New professial designation for liscensed LA’s

[Pat S. Rosend]

http://www.vaasla.org/content/view/241/44/

 

I ran across this announcement. PLA is the proposed title by ASLA. I have never seen this before.

Is anyone else aware of this? Maybe I am just out of the loop.

[Jason T. Radice]

Interesting.

 

Not sure if PLA is the right way to go. Anyway, it can add three more letters on the end of your name without doing anything. I use RLA and ASLA and will continue to do so. I know many who are licensed who only use ASLA. But you don’t have to have a license to be a full ASLA memeber. Thats the problem. I think a more reasonable thing to do besides ADDING more confusing alphabet soup to the mix is to just restrict ASLA to those who hold licenses…like architects do with the AIA. If you don’t have a license, then you can add Assoc. ASLA. Same holds true for ASCE, you must be a PE to be a full member.

 

Problem solved. And the nomenclaiture is the same across professions, and it would be a lot easier to change ASLA membership levels then to unleash another set of letters that can be confused with a state issues designation (RLA, LLA, etc.)

[Barbara Peterson]

Agreed. 

But if they were going to change or use some designation to distinguish registered l.a.’s, why go with a bunch of letters that are unknown? Why not use something like RLA which is already in use by many l.a.’s already?

 

[Jason T. Radice]

According to the link published on the VA chapter of ASLA, RLA cannot be a universal designation as not all licensed LAs are considered “registered”, some are “licensed”. Registered and licensed are legal terms in the sense that a state chooses to recognize one of those designations, and not all states are the same. It is entirely dependant on the pracitce/title law of that state. One thing I did not see was what the “P” stands for. Professional? Practicing? Performing? Profitable?

 

Those in ASLA should bring this up with the local chapter or their member of the Board of Trustees prior to the national meeting, where this will be discussed. Make your opinion known.

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

Does it actually matter to any people outside of those who actually know what all this alphabet soup means? The general public does not know an RLA from ASLA, from a contractor, from a gardener, …. they may hire us or not, but clearing upthe “initial issue” means nothing to them either way. Those to whom it does matter must alrready understand what it all means in order for it to matter.

 

A standard would be nice, but it really will have zero impact in the marketplace ….. unless you are ASLA or someone else selling letters. I agree that ASLA would better serve the community that they allegedly represent if they did not sell letters.They are the only ones that add confusion because those that do take the time to understand what a licensed landscape architect is can be confused by thinking that ASLA means the same thing as licensed.

[nca]

I’d prefer Jason’s approach–ASLA or Associate ASLA.

 

PLA feels like we’re getting lumped in with engineers and surveyors. I like to think what we do is closer to architecture than engineering and surveying.

[Jordan Lockman]

So you would need to be a member of ASLA to have initials that designate licensure? I like the idea that ASLA is a voluntary organization of Landscape Architects and not a governing body!!!

[Chuck Byrd]

[nca]

Sorry you’re going through that Chuck. I personally appreciate the honesty. Best of luck..

[Jason T. Radice]

You would need to have a license to use just ASLA, non licensed would be Associate ASLA. If you were not a member of ASLA and had a license, you would then use your state’s preferred nomenclaiture, such as RLA or LLA, which is set in state law. Architects who are licensed and are not members of AIA generally use RA, and engineers use PE. But with landscape architecture, some states do not use the legal term “registration”.

 

You can always just use the full ‘Landscape Architect’ title, or just get rid of the first letters in ALL of them and simply use “LA”. Saves ink.

[Anonymous]

I’m with you Jason. I think it only adds to the confusion. We’re RLAs now why can’t we just keep it that way? Besides don’t they have bigger fish to fry?

[Author]

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