Let’s go over them.
The truth is there are no prerequisites for most IAAO courses. I’ve asked folks at IAAO headquarters for the reason behind this stance. I am told it relates to the fact that some jurisdictions across the globe offer classes so infrequently that they’ve asked IAAO to allow students to take a class if they’re “ready”. Those jurisdictions couldn’t have an educational program with strict prerequisites. Employees in those jurisdictions try to gauge whether a student is ready for the class offered that year. We need to do a little more of that in North Carolina, and I need to help a little more. We all need to work together to ensure students are ready for class. The new NCDOR certification levels II and III have been well received, which is great news! Every class, I ask students if their county has embraced the new levels, and how. I estimate about half of my students share that their county recognizes the new certification levels. More and more recognize them through some reward. The creation of those levels will increase appraiser competency throughout our state, providing a higher level of service for our citizens. We are offering more classes, in more locations, and teaching more students than ever. Maybe as a result of the push towards the new levels, we’ve seen some students who, though they are relatively new in the profession, have found their way into an uncomfortable position in class.
Before a student registers (or is registered by a supervisor) the experience and work area of the student should be considered and judged to meet the subject and level of difficulty of the course. To supervisors, I encourage you to work with the prospective student to discern whether the student and the course are a good match. Please consult with me or other instructors involved in the PTEP program if there are any questions. IAAO instructors in our state want the student experience to be superior. As a rule, having students in the classroom who are not ready for the challenge doesn’t work out well for the student, the instructor, the class, or the county. Remember that feeling in math class when you thought the teacher was speaking a different language? I believe it’s called “math anxiety”. It’s what a student feels who was in a completely different field two weeks ago, but on the first day of a 30-hour class the instructor is talking about net operating income and reconstructing an expense statement.
The numbering system assigned to IAAO courses can be confusing itself. For example, IAAO 500 is an introductory level personal property course. This course would be fine for someone just starting in personal property appraisal. IAAO 112 is a much lower number, but the course by title, Income Approach to Valuation II, is definitely not an introductory course. Still, IAAO 101, Fundamentals of Real Property Appraisal should be successfully completed prior to IAAO 300, Fundamentals of Mass Appraisal. There is an IAAO 2-day workshop that introduces real property appraisal, without an exam. Party time!? Look for that workshop, IAAO 100, on the next PTEP calendar to be released within the next month or so.
Faculty Coordinator
