School of Architecture’s accreditation up for renewal
Written by Shambhu Sharan, The Shorthorn staff
Thursday, 18 February 2010 09:39 PM
The School of Architecture is up for review of its accreditation this week.
Five team members from the National Architectural Accrediting Board’s will visit the school on Saturday and leave Wednesday.
Architecture Dean Donald Gatzke said the team will review the curriculum, students’ work, the exhibitions of projects and tour the facilities.
Architecture associate professor Steven Quevedo said he has been coordinating the exhibition. Gatzke and architecture program director Bijan Youssefzadeh led the school’s accreditation effort.
The School of ArchitectureAccreditation lasts for up to six years
Last accredited in spring 2004
If the school passes, it would be accredited until spring 2016.
The team will meet with the advisors, faculty, staff, alumni and students when they arrive. After the team leaves, it will hold another meeting where it will give a report of its initial findings of the school.
“If students have issues, opinions and concerns, they can ask the team members,” Youssefzadeh said. “Our students should attend the meeting because it is their degrees, and they work very hard to attain the degrees.”
The school’s accreditation determines whether or not a student receiving the professional degree will be able to sit for the Architect Registration Examination after graduation.
“The accreditation is a time to showcase students’ work as well as a time to reflect on the design quality the school has established on an international level,” Quevedo said.
Alex Dahm, American Institute of Architecture Students president, said he has been assembling the students’ work to contribute toward an exhibition that will be on display throughout the school. Dahm said he encourages students to stop by the School of Architecture over the next week to discover the school’s work.
Architecture senior Ravin Reddy said he would attend the meetings with the team. He said he would like to get his Ph.D. in architecture from UTA.
“Due to the recent economic downturn, there are very few job opportunities for architecture students and graduates, so in many cases, it is a very good time to remain in school,” he said. “The faculty and staff have done a wonderful job of assembling the student work to be on display throughout the school.”
http://www.theshorthorn.com/content/view/18857/265/