[ETSList] ARRL News

[Drew_Moore]

==>VOLUNTEER EXAMINER COORDINATORS DISCUSS QUESTION POOLS, RESTRUCTURING

The size, scope and comprehension level of Amateur Radio examination
questions occupied much of the discussion as 11 of the nation's 14
Volunteer Examiner coordinators gathered this month in Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania. But those attending the National Conference of Volunteer
Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) annual meeting July 23 reached no firm
conclusions as they await FCC action on Amateur Radio restructuring. The
FCC's Bill Cross, W3TN, told the VECs that the Commission--with help from
some law school interns--is reviewing the approximately 6000 comments
filed on 18 petitions addressing the Morse code as an exam element and
Amateur Radio restructuring. Cross informed the VECs that a decision on
restructuring or the Morse code issue is not imminent.

"He indicated that some time will be necessary to review all the comments
to glean some consensus on the number of license classes, whether or not
to retain Morse code as a licensing requirement for HF operation, the
proposed auto-upgrading of certain license classes and what to call any
new beginner's license," said ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ.

FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth told the VECs he's
"really aggravated" to still be dealing with enforcement issues resulting
from several 1999 examination sessions in Yucaipa, California "where VEs
apparently sold licenses." The situation occurred, Hollingsworth said,
because "VEC management was asleep at the wheel."

"It was a failure of imagination--a failure to think on the part of the
manager about what he was there for in the first place," said
Hollingsworth--borrowing a phrase from the recent 9/11 Commission report.
In the Yucaipa case, he said, several volunteer examiners signed off on
250 examinations in a 26-month period. Following a 2000 FCC audit into
exam sessions in Puerto Rico, Hollingsworth said, the FCC recalled 100
applicants for retesting, and only one showed up. Although Hollingsworth
did not identify the VEC, both the Yucaipa and Puerto Rico cases involved
the W5YI VEC, which referred the California exam session irregularities to
the FCC after investigating on its own. In Puerto Rico, the W5YI VEC
discontinued the services of all Puerto Rico VEs but those associated with
the Arecibo Observatory Amateur Radio Club after irregularities came to
light there.

"I can tell you that so far I have been a fan of the VEC program,"
Hollingsworth said. "But if we have one more case of the magnitude of the
Puerto Rico or Yucaipa cases, that's going to change fast." He pointed out
that the FCC does not have to accept the services of any given VEC, and he
said if any VECs are uncomfortable with taking responsibility for
oversight, following up and random reviews of their test sessions, they
can stop being VECs.

"You have an obligation to remain awake at the wheel, and the point is not
how fast or easily you can do your job, but how well you can do it." He
said today's applicants will determine the character of the Amateur Radio
Service in the future. "If your own VEs are running a license factory
right in front of you, we are going to hold you responsible."

Hollingsworth concluded by saying that he expects the VECs to "add
integrity to the process" and be vigilant to avoid future embarrassments
and problems.

Filling in for Question Pool Committee Chairman Scotty Neustadter, W4WW,
Jahnke reported on the past year's QPC activities, which included release
of a new General class (Element 3) examination pool. Jahnke repeated a
call for input to the Amateur Extra class (Element 4) syllabus, but he
noted that any Element 4 review may be suspended if and when the FCC
proceeds toward restructuring and establishment of a new beginner's
license.

Chosen to serve on the Question Pool Committee were Larry Pollock, NB5X,
of the W5YI VEC, Neustadter, Wiley and Jahnke. Wiley will chair the
committee.

ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program (ETP) Coordinator Mark
Spencer, WA8SME, wrapped up the conference with a presentation covering
youth initiatives, instruction, motivating teachers and schools, and
related ETP activities. He also displayed various project boards designed
for classroom use.