OAA Council met virtually on Thursday, June 25 to review and approve various items related to the Association and the profession. In addition to various updates and discussions from the Executive and Committee Chairs, Councillors explored topics including changes to the Internship in Architecture Program (IAP), receiving an interim report from the OAA’s Reconciliation Working Group, and planning the Association’s next steps in addressing racism and discrimination.
Some of the major discussions are highlighted below. To access open Council packages for this meeting or others from the last few years, click here.

Changes to the Internship in Architecture Program

Last fall, OAA Council approved changes to the Internship in Architecture Program, along with the other Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA), to permit recognized students to log up to 760 hours, gained after completion of 60 credit hours in courses contributing to the performance criteria for accreditation and prior to graduation. Such pre-graduation hours count toward the required 2800 hours prior to undertaking the Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC).

Since then, other changes have been proposed for the IAP Manual by CALA members; these have been consolidated into a final document that represents more than two years of review, discussion, and study of the IAP.
Council considered these latest suggested changes from Draft 5 of the IAP Manual revisions, which were dated May 13, 2020. They include:

• addition of a more significant definition and allowance for a “Recognized Student,” a requirement for proof of acceptable level of education as part of the application procedures, and submission of experience records by students at the end of each work term;
• clarifications that all regulators neither continue to recognize the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) nor necessarily allow or recognize international experience (given the changes to documentation available under National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ (NCARB’s) current Architectural Experience Program (AXP), a reference to the provision of acceptable documentation has been added);
• updated experience area descriptions for consistency with headings outlined in the approved Canadian Standard of Competency for Architects or to address a particular concern raised by the OAQ (expanding the “Energy Literacy” heading to include “Sustainability”); and
• latitude in softening the reference to ‘required’ intern activities for each of the experience areas.

Some of these changes are in line with the discussion that took place at OAA Council’s May 2020 meeting, where it was agreed the standard/typical "pre-graduation" condition for logging Student Associate hours should be allowed, with that status retained until Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) certification is secured. At that May Council meeting, it was also agreed an individual should be able to enrol as a Student Associate any time prior to CACB certification as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements. With respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was also agreed that Student Associate status could be maintained until July 2021 regardless of CACB certification.

Council approved this final revised content for the IAP Manual, with implementation targeted for January 1, 2021. The current IAP would then be sunset by July 1, 2022.

Council also noted there were areas in the proposed IAP where the “pre-graduation” condition may be problematic for students who have either graduated but are awaiting CACB or have 60 credit hours from an undergrad and work for some time before starting their Masters. Relating this “student hours consideration” specifically to 60 credit hours in an accredited program and prior to CACB (plus the other eligibility requirements) would eliminate such “grey zones.” This clarification could be included in the IAP Appendix B for Ontario.

De-Colonization for Architecture

The OAA De-Colonization Working Group shared its interim report with Council as well as a few short-term goals regarding the OAA De-Colonization for Architecture project. 

The Working Group comprises both representatives from Council and Indigenous architects. Its mandate is to explore and recommend a means to establish an OAA De-Colonialization for Architecture Project for examining the current professional regulatory landscape and considering actions to encourage the evolution of the profession and practice of architecture in Ontario toward the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Council approved the Working Group’s request for the creation of a summer employment program for an Indigenous architecture student. The candidate would carry out an environmental scan, including research of policies other organizations have implemented in terms of de-colonization, and present a report to Council at its September meeting. Also approved was the organization of an Indigenous cultural competency training day for Council, Executive, Committee members of the Working Group, and OAA staff to address Indigenous cultural training as well as education on the residential schools and Truth and Reconciliation. 

Anti-Racism: Next Steps

 Council directed that the following actions be taken as first steps to address the issue of discrimination within the architecture profession. While information will continue to be shared over social media, OAA Registrar Christie Mills and Deputy Registrar Claire Hepburn will explore the development of a survey to be administered to the membership, the focus of which on collecting data from members related to equity, diversity, and inclusivity.

Staff will also be working with President Kathleen Kurtin to facilitate a roundtable to discuss issues of discrimination, with more information to be announced shortly.