Robert, your comments are right on and well stated. I am a member board member who represents Arizona to NCARB. I am also a record holder. I have had the opportunity to see the orgainzation from both sides. There are certainly times when things go awry, as some have pointed out. No organization is without its issues. NCARB has worked hard the in the last several years to improve the quality of service to its customers. Those who have had interaction with the organization during that time can see the progress.
As you point out, NCARB provides a broad range of services, and those services cost a considerable amount of money to deliver. The exam alone costs millions to develop, and the breaches to the exam that occurred a year ago had a financial impact in excess of a million dollars. As practioners, if we want these services, we need to be prepared to pay for them. Yes, it is expensive. I, for one, am happy to pay the necessary fees to keep my record up to date, because my certificate has enabled me to ge reciprocity with relative ease. The time I was spared in those efforts was well worth the cost of keeping my NCARB record current.
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Susan Schaefer Kliman AIA
Owner
Klimatic Architecture
Tucson AZ
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