Candidates who may require testing accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should advise BCPE of their specific need(s) at the time of application submittal. During application processing each request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to ensure individual accommodation needs are adequately addressed.  Accommodation requests must be submitted in writing and include the following information: 1) diagnosed disability; 2) description of limitations due to the disability; and 3) accommodation requested. BCPE will notify candidates of its decision no less than three weeks prior to the exam date. If BCPE is not notified of a candidate´s need for accommodation at least 30 days in advance of their scheduled exam, BCPE may be unable to accommodate specific needs of the candidate the day of the exam.

Accommodation requests that are not ADA-related will be considered on a case by case basis. Such requests must be in writing with description of accommodation needs and rationale. BCPE should be advised of the accommodation need at the time of the application submission. If BCPE is not notified of the accommodation need at least 30 days in advance of their scheduled exam, BCPE may be unable to accommodate the candidate.

1. Candidates have the right to appeal all decisions related to (a) their application, and (b) examination result.
2. A written appeal must be filed, within 60 days, addressed to the Executive Director. The appeal shall state the basis upon which the appeal is requested and should include any supplemental documentation deemed helpful by the applicant or examinee.
3. The Executive Director shall review the appeal for its completeness and shall compile whatever information that is deemed appropriate for the appeals process. In the case of application appeals, the Executive Director may request further information from the applicant or from others (assuming permission has been granted in writing by the applicant).
4. The completed appeals file shall be sent to the Chair of the Appeals Committee, the membership of which shall exclude any prior evaluator of the applicant´s file or examinee’s test.
   • Applications: The Appeals Committee will review and recommend, stating appropriate reasons, whether the appeal should be granted (application accepted) or be denied (application denied). That recommendation shall then be forwarded to the Executive Director who will ensure an agenda item on the matter is part of the next meeting of the BCPE Board of Directors for disposition by a majority vote.
   • Examinations: The Appeals Committee will review the examination.  Within 60 days, the committee will recommend, stating appropriate reasons, whether the appeal should be granted (passing the examination) or be denied (not passing the examination). For denied appeals, the committee, if not previously provided, will document the areas of deficiencies and provide recommended remedial actions, such as, short courses and readings. The committee recommendation shall then be forwarded to the Executive Director who will ensure an agenda item on the matter is part of the next meeting of the BCPE Board of Directors for disposition by a majority vote.
5. The Executive Director will, then, inform the applicant of the Board´s decision and, if appropriate, its recommendations (such as, further verification or proof of relevant experience, suggested readings, or that some other board certification seems more appropriate).
6. At any time, another appeal may be filed by the applicant or examinee, providing it includes new supplemental information or explanations that the applicant or examinee believes may be helpful to the BCPE.
7. Any such appeal, filed in the name of the applicant or examinee, may be drafted and submitted personally by the applicant or examinee or by a duly authorized and specifically designated representative (such as, an attorney at law) provided that the representative is not a BCPE Certificant.
8. The basic objective of the appeals process is to assure that each applicant and examinee receives appropriate, fair, and just consideration of the qualifications for certification. However, in all cases, the decision of the Board is final, as based on available information submitted by the applicant or the examinee and before the BCPE at the time of evaluation. The appeal process should be re-opened only if there is new information justifying reconsideration.

Associate certificants who cannot meet the 6-year transition deadline may request an extension of their associate status by providing a reason for the request and a reasonable timeline for achieving professional certification.  Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Approved certificants must continue to pay their annual renewal fee.

The BCPE is dedicated to protect the consumer of ergonomists’ professional services by: (a) establishing, promoting, and revising as necessary, standards that reflect the qualifications for the professional practice of ergonomics; (b) establishing procedures for the evaluation of the credentials of those who voluntarily apply for Certification by the BCPE, causing the issuance of a Certificate to those who have qualified, in the sole judgment of the BCPE, as having met the standards established by the BCPE; (c) maintaining and disseminating a directory of certificate holders on a regular basis; and (d) otherwise advancing the field as well as the practice of ergonomics. To promote and sustain the highest levels of professional and scientific performance by its certificate holders, BCPE has adopted this Code of Ethics. Certificate holders shall, in their professional ergonomics activities, sustain and advance the integrity, honor, and prestige of the ergonomics profession by adherence to these principles.

Principle 1

BCPE certificate holders shall practice their profession following recognized scientific principles and practices. The lives, health, and well-being of people depend upon their professional judgment. They are obligated to protect the health and well-being of the public.

Principle 2

BCPE certificate holders shall be honest, fair, and impartial. They shall act with responsibility and integrity in all professional actions. They shall adhere to high standards of ethical conduct with balanced care for the interests of the public, employers, clients, employees, colleagues, and the ergonomics profession. They shall avoid all conduct or practice which is likely to discredit the profession or deceive the public.

Principle 3

BCPE certificate holders shall undertake assignments only when qualified by education or experience in the specific technical fields involved. They shall accept responsibility for their continued professional development by acquiring and maintaining competence through continuing education, experience and professional training.

Principle 4

BCPE certificate holders shall avoid deceptive acts which falsify or misrepresent their academic or professional qualifications. They shall not misrepresent or exaggerate their degree of responsibility in, or for, the subject matter of prior assignments. They shall not misrepresent pertinent facts concerning employers, employees, associates, or past accomplishments.

Principle 5

BCPE certificate holders shall conduct their professional relations by the highest standards of integrity and avoid compromise of their professional judgment by conflicts of interest.

Principle 6

BCPE certificate holders shall act in a manner free of bias with regard to race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.

Principle 7

BCPE certificate holders shall keep confidential personal and business information obtained during the conduct of their services, except when required by law.

Principle 8

BCPE certificate holders shall seek opportunities to offer constructive service in civic affairs and work for the advancement of the safety, health, and well-being of their community and their profession by sharing their knowledge and skills.

Adopted May 4, 2002

BCPE will consider replacement on a once every 4-year lifecycle, the computing equipment provided to the BCPE home office.  When the standard 4-year lifecycle on an existing system ends, a written proposal to the BCPE Executive Committee will be made outlining the configuration, operating system, and any other software needs.  The proposal should include any additional hardware (e.g., printers, scanners, camera), if there is need for an update.

Life-cycle replacement of computing equipment is intended to ensure that their primary computing resource is sufficiently modern and powerful.

For purposes of this policy, the following circumstances shall be deemed to create Conflicts of Interest:

A.  Outside Interests.

B.  Outside Activities.

1.  A Responsible Person competing with BCPE in the rendering of services or in any other Contract or Transaction with a third party.
2.  A Responsible Person having a Material Financial Interest in; or serving as a director, officer, employee, agent, partner, associate, trustee, personal representative, receiver, guardian, custodian, conservator, or other legal representative of, or consultant to; an entity or individual that competes with BCPE in the provision of services or in any other Contract or Transaction with a third party.

C. Gifts, Gratuities and Entertainment.

1. A Responsible Person accepting gifts, entertainment, or other favors from any individual or entity that does or is seeking business with, or certification by, or is a competitor of BCPE.
2. Is a charitable organization; under circumstances where it might be inferred that such action was intended to influence or possibly would influence the Responsible Person in the performance of his or her duties. This does not preclude the acceptance of items of nominal or insignificant value or entertainment of nominal or insignificant value that are not related to any particular transaction or activity of BCPE.

D. Definitions.

1. A Conflict of Interest is any circumstance described above, A-C.
   A Responsible Person is any person serving as an officer, liaison, affiliate, employee or member of the board of directors of BCPE.
2. A Family Member is a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, or spouse of a child, brother, sister, or spouse of a brother or sister, of a Responsible Person.
3. A Material Financial Interest in an entity is a financial interest of any kind that, in view of all the circumstances, is substantial enough that it would, or reasonably could, affect a Responsible Person’s or Family Member’s judgment with respect to transactions to which the entity is a party. This includes all forms of compensation.
4. A Contract or Transaction is any agreement or relationship involving the sale of purchase of goods, services, or rights of any kind, the providing or receipt of a loan or grant, the establishment of any other type of pecuniary relationship or review of a charitable organization by BCPE. The making of a gift to BCPE is not a Contract or Transaction.

Conflict of Interest

The duties and responsibilities of being a BCPE director, employee, volunteer, contractor or vendor are important. It is critical to the organization that the individuals serving in these roles recognize the need to avoid any conflicts of interest or the appearance of any such conflicts.

Non-Disclosure

These individuals may also have access to certain confidential information not generally known to the public that shall not be 1) disclosed to any third party or 2) used for their own personal, professional or financial benefit.  This includes, but is not limited to, candidate application information, Certificant contact information, exam contents and exam results.

BCPE takes steps to protect the assets, intellectual property and private information of the board, certificants and certification candidates.

General

BCPE uses passwords to limit access to critical software systems, including website and database administration, financial management, the network administration used to support the organization.

Up to date virus protection software and standard firewall protections are in place and are updated daily against new security threats.

Non Disclosure agreements (NDA’s) are in place with applicable software suppliers, partners, and other service providers.

Web Site

Our web host backs up the web site daily and is under contract to restore lost or damaged data.  Areas of the web site that are reserved for use by certificants and staff are password-protected and can only be accessed with the correct username and password. No financial data is processed or recorded through the web site. Such transactions are routed through separate systems depending on the transaction type.

Financial

Financial data exists in paper and electronic format. Electronically, it is stored in our financial software, which is password-protected. Paper files are stored securely in accordance with our Record Retention policy.

Exam Security

Copies of the exam exist in paper and electronic format. Exam originals (paper and electronic) are kept at the BCPE office. Due to the proprietary nature of the exam, copies of the exam are not stored on staff computers. Electronic copies of exam materials are protected by password.

Candidate exams are securely archived.

Back-up

BCPE uses a variety of on-site, off site, and software systems to backup data.  Backups are performed daily, weekly, and monthly depending on the system.

Data Disposal

All data (financial, application materials, exam materials, etc.) is kept for the period of time specified in our Record Retention policy. When data exceeds the specified retention period, it is shredded by the staff and recycled.

Security

The BCPE has taken reasonable efforts to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of the information entrusted to us. These safeguards include the use of administrative, physical and technical barriers described in this policy to prevent the loss or alteration of this data.

Changes to this Policy

BCPE may revise this policy on occasion as warranted by the use of new technologies and/or changes in the policies and procedures described in this document. When updates are made, the revision date will be noted on the document.

BCPE has defined the following policy and procedure for disciplinary action.

Grounds for Discipline

1. The Board shall have the power to deny certification or reprimand, suspend, refuse to renew or revoke the certificate of any Certificant who is found guilty of the following:
2. Obtaining or seeking to obtain a certificate or a renewal of a certificate through the use of fraud or deceit, including the making of
   any fraudulent, misleading or untruthful statements in any application or documentation submitted to the Board by any applicant, candidate, or person holding any status with BCPE in an effort to retain or renew certification.  Such statements or documentation covered under this provision may include, but are not limited to, materials submitted as part of the application for certification or continuance of certification process.
3. Violation of one or more of the provisions in the BCPE Code of Ethics.
4. A criminal conviction of a felony, misdemeanor, or petty offense for acts done in connection with activities for which the certificate was issued whether the conviction arises by a finding of guilt by a judge or jury, a plea of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere.
5. Unauthorized or illegal use of a certificate issued by the BCPE or the unauthorized or illegal use of a certificate or license issued by another certification or licensing organization.
6. Unauthorized or illegal use of any BCPE Document.
7. Unauthorized possession, distribution, or use of any BCPE testing or examination materials, including but not limited to, copying and/or reproduction of any BCPE examination questions or test related items; or disclosing to others any examination question or test related item.
8. Unauthorized or illegal use of any registered certification mark or logo owned by the BCPE.

Disciplinary Procedure

1. Any person may bring charges on the grounds listed in Section 1against someone holding a certificate issued by the Board.  Such charges shall be in writing and shall be sworn to before a Notary Public by the person or persons making them and shall be filed with the Secretary of the Board.
2. All charges shall be reviewed by a quorum of the Board within thirty (30) days of receipt of the charges by the Secretary.  The Board shall review the charges to determine if they relate to grounds specified in Section 1 and state sufficient facts to call a hearing.  The Board may, on its own, request or obtain additional information.  Charges which do not present facts sufficient to support grounds specified in Section 1, or which are more appropriately the subject of a different forum or court proceedings, or which are in fact found to be untrue or without any reasonable foundation upon investigation shall be dismissed during this review.
3. All charges, unless dismissed by the Board, shall be heard no later than the second regularly scheduled Board meeting.
4. The time and place of said hearings shall be determined by the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics and a copy of the charges, together with a notice of the time and place of hearing, shall be personally served on or mailed to the last known address of the person charged at least thirty (30) days before the date fixed for said hearing.
5. At any hearing, the person against whom the charges were filed may appear personally or be represented or both and shall have the right to cross-examine witnesses in defense of the charges and to produce evidence and witnesses in his or her own defense.  If the person charged fails or refuses to appear, the Board may proceed to hear and determine the validity of the charges and take all appropriate action in accordance with the provisions of this Policy.  At the hearing on the charge, the rules of evidence and procedures which apply to state and federal courts shall not apply.  If after such hearings, a majority of the Board votes in favor of sustaining the charges, the Board shall reprimand, suspend, refuse to renew, or revoke the certificate issued to the individual charged.
6. No observers are permitted in the hearing without special permission.  A party may request the presence of an observer in the hearing room during all or part of the hearing.  The Board will rule on these requests, and the ruling cannot be appealed.
7. The person charged shall have the right to submit a written statement at the close of the hearing, and the person charged shall have the right to receive the written decision of the Board.
8. The Board may, for reasons it may deem sufficient, reissue a certificate to any person whose certificate has been revoked.
9. Any certificate holder receiving a reprimand or whose certificate has been suspended or revoked shall have the right to a personal appeal. Such appeal shall be directed to the President who shall call a meeting of the Board within one hundred eighty (180) days of the filing of the appeal with the Secretary of the Board. Action taken by the Board at such appeal hearing shall be final.
10. Upon case closure, the BCPE may publish or release a final Decision and/or Order. Any party may request release of or publication of a final decision, but the Board may deny such requests, and such decisions cannot be appealed.
11. The BCPE will make every effort to follow the time requirements set forth in this document. However, a failure by BCPE to meet a time requirement will not prohibit the final resolution of any disciplinary matter.  Complainants and respondents are required to comply with all time requirements specified in this document.  Time extensions or postponements may be granted by the BCPE Executive Director if a timely written request explains a reasonable cause

The BCPE does not discriminate among applicants as to race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.

BCPE has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information on the examinations for any offered certifications. However, if an alleged inaccuracy is brought to our attention, then we will take appropriate action to investigate, and if warranted, then correct the inaccuracy.

BCPE’s current policy is to provide a Pass/Fail exam result to the candidate only. The score is provided as a scaled score between 200 – 500 with a pass score of 350. In this way, if a Candidate takes the exam more than once, the scaled score can be compared to the previous scaled score. Therefore, a Candidate may determine if his or her score improved or not between exams. BCPE does not provide feedback on performance on the sections of the exam because the information is not helpful. However, we do provide mentoring. The BCPE webpage provides further information on Mentoring.

Candidates wishing to retake the examination may do so by contacting BCPE.  The exam cannot be taken more than once in the same exam window. A non-refundable retest fee applies to each exam attempt. Upon payment, examination information will be emailed for signing up for the next exam offering. The exam can be retaken as many times as needed, within a candidate’s two-year eligibility period. After this time a new application is required.

Any Certificant who is unable to pay his or her certification maintenance fee due to financial hardship may submit a written request for a one-year waiver of the annual renewal fee. This is a two-time-only waiver granted upon staff approval with notification to the treasurer.

For international claims of hardship, BCPE evaluates the merits of each individual case and uses the World Bank List of Economies for reference.

BCPE is grateful to the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) for their financial support of the Hardship Policy.

It is the Certificant’s responsibility to keep BCPE informed of any changes to his or her contact information, name or academic accomplishments. Failure to do so may result in the loss of the Certificant’s certification status if we are unable to contact the Certificant due to unreported address or name changes.

In accommodation for Leave of Absence (LOA):

1. The Continuance of Certification (CoC) time period may be extended by the same period as the LOA period,
2. Certificants must continue to pay their renewal fees,
3. The same CoC standards are required of LOA certificants as non-LOA Certificants,
4. Any single LOA cannot extend more than three years in duration,
5. The number of Leaves of Absence in a lifetime cannot exceed two.

An agreement must be signed between BCPE and the Liaison Volunteer and executed as of the date and year written; with the purpose to establish the conditions and responsibilities as a BCPE liaison to other professional and mutual interest groups.   This Agreement is to be reviewed by the Board on an annual basis or as needed. Either party may cancel the Agreement by providing the other party with formal written notice.

Liaison Responsibilities

• Advocate for BCPE certification of individuals working in human factors/ergonomics;
• Advocate for BCPE certification as a requirement or preference for employment.
• Brief the BCPE board on the Organization’s goals when requested by the BCPE board.
• Provide BCPE a written summary bi-annually of liaison activity with the Organization.
• Attend the meetings of the Organization as a liaison.
• Provide his/her own funding for the attendance of the Organization meeting and liaison activities.
• Consider collaborative opportunities with the Organization.
• Consult with BCPE staff and Board of Directors regarding any potential commitments by BCPE.

BCPE Responsibilities

• Support the Volunteer with BCPE information as requested for liaison activities.
• Respond to any formal inquiries by the Organization sent via the liaison.

Certificants serving as liaisons are eligible for CoC points per category 3 of the CoC worksheet, Ergonomics-related service to societies, committees or standards development activities.

The logo of the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE) is a registered trademark of the Unites States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As a registered trademark, the BCPE retains the right to determine when, where, how and by whom the BCPE logo is displayed. If you would like to display the BCPE logo, you must request authorization from the BCPE for its use. This authorization will be granted on a case-by case basis and can be revoked at any time. Each use of the logo requires separate authorization. Certain affiliated organizations with established relationships with the BCPE (e.g., organizations with a signed organizational agreement and/or a designated exam site) may be granted certain permissions by the BCPE to use the BCPE logo without completing the authorization process.

The Logo

The BCPE logo takes the form of a heraldic shield with the initials BCPE in alternating white and blue colors on quadrants within the outline of the shield, superscripted by the words “Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics”, “Certified Professional Ergonomist” ,“Certified Human Factors Professional”, “Certified User Experience Professional”, “Associate Ergonomics Professional”, “Associate Human Factors Professional”, “Associate User Experience Professional”, or “Certified Ergonomics Associate”. The corresponding initials are BCPE, CPE, CHFP, CUXP, AEP, AHFP, AUXP. The Registered Trademark symbol, ®, should appear in blue in the upper right corner of the upper right quadrant.

General Use Guidelines

• The logo may be used by an individual who is certified and in good standing (e.g., current in his or her renewal payments and if applicable, CoC requirements) with the BCPE.
• The logo may be used only in a manner that promotes BCPE and BCPE certification, separate from an individual or organization.
• The logo may not be used in conjunction/context with an organization.
• The logo may not be used in conjunction/context with a product.

Logo Use Authorization

To obtain permission to use the BCPE logo, please complete and return the attached BCPE Logo Use Authorization Request Form. After reviewing your request form, the BCPE will notify the requestor in writing if logo use has been approved and will provide a digital image of the logo for the described use, if applicable. The BCPE reserves the right at any time to revoke permission to use the logo.

Designation Use Authorization

BCPE owns the various names of its certifications, including designations and protects this property from unauthorized use.  As such, BCPE awards certifications and therefore designations to individuals. “Unauthorized use” includes false use of a BCPE designation and unauthorized duplication of BCPE’s designations.

BCPE may seek legal and monetary remedies from individuals who use a BCPE designation without authority.

BCPE may seek legal (e.g. cease and desist order) and monetary remedies from individuals or organizations who duplicate any BCPE designation.

BCPE may take other actions, at its discretion, to protect its property (certifications and designations) and its reputation, including contacting the clients of individuals who falsely use a BCPE designation.

BCPE publishes the names of those who are authorized to use their certification designation and will respond to inquiries regarding the certification and designation of a named person.

BCPE records determine if a named individual is or ever was certified by BCPE.

BCPE has a procedure that it follows to address issues of unauthorized use of BCPE designations and certifications.

The purpose of this policy is to protect the assets, intellectual property and private information of the board, Certificants, certification candidates and those who communicate with us regarding the certification process. By applying for certification or using the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE’s) website, you accept and agree to the practices described in the BCPE Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy may change at any time without notice, to keep aligned with our service. By your future access to the BCPE website, you agree to visit the privacy policy periodically and agree to changes to the Privacy Policy.

Collecting and Using Personal Information

BCPE respects the privacy of the individuals who communicate with us by phone, fax or e-mail; visit our web site; apply for certification; or are BCPE Certificants. We do not collect personal information without the individual’s knowledge and consent. When such information is collected, BCPE will not sell, license, transmit or disclose this information unless authorized by the individual or such disclosure is required by law. In the event such information is disclosed, BCPE will do so in accordance with applicable laws and the procedures described within this document.

Personal information is defined, but not limited to, information that is unique to the individual, including name, address, e-mail address and telephone number. Those who have access to this information, collected for the purpose of conducting BCPE business (BCPE staff, Board members and consultants), are bound by this policy and have signed a non-disclosure agreement agreeing to adhere to the policies and procedures described herein. 

E-mail, Phone and Contact Information

BCPE collects e-mail addresses, phone numbers and addresses of those who communicate with us for the purpose of responding to inquiries, distributing our newsletter, as well as disseminating other pertinent information such as upcoming events and activities that assist with core functions of our services. Occasionally, contact information of those who voluntarily subscribe to our mailing list, is shared or sold to reputable organizations and vendors.

Web Site

When visiting the BCPE web site, our web server will collect your IP address, operating system and other standard browser information. We also collect information about which pages are visited and visit frequency to assess the usefulness of the web site.

BCPE also uses standard technology tools to identify web site usage and patterns to improve services.  Disabling ‘cookies’ or other identifying technologies may make some sections of the BCPE web site not work correctly, such as the Certificants Only area.

We further provide links to other web sites that we feel may be of interest to you. These links are not owned or controlled by BCPE. As such, we are not responsible for the content or accuracy of the information on these sites, or the confidentiality practices of the web site owners.

Application

When applying for certification, we collect pertinent information for the purpose of determining a candidate’s suitability for certification. Any personal information is redacted prior to its evaluation. The volunteers who evaluate applications have read the BCPE privacy policy and signed a non-disclosure agreement agreeing to adhere to the policies and procedures described herein.

BCPE does not discriminate against any applicant (or Certificant) based on race, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or genetic information.  Any information collected as part of the application process or discerned from that information or information collected by any other means is only used for analytical purposes and has no bearing on the acceptance or rejection of any applicant.

Exam

Candidates for certification must take an examination. The contents of the certification exam are considered confidential. As such, exam proctors and candidates must sign a nondisclosure agreement agreeing not to disclose any information regarding examination content, procedures, or administration practices.

Candidate name, email and mailing address are given to third party examination providers to arrange for the exam and for exam communications, which are conducted electronically. BCPE releases Candidate exam results only to the individual.

Financial

Financial information during secure online payments is collected by a third-party provider according to their privacy policy. BCPE does not retain any personal financial information. If credit card information is communicated by fax, phone or mail, the credit card details are destroyed responsibly once payment is confirmed and recorded.

Online Directory

Certificants authorize BCPE to publish their name, certificate number, personal or business contact information, highest degree and areas of specialization/expertise in the private online directory, available only to other Certificants. The public has access to this information if the Certificant opts to be listed in the Consultant Directory. The public has access to a Certificant directory that only lists those certified with their highest degree and designation. The public Certificant directory only provides a name and means of e-mailing the Certificant without revealing the email address.

The names of those who are no longer certified (by either voluntary surrender or de-certification) are listed in the newsletter. Certificants sanctioned for ethics violations will also be listed in the newsletter.

Mailing Lists

On occasion, BCPE may share or sell the contact information of our Certificants, who have subscribed to our mailing list, with other reputable organizations whose products or services may be of interest to our Certificants. Only Certificants’ name and mailing address are provided.

Certificants may opt out of such mailings by notifying BCPE they do not want this information disclosed to outside organizations and vendors.

Withdrawing Consent

You may withdraw consent for BCPE to process your data or retain certain data provided BCPE is not required by law or professional standards of certification bodies to retain such information. To withdraw, contact BCPE at bcpehq@bcpe.org. You may also modify your profile through the website and unsubscribe to communications distributed by third parties.

Security

BCPE will exercise reasonable efforts to safeguard the security and confidentiality of the information disclosed to us. However, BCPE cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality of BCPE’s data and will not be liable for its unauthorized disclosure that occurs through no fault of the BCPE, including, but not limited to, errors or interception in transmission, unlawful or unauthorized access into BCPE’s data accounts, or unauthorized acts of BCPE directors, employees or volunteers.

Changes to this Policy

BCPE may revise this policy on occasion as warranted by the use of new technologies and/or changes in the policies and procedures described in this document. When updates are made, the revision date will be noted in the document.

An application is valid for two years from the date it is received. During this time, a candidate may qualify for either the Associate certification or, for full certification, to take the exam.

The non-qualifying candidate has two years to correct any deficiencies or missing elements in his/her application as pointed out by the review panel and take the exam without incurring additional application fees (the examination fee will still apply).

The eligibility period may run out if the candidate delays taking the exam or if there are several retakes of the exam, exhausting the eligibility time frame. After the two-year eligibility period, candidates must submit a new application and pay the full application processing fee.

BCPE certifications are awarded based on coursework review, work sample review, and passing score on a comprehensive examination. Therefore, BCPE is not able to offer reciprocity with other professional certification organizations.

All the following documents are archived indefinitely in electronic form.

Applications

• Transcript (no application sent)
• Incomplete/unqualified applications
• All approved applications/exam never taken
• All approved applications/exam failed
• All approved applications/exam passed

Examination Materials (Password Protected)

• Score sheets
• Copy of every exam
• Since 2014, exam and score sheets are securely hosted in FastTest of Assessment Systems, Inc.

Certification Renewal

• Certification Maintenance Worksheets
• Certification review sheets
• Audit material submitted by certificant

Financial (Password Protected)

• Receipts, statements, deposit information
• 6 years (hard or electronic copy)
• Annual ledgers
• Indefinite (electronic archive)
• Annual tax records
• Indefinite (hard or electronic copy)
• Equipment list updated annually

Office Records

• Board Minutes
• Indefinite (electronic archive)
• Backup of office records & other current electronic records
• Daily backup of office records by BCPE staff member
• Database
• Hosted and backed up by secured third-party server.

Former Certificants can apply for reinstatement of active status if they have been inactive* for no more than 5 years. The applicant must: (1) meet the Continuance of Certification (CoC) requirement by completing the worksheet covering a period of years equal to the number of years with retired status, and (2) pay a reinstatement fee and all maintenance fees. Late fees will not be charged.

If the inactive status has been for more than 5 years, then the full certification process is required, which includes completing the application, taking the written examination, and paying the associated fees.

*Inactive status includes those whose certification has been dropped, or who have retired their certificates per the retired status policy.

Certificants who are current in their certification, but are no longer employed in ergonomics/human factors/user experience or work less than 15 hours a month in the profession, and wish to retain a connection to BCPE, may request a retired status. This request must be submitted in writing and include a description of the individual’s current work situation. Such requests are handled on a case by case basis and are subject to Board review and consideration. Individuals electing retired status pay a one-time fee. Retired individuals continue to be listed in the Online Directory and receive all communications (paper and electronic) generated by BCPE.

The BCPE operates social media pages for the purpose of communication and outreach with Certificants and potential future Certificants; discussion of relevant topics in the human factors/ergonomics/user experience fields; notification of upcoming industry events and other business purposes as directed solely by the BCPE.

The following sites are operated by or on behalf of the BCPE and have been granted permission for use of BCPE copyrighted materials and the BCPE logo:

LinedIn Group - Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics
Wikipedia - Board_of_Certification_in_Professional_Ergonomics
Facebook - Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics - BCPE
Twitter - @bcpe_hq

Each social media site will generally have specific moderation/use guidelines clearly and transparently available on the site. Generally:

• The BCPE promotes healthy and honest discussion with its readers.
• The BCPE reserves the right to edit or amend any misleading or inaccurate content depicted in posts.
• The BCPE also reserves the right to delete entries violating the code of conduct.
• The BCPE values, respects, and upholds the intellectual property rights of its members.

For information on additional logo use and the BCPE privacy policies, see the Logo and Designation Use Policy as well as the Privacy Policy tabs on this page.

Outside organizations may seek to provide benefits to BCPE Certificants and/or further the goals of certification, or share information that may benefit Certificants. These organizations are encouraged to do so by contributing to BCPE’s social media presence. Outside organizations may not advertise (either by presenting a brand message beyond a name or logo, product information, or other advertising content) on behalf of BCPE.  The Board reserves the right to determine when something is or is not advertising based on these criteria.

In the event the BCPE executive staff exceeds 20% of capacity, the BCPE budgets for contracting with third party vendors to assist with items/projects as assigned by and at the discretion of the BCPE executive staff.