Delaware Administrative Code
Title 24 - Regulated Professions and Occupations
Department of State
Division of Professional Regulation
2700 - Board of Registration for Professional Land Surveyors
Section 2700-2.0 - Definitions

Definitions under Section 2.0 will be listed in the current "Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms," published by the National Society of Professional Surveyors, except as otherwise provided by Delaware law.

"Combined Office and Field Experience" - is defined as being multi-faceted experience in responsible charge of land surveying projects, performed under the direct supervision of a professional land surveyor in the active practice of land surveying. The office aspect of this experience shall include the technology relevant to civil drafting, mathematical calculations necessary for subdivision, boundary and right-of-way determinations, road, stormwater, sediment and erosion control, and sewer design as well as the interpolation of field-run topographical data and the like. Office experience should also include applied familiarity with land development submittal and approval processes.

Field experience shall include time spent on site in responsible charge of inspection, evaluation, and gathering of relevant survey information. On-site supervision of and responsibility for field crew personnel while in communication and coordination with a professional land surveyor and office staff shall qualify as field experience.

"Direct Supervision" - applies to one duly licensed as a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) and only a licensee may provide direct supervision. The physical presence of a PLS on every type of surveying project is not required. There are, however, times when a site visit is necessary to make important decisions involving boundary retracements, property line disputes, etc.

Direct supervision of field crew personnel requires daily contact to determine the need for the presence of a PLS on site. This need would be based upon the type of work to be performed and the professional judgment of the PLS in charge. Should it be determined that a site visit is not warranted, the PLS, at a minimum, should instruct the field crew personnel as to the procedures to be used, the data to be gathered, the maps or plats to be relied upon and the scope of the work to be performed. The PLS shall follow the same minimum requirements when instructing survey office personnel. All assignments performed by survey personnel, both field and office, shall be reviewed and checked by the PLS providing direct supervision.

While it has been argued that a survey crew does not always have to be under the direct supervision of a PLS, only a PLS has the ability to make that determination. It is therefore necessary for the field crew to have daily contact with the PLS so that this decision can be made properly, in order to protect the public.

"Related Science Curriculum" - are those courses of study for which one-third of the required core courses are the same or similar as those required for a Baccalaureate Degree Program in Surveying. These core courses may include but are not limited to Algebra, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry, Calculus, General Physics and Computer Programming.

Degrees in related fields of study may include but not be limited to Civil Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Agricultural Engineering, Actuarial Studies, Statistics, Geology and Forestry.

Because requirements for graduation differ from institution to institution, when considering these Related Science Curriculums attention will be given to the specific coursework completed. This examination of completed coursework may allow for greater flexibility of this definition. Section 2708(a).

"Responsible Charge" - shall mean the direct control and personal direction of the investigation, operation and execution of land surveying work requiring initiative, and professional skill and independent judgment as a party chief or survey manager. An individual in responsible charge shall be under the direct supervision of a Delaware licensed professional land surveyor.

"Surveying Curriculum" - For the purpose of these regulations, the term "Surveying Curriculum" will mean any approved curriculum for a Baccalaureate Degree in Surveying as it is accepted by the institution bestowing the degree. This curriculum shall necessarily include but not be limited to courses in Surveying, Advanced Surveying, Legal Principles of Surveying, Data Adjustment, Subdivision Planning and Layout, Route and Construction Surveying, Engineering and Geodetic Astronomy, Topographic Surveying and Cartography and those other studies required by the institution where the degree is earned.

Independent study course work (which includes all correspondence, internet and distance-learning study) shall be considered only if those courses have been accepted by an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as part of the approved curriculum. Section 2708(a).