Massachusetts arborists Association |
WHAT ARE THE FEES FOR RECERTIFICATION?
Current MAA members pay nothing to recertify. Non-members pay an annual administrative fee of $75.00 when they submit their recertification. All MCAs are assessed a $50 late fee for RTS forms received after the February 15 deadline.
No. The recertification program operates on the honor system. Proof of attendance is not required at the time the RTS is submitted. The MCA Examining Committee conducts random audits on an annual basis. If you are audited, you may be required to provide proof of attendance or participation for some credit claimed on your RTS. Accurate record keeping is the responsibility of the individual MCA.
There are a variety of ways to obtain recertification credit during the course of a year. In addition to the organizations and events listed on the MCA Recertification Tally Sheet, arboriculture seminars produced by the following Green Industry associations, organizations or institutions are approved for MCA credit. Membership in any of the following is approved for 1 MCA credit per year. Proof of attendance and/or membership may be requested at an annual MCA audit.
Arboreta (i.e. Arnold Arboretum, Morton Arboretum, Morris Arboretum, etc.)
Botanical Societies
Horticultural Societies
Independent Tree Care Seminars (i.e. Shigo & Assoc., ACRT)
Land Grant Universities
State or Community Colleges
State/Regional/National Arboriculture Trade Associations
State/Regional Cooperative Extension Systems
State/Regional/National Allied Green Industry Trade Associations
If you take a course that falls into the general topics covered in the MCA / MCLP study guides, you can include that course on your recertification form (in the "other" category) and receive credit for that continuing education. The education or safety must relate directly to your industry expertise. We would not, for instance, grant credit for learning software to run your business. The general formula for credit awards is outlined in the chart below.
In the event that you are audited, you must be able to provide documentation of taking this course. Unlike a large scale conference, where proof of your attendance can typically be provided by the event organizer or via a group sign in sheet, YOU are responsible for producing proof of attendance for education you find on your own. This proof can take the form of a registration receipt, a screen shot of the webinar presentation, any follow up email or correspondence that thanks you for your participation. For a webinar, the easiest way to prove your attendance is to complete the Webinar Confirmation Form at the website here:
After February 15th, an MCA has the remainder of the calendar year to re-certify, albeit with a late fee. After December 31, if the annual recertification credits are not submitted, your MCA designation could be revoked. Sometimes we hear that an MCA is not submitting their credits because they do not know what to do about having earned fewer than the required credits. In this case, revocation is at the discretion of the MCA Committee. ANY EARNED CREDITS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED along with a note of explanation in the recertification form.
One of the best ways to stay current is to make sure MAA has a current, working email address for you. We will send regular reminders of deadlines and upcoming credit-earning opportunities. Don't let your hard-earned credential expire - and please let our office help you with any questions at all.
An individual whose certification has been revoked may elect to re-take the MCA examination at the regular fee and may renew their certification status upon successful completion of the examination. In certain circumstances, an expired MCA may be reinstated without a re-exam, if the lapsed period is under three years, if missing credits can be documented or if extenuating circumstances (illness, extended time out of the country, for example) can be explained. All reinstatements are at the discretion of the MCA Committee and require a $250 reinstatement fee.