School of Architecture Reaccreditation to be announced in July
Written by Shambhu Sharan, The Shorthorn staff
WEDNESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 2010 09:43 PM
Members of the National Architectural Accrediting Board left the university on Thursday afternoon after presenting the preliminary reaccreditation report to the School of Architecture students, faculty and staff. Members of the National Architectural Accrediting Board left the university on Thursday afternoon after presenting the preliminary reaccreditation report to the School of Architecture students, faculty and staff.
Team chair Frank Guillot read the report his five-team members prepared and said the report will be edited and reviewed back and forth between him and the school over the next several months. He will present his report to the NAAB.
“The final determination will be made in July and then the school will be notified immediately,” Guillot said.
Guillot said the report stated that the school met several expectations such as a diverse student body, outstanding faculty research, sustainability and meeting weekly office hours.
The school did not meet a few conditions such as program preparation, professional development and curriculum course details.
Guillot said Architecture Dean Donald Gatzke and Architecture Program Director Bijan Youssefzadeh are great assets for the school.
“The overall tone of our visit was exceptional and rewarding,” Guillot said. “We’d like to give the deepest appreciation to the students who shared their concerns with the entire team for the commitment to follow their education and they desire to become a good citizen of the architecture community.”
Architecture senior Marisol Hoyt attended the meeting for the first time and learned about the reaccreditation process.
“Reaccreditation means a lot for me,” Host said. “I am planning to study at UTA because the school has divisive programs.”
Guillot said the team found the students highly diverse, enthusiastic, motivated, talented and engaged. The team particularly complimented the dean for his close ties with the professional communities.
Architecture sophomore Christopher Laskoski said he loved the team’s presentation.
“I am looking forward to see more diversity as professional point of view,” Laskoski said. “The school is in good standing and hope the school will be reaccredited.”
Gatzke said he was very pleased by the findings of the team.
“They reinforced what we think are the key issues for a design school to focus on and the areas of concern are really very easy to address,” he said. “The success of this visit is what happens when everybody, faculty, students, staff and administration do their jobs in the very best way they can. It’s truly a complete team effort.”
Gatzke said the team remarked on the diversity of the school and the range of ideas, teaching strategies and content of the curriculum.
“The team’s comments indicated that the school continues to make progress at a rapid pace,” he said.
NAAB team member Joseph Mashburn said the school has a great long history.
“You are blessed to be here,” Mashburn said. “I encourage all students to take advantage of the faculty.”
David Shove-Brown, another NAAB team member, encouraged students by working hard until they reached their goal.
“You need to keep working and doing great things,” Brown said. “Feel confident you have done the work. Be familiar with your strength.”
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