Missouri Land Title Institute

Professional Certification Program Home Page

I. Introduction to Professional Certification

The Concept of Professionalism

Organizations that offer individuals the opportunity to become certified professionals differentiate themselves from less sophisticated and less forward-looking organizations. The availability of a certification designation reflects the offering organization’s commitment to quality, its desire to enhance the professional reputation of its members and its emphasis on the importance of the role that knowledge and skill play in the overall credibility of the industry.

The existence of a certification program is a major advance in obtaining public and internal recognition that a given industry does, in fact, qualify as a profession. The term “profession” is an honorific in American culture and designates occupations characterized by, among other things, a requisite body of knowledge, specialized and unique to that particular industry, combined with a set of ethical standards designed to enhance the application of that specialized knowledge for the benefit of customers and clients. This specialized body of knowledge –- which is not held by or familiar to the public at large -– is what defines a profession. It is what members of a given profession have in common with one another and what distinguishes them from members of other professions. Possessing the knowledge, alone, however, does not generally qualify an individual as a true professional. Experience is also required –- enough experience in the chosen area of practice to assure that an individual has the practical knowledge needed to apply that specialized body of knowledge to real world situations

This experience, combined with a complete understanding of the professional body of knowledge, results in the skill and expertise necessary to competently engage in the profession. Professionals who possess the requisite expert knowledge often confront unique, complicated situations where their core professional competence does not provide an immediate solution. True professionals must develop and refine the ability to cope with such problematic encounters and theorize and extrapolate from their experiences, applying their expert knowledge to the unfamiliar facts at hand to arrive at an intelligent, well-reasoned solution. And yet even mastery of this ability – the application of experience to knowledge – will not culminate in professional results if the individual has relied too heavily on experience or a “comfortable” understanding of the industry’s specialized body of knowledge at the expense of acquiring a new level of expertise as industry practices, laws, forms and regulations evolve. The absolute necessity for continued learning and the associated professional development are other “profession defining” elements that set apart a true professional.

It is in these respects that the availability of a professional certification program furthers the interests of both the sponsoring organization and the individuals who seek to obtain the offered designation. Premier organizations view professional certification as the preferred method of validating the knowledge of those engaged in the industry. It is the acquisition of current expertise which a certification program is designed to assure.

Certification is a unique professional development tool, not yet available in all industries and not necessarily attainable by all who might wish to secure its benefits. The idea of certification has grown, and is continuing to grow in popularity, as more industries and trade associations recognize its value for quality improvement, improved public perception and increased self-esteem among certified members. In the land title industry only a handful of state title associations offer any kind of designation program, although more are in the process of developing a program. The American Land Title Association has recently appointed a committee charged with the responsibility of coordinating a national land title/escrow certification program in the face of the state-specific nature of most land title issues. The Missouri land title and real estate settlement industry should be particularly proud of the fact that the Missouri Land Title Institute Professional Certification Program was developed and implemented so early in what was only an emerging field for state title associations.

II. A Definition of Certification

The Elements of a Quality Program

All certification programs –and the Missouri program is no exception– share certain goals in common:

¨ To define the optimum standard of practice in the industry: the level to which a true professional should aspire

¨ To confirm the creditability of such individuals

¨ To recognize the professional achievements of certified individuals

¨ To publicize to other members of the profession and to the public at large the status of such individuals

More concretely, results of a poll of 42 certifying organizations conducted in 1998 by the Canadian National Certification Commission (CNCC) found that the predominate goal for certification programs is professional recognition by one’s peers and the public. Quantifying certification goals, the CNCC reach the following results:

Goal	Percent
Recognize Qualified Practitioners	100%
Advance Subject Knowledge	85%
Promote Capabilities to the Public	60%
Offer Another Member Service	40%
Provide Self-Regulation	30%
Generate Additional Revenues	30%
Serve as Qualifications for Employment	15%

In accomplishing these goals, certification programs take a variety of forms with a nearly unlimited variety of qualifying factors. There are, however, broad concepts inherently built in with all professional certification programs.

There are shared attributes of all programs defined as “professional certification.” This definition includes the voluntary process by which a private, non-governmental organization confirms an individual’s qualifications under a structured eligibility plan and grants recognition to and of an individual who has satisfied those qualifications. As a voluntary plan carried on under the auspices of a non-governmental agency, certification is never mandatory. Unlike licensing, an individual need not be certified in order to engage in the chosen profession. No “illegality” attaches to an individual who elects to practice without a certification designation; whereas engaging in an industry without a license where one is mandated by the state, more often than not carries with it at least quasi-criminal penalties. Only individuals are entitled to certification status. Thus the certification programs differ from accreditation. Accreditation is a designation that an organization has met a set of standards created to help assure public trust, safety, welfare and confidence. Hospitals, schools and colleges may be accredited, people are certified.

Each certification plan sets out its own requirements for eligibility, often times referred to as merit criteria. Although individual programs are as different from one another as are the individuals seeking certified status, they share many basic features in their eligibility rules. Merit criteria generally include:

¨ Formal education

¨ Experience in the given field – generally the higher the category level of certification within a given plan, the more years of experience required. Some certification categories may have no experience requirements or very limited requirements when the certification level involved is an entry level designation.

¨ Continuing professional development, such as continuing education in the specific field.

¨ Qualifying score on an examination of the core concepts of the profession and/or theoretical applications of those concepts.

¨ A renewal/re-certification process within a specified time frame.

Finally, nearly all certification programs include a publicity feature:

¨ Convincing the members of the profession and the public on the values and benefits of certified status

¨ Maintaining a public directory of those individuals who have attained certified status and the level at which any given individual may be certified, including any certification in a sub-specialty of the given profession.

In their implementation features quality certification programs institute procedures designed to insure the following characteristics are met:

¨ Impartiality - an objective and consistently applied process for evaluation information regarding eligibility requirements.

¨ Integrity – accuracy, validity and reliability in the merit criteria selected and in the examination employed to fairly measure the professional’s core competencies; prohibition against the use of certification designations, certification program – approved references, and the display of the certification logo.

¨ Diversity – the strengths, skills and perspectives of all groups engaged in the profession, even those whose primary functions may be tangential to the core competencies identified, are included un the process in order to build bridges between all branches of the profession.

¨ Timeliness – engage in continuous review and improvement of the certification program in order to maintain current, valid merit criteria and to enhance the program’s performance in all other categories.

¨ Independence – the ability to create, monitor, implement and revise the program without undue outside direction or influences.

III. Creating a Certification Program

Steps in a Continuing Process

Creating, implementing, updating and managing the day-to-day affairs of a certification program is difficult work. The following list points out just some of the steps that need to be taken:

A. Establishing Professional Standards

¨ Knowledge

¨ Education

¨ Experience

¨ Ethical behavior

B. Monitoring Professional Standards

¨ Verifying experience

o Creating forms

o Degree of verification

¨ Testing applicant knowledge

o Format of exam

o Validity of questions

o Accuracy of “correct” answers

o Security issues

C. Confirming Continued Ethical Behavior

D. Monitoring Continued Professional Development

¨ Ongoing education

¨ Time frames for certification expiration

E. Complaint Procedures

¨ Unsuccessful applicants

¨ Dissatisfied consumers

¨ Disciplinary options

F. Help Candidates Become Certified

¨ Develop courses or training programs

¨ Accredit outside courses, seminars and training programs

¨ Effective communication of certification prerequisite

o Easily understood set of pre-requisites

o Clear instructions regarding application and examination procedures

o Updated, readily available information on examination schedules and locations

G. Create publicity tools

¨ Educate potential candidates, employers and the public at large about the value of the designation

¨ Maintain publicly-accessible roster of currently certified individuals

The Missouri Land Title Institute Professional Certification Program also includes a special designation (Master Level) available only to active members of the Missouri Land Title Association. As a result, additional steps in the process were required:

¨ Determine whether MLTA membership would be a prerequisite for certification

¨ Determine if membership alone would be sufficient

¨ Establish a quantifiable method of measuring professional activities including MLTA involvement

¨ Determine which activities further the professionalism of the industry

¨ Attribute quantifiable measurements to each such identified activity in such a way as to maintain rational relative values between such activities

The result of the above process was the creation of a Professional Participation Points with separate categories for MLTA Involvement and Education. This feature and MLTA Membership apply exclusively to Master Level certification. In all other respects, the prerequisite and examination for Master Level and Advanced Level are identical.

IV. The Advantages Of A Certification Program And Certified Status:

Quality Standards And Self-Esteem

As stated earlier, certification is a unique professional development strategy. It is an important instrument for quality improvement. In today’s economy, where quality control is a central concern, the commitment of an organization –- whether it be the MLTA or an individual employer or a branch, division or just a single office of some larger company -– to quality measured by professional conduct and results is a marker that customers and employees can recognize and appreciate. For companies where quality improvement programs carry great weight in determining allocation of resources, it is critical that individual employees demonstrate their overall value to a quality control mind-set. One method of displaying an individual’s worth as an employee is to “prove up” dedication and skill and knowledge levels through the certification process.

Certification helps define standards of practice –- what a professional should aspire to – and confirms the professional achievement of the individual who attains those standards. Clearly certification is a special distinction for those who have earned it.

“While no certification program can guarantee the success of an employee, certification is an indication of quality in what it says about the individual. Certification requires personal commitment. Individuals who exhibit the motivation and invest the time and expense needed to pursue and maintain certification have made a serious commitment to their profession.” (From the American Institute of Health Care Management.)

When an individual becomes certified, he or she demonstrates to current and future employers the initiative to take charge of his or her professional development and career. Certification helps potential employers verify that an applicant has the knowledge and skill required for the position sought. In today’s business environment, employees are careerists who move from job to job, both within the same employer and with different employers. As they make these transitions, employees must carry with them an entire and complete set of transferable, knowledge – based skills. Certification provides professionals and employers with concrete markers of skill and knowledge development – a portable credential that carries instant recognition.

An employee must be an expert at providing quality results in the midst of growing competition, increased regulation, an increasingly sophisticated and demanding customer base and expanding liability concerns. Successful individuals have not only outstanding organizational skills, but also a proficiency in the skill– and knowledge–based aspects of their positions and a commitment to the highest standards. These latter “success keys” can be amply demonstrated to employers through the attainment of certified status.

Employers value certified employees because their relevant skills, industry education and experience are clearly defined. A certified professional fully understands his/her responsibilities and importance of continuous education. As an employee, a certified professional is likely to manage better, his or her peers will benefit from his/her knowledge, and the certified professional will contribute immeasurably to timeliness of the employer’s final product.

Applied with discretion, a requirement for certification can promote the employer’s highest expectations for quality service. It can encourage employees to stretch beyond the minimum requirements and performance for a specific position or job function. It can motivate employees toward a goal that provides a clear path for personal growth and professional development. It can provide a means for individuals to identify their own strengths and weaknesses and, with proper educational tools, allow these individuals to further expand those strengths and to overcome areas of weakness.

For these reasons and others, in many professions, employers routinely encourage and assist workers to become certified. Incentives range from creating expanded job opportunities to certification bonuses to additional benefits to salary increases. Promotions within the organization may be dependent upon certification as one qualifying factor. Job pre-requisites for new hires in certain positions may include certified status at some specified level.

Modern, quality-conscious employers cover certification program fees for employees who successfully qualify for certification and allow employees time off with pay for educational seminars, interviews, exams and other aspects of the certification process which generally occur during standard working time. Successful certification programs invariably enjoy a very high level of employer support. In fact, without such support, certification status may be beyond the reach of many individuals who could benefit not only themselves, but also the employers and consumers by becoming certified.

BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL

In today’s ever-changing business environment, an individual needs every advantage available to stay ahead of the pack. Certification is one such advantage and is an important step toward success, both personally and professionally. A recent study by a large, international staffing firm found that 85% of all business executives surveyed said that a professional certification designation can boost career opportunities. (Robert Half International Inc. – 2004 revenues of $2.7 billion; 2005 listed on Forbes Global 2000 list of the world’s largest companies.)

¨ Professional certification shows employer and customers you are committed to your career.

¨ Professional certification is a mark of excellence you carry with you wherever you go.

¨ Professional certification may give you a competitive edge for hiring and promotion.

¨ Professional certification will result in a broader based knowledge of your profession’s core competencies as you study for your certification exam.

¨ Professional certification will automatically identify you as one of the industry’s finest.

¨ Professional certification will enhance your self-esteem and personal image through the justifiable pride you will take from successfully completing the certification process.

¨ Professional certification will earn you the respect of your peers.

¨ Professional certification will result in instant camaraderie with other certified individuals.

¨ Professional certification will increase your net working opportunities with other leaders of the profession through certification sponsored meetings and functions.

V. Quick Summary of the MLTI Certification Program

The Missouri Land Title Institute Professional Certification Program operates as an independently governed standing committee of the Missouri Land Title Association. The Program has its own officers (the Executive Council) and its own by-laws (the Standing Rules, Administrative Rules and Operating Policies and Procedures).The MLTA Board of Directors appoints one voting member of the seven-member Executive Council, while the Executive Council of the Certification Program appoints one ex-officio, non-voting member to the MLTA Board. The Board of the MLTA also has administrative control of the Certification Program and can implement changes in the Program. The Certification Program has the right to require reconsideration by the MLTA Board at any time of any such administrative change mandated by the MLTA Board. Further, the MLTA Board may not modify the Certification Program by requiring that any individual or group of individuals be certified or denied certification status. Nor may the MLTA Board lower the prerequisites for certification eligibility for any specific individual or group of individuals. The MLTA Board is also prohibited from mandating the imposition of sanctions against certified individuals through the medium of the Certification Program and from altering the appeals process for any pending sanctions against a certified member. Through these safeguards, the Missouri Land Title Institute Professional Certification Program is able to maintain its independence and protect the integrity of the certification process from potential inroads made on the basis of MLTA politics.

The MLTI Professional Participation Program sponsors six different certification designations:

¨ Introductory Title Professional (ITP)

¨ Introductory Escrow Professional (IEP)

¨ Advanced Title Professional (ATP)

¨ Advanced Escrow Professional (AEP)

¨ Master Title Professional (MTP)

¨ Master Escrow Professional (MEP).

The rationale behind the creation of these various certification levels is shown on the following table:

CERTIFICATION LEVELS CHART
Name	Rationale
LEVEL 1: Introductory Title Professional (ITP) Introductory Escrow Professional (IEP)	¨Motivates new employees ¨Provides employers with a qualification factor for new hires ¨Increases the number of individuals who may become certified ¨ Avoids perception of certification program as part of MLTA’s “good ol’ boys club”
LEVEL 2: Advanced Title Professional (ATP) Advanced Escrow Professional (AEP)	¨Allows more experienced people the opportunity to obtain certification more representative of their skill and knowledge even without MLTA membership ¨Expands potential certified individuals to all branches of real estate industry in Missouri ¨Avoids perception that the certification designation is a reward for MLTA involvement & reinforces the “what you know, not who you know” motivation for the program
LEVEL 3: Master Title Professional (MTP) Master Escrow Professional (MEP)	¨Encourages active involvement in the Association ¨Recognizes the contributions an individual has made to the Association through active participation ¨Acknowledges contributions to the land title industry as a whole ¨Testing reinforces the “what you know, not who you know” aspect of the program

In addition, retiring individuals over 60 years of age or with at least 25 years of Missouri real estate title or escrow experience who have been certified at the Master level may receive a lifetime certification designation as an Emeritus Title or Escrow Professional.

Each certification level carries certain eligibility prerequisites; however, membership in the MLTA is not required for either Introductory Certification or Advanced Certification. At the Master Level, not only must an applicant be a member of the MLTA, but he or she must also have engaged in a minimum level of activity, some generally devoted to the Missouri real estate or escrow professions and some directly displaying a committed involvement in the MLTA. This activity level is measured by a comprehensive point system, referred to as “Professional Participation Points.” Each activity recognized by the Program as either furthering the professionalism of the Missouri real estate title and escrow industry or advancing the goals of the MLTA or relating to individual self-improvement carries a certain point value. In establishing the categories approved for Professional Participation Points and setting a point value for each, a number of factors were taken into account, including the relative value to the profession and to the individual which the activity might bear. The amount of effort estimated to be required to perform the activity was given due consideration. Particularly in the MLTA Involvement Category, point values were assigned based at least in part on the desire to encourage certain behaviors by MLTA members.

The goal overall, however, was to create objective standards which could be verified without the need for the “verifiers” to exercise any more discretion than absolutely necessary to determine compliance with the eligibility requirements. In this respect the point count system was quite successful. It was, however, impossible to avoid certain areas where discretionary decisions would be necessary. Although the categories below were stated as narrowly as possible in order to minimize subjective judgments, these categories inherently involve the exercise of discretion by the individuals reviewing applications:

· 6. Substantive, educational articles on real estate–related topics published in an MLTA publication or on the MLTA website

· 25. Attendance at an Approved Real Estate/ Real Estate Law curriculum related to Missouri other than those sponsored by the MLTA

· 27. Officer, director, board member or committee chair or co-chair of, or instructor/ presenter/panel member/speaker at an educational meeting for, an approved real-estate related, allied professional organization

· 29. Substantive, educational articles on real estate–related topics published in industry-related publications, including underwriter newsletters or newspapers or magazines of general circulation

As a result, applicants for Master Level Certification may submit---without the payment of any application fee---those items intended to evidence compliance with the above categories for pre-approval by the Program. The individuals charged with responsibility for reviewing applications will then determine whether the submitted information constitutes compliance in the above categories and will notify the of the Program’s decision. A determination that the submitted materials do constitute compliance is irrevocable. Pre-approval in the above categories is available for initial certification, continued certification or conversion from Advance Level to Master Level. Since application fees are non-refundable, this allows the applicant to avoid the expense if point credit is unavailable.

The combination of all the point values for recognized activities must reach 1,000 before Master Level Certification is possible. Of the 1,000 points, 500 must be earned in those categories specifically identified as directly benefiting the MLTA and 100 must be earned in individual self-improvement through continued education in the real estate title or escrow fields. (A chart showing “Professional Participation: Categories and Point Counts” can be found in the Forms Index.) During the first two years of program operation, an applicant will receive credit for verifiable Professional Participation Points earned at any time in the individual’s career. Otherwise, an individual will have six years in which to earn the necessary number of Professional Participation Points. Participation points for educational degrees and years of industry employment may always be counted toward total points, no matter when earned. Once the eligibility prerequisites have been verified, the applicant must also pass an examination geared to assess a knowledge level commensurate with the certification level applied for. These and the other eligibility prerequisites are reflected on the following table:

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Name	MLTA Member/ points	Other Prerequisites (all applicationand/or testing fees must also be paid) (a complete listing of the prerequisites appears in the governing documents of the program)
Introductory Title Professional (ITP) or Introductory Escrow Professional (IEP)	Not required	¨ Passing grade on Level 1 Examination ¨ Five years or less industry employment ¨ No felony convictions ¨ U.S. citizen or legal resident alien ¨ 18 years of age or older ¨ High school diploma or G.E.D. certificate ¨ Current employment in the Missouri real estate or escrow professions ¨ No revocation or suspension of ANY professional license
Advanced Title Professional (ATP) or Advanced Escrow Professional (AEP)	Not required	¨ Passing grade on required Examination(s) ¨ More than five years of industry employment ¨ No felony convictions ¨ U.S. citizen or legal resident alien ¨ 18 years of age or older ¨ High school diploma or G.E.D. certificate ¨ Current employment in the Missouri real estate or escrow professions ¨ No revocation or suspension of ANY professional license
Master Title Professional (MTP) or Master Escrow Professional (MEP)	Required: Member or Affiliate Member Required: Minimum of 1,000 “Professional Participation Points” including: Minimum 500 Points for MLTA Involvement and 100 Points for Education	¨ Passing grade on required Examination(s) ¨ More than five years of industry employment ¨ No felony convictions ¨ U.S. citizen or legal resident alien ¨ 18 years of age or older ¨ High school diploma or G.E.D. certificate ¨ Current employment in the Missouri real estate or escrow professions ¨ No revocation or suspension of ANY professional license

Individuals may retain certified status for five year intervals, by the end of which time certain requirements must be met to continue individual certification. The chart showing some of these requirements appears below. The exception to continued certification is the Introductory Level. Designed for individuals with five years or less industry experience, this certification designation automatically lapses once the Introductory Title/Escrow Professional has attained five years of experience in the Missouri real estate/escrow professions. At that point the individual could seek certification at the Advanced or Master Level.

CONTINUING CERTIFICATION: REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS
Certification Level and Ability to Continue Certification	Education Hours	Professional Participation Points
Introductory Title/Escrow Professional May not continue certification at this level beyond the first five years of employment in the Missouri real estate or escrow professions	Not applicable: No continued certification at this level	Not applicable: No continued certification at this level
Advanced Title/Escrow Professional May continue certification at this level indefinitely until certified at the Master Level	Completion of a Continuing Certification Education (CCE) program (once adopted) or 100 points from the Education Classification Categories reflected in Appendix A , other than educational degrees, in each 5 year interval	None Required
Master Title/Escrow Professional May continue certification at this level indefinitely	Completion of a Continuing Certification Education (CCE) program (once adopted) Or 100 points from the Education Classification Categories reflected in Appendix A, other than educational degrees, in each 5 year interval	100 points from the MLTA Involvement categories reflected in Appendix A in each 5 year interval And Attend two MLTA Board of Directors Meetings in each 5 year interval
No fees shall be imposed for Continued Certification; however, appropriate charges and discounts may be established for the CCE program.

While the above summary is believed to be an accurate representation of the main points of the Missouri Land Title Professional Certification Program, the Program is organized and operated pursuant to the Governing Documents. The provisions of those documents control over any discrepancy which may exist between this summary and the actual Program guidelines.

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Professional Certification Program

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