commissioners debated whether material from a course denied for mandatory credit could be credited as electives; the board directed staff to ask the vendor to resubmit any revised materials and to allow individual licensees to apply for elective credit on a case‑by‑case basis.

During public comments, Scott DiBiaseo of the Appraisal Institute told commissioners that the Institute’s AQB‑approved valuation‑bias and fair‑housing course is available online and urged the board that course capacity has been adequate for present demand. He also updated the board on the PREA (pathways) program enrollment, pass rates and metrics for readiness testing.

Next steps: Staff will contact the vendor who originally submitted the valuation-bias course, review any resubmission in January and notify licensees who have already taken the nonapproved course that it does not count toward the mandatory seven-hour requirement unless the board later designates elective hours.