The NAAB Accreditation Review Conference - The Importance of Your Input

William C. Miller, FAIAMichiel Bourdrez, AIA

Does architectural education change fast enoughor significantly enough?

NAAB OverviewThe NAAB is the agency recognized by registration boards in the United States to accredit professional degree programs in architecture.

The NAAB is composed of representatives from: ACSA, AIA, AIAS NCARB, and the public.

The NAAB accredits three degree programs: B.Arch., M.Arch., and D.Arch.

The NAAB conditions and student performance criteria apply equally to all three degrees.

Architecture School Curricula

• General Education

• Professional Education• Architectural Design• Building Technology

StructuresEnvironmental Control SystemsBuilding Materials & Assemblies

• History & Theory• Professional Practice

Expectations of Program Diversity

NAAB Conditions for Accreditation

1 Five NAAB PerspectivesArchitectural Education and the Academic Context Architectural Education and the Students Architectural Education and Registration Architectural Education and the Profession Architectural Education and Society

2 Program Self-Assessment Procedures3 Public Information4 Social Equity5 Studio Culture6 Human Resources7 Human Resource Development8 Physical Resources9 Information Resources10 Financial Resources11 Administrative Structure12 Professional Degrees and Curriculum13 Student Performance Criteria• Financial Resources• Administrative Structure

SPC 1 Speaking / Writing SkillsSPC 2 Critical Thinking SkillsSPC 3 Graphics SkillsSPC 4 Research SkillsSPC 5 Formal Ordering SystemsSPC 6 Fundamental Design SkillsSPC 7 Collaborative SkillsSPC 8 Western TraditionsSPC 9 Non-Western TraditionsSPC 10 National and Regional Traditions SPC 11 Use of PrecedentsSPC 12 Human BehaviorSPC 13 Human DiversitySPC 14 AccessibilitySPC 15 Sustainable DesignSPC 16 Program PreparationSPC 17 Site Conditions

SPC 18 Structural SystemsSPC 19 Environmental SystemsSPC 20 Life SafetySPC 21 Building Envelope SystemsSPC 22 Building Service SystemSPC 23 Building Systems IntegrationSPC 24 Building Materials and Assemblies

SPC 25 Construction Cost ControlSPC 26 Technical DocumentationSPC 27 Client Role in ArchitectureSPC 28 Comprehensive DesignSPC 29 Architect’s Administrative RolesSPC 30 Architectural PracticeSPC 31 Professional DevelopmentSPC 32 LeadershipSPC 33 Legal Responsibilities SPC 34 Ethics and Professional Judgment

NAAB Student Performance Criteria

Student Performance Criteria (SPC) are met by required courses, not electives. The criteria encompass two levels of accomplishment:

Understanding—means the assimilation and comprehension of information without necessarily being able to see its full implication.

Ability—means the skill in using specific information to accomplish a task, in correctly selecting the appropriate information, and in applying it to the solution of a specific problem..…”

Well Organized Team Room: Texas Tech

What is the Accreditation Review Conference (ARC)?

• A conference occurring every five years – NAAB undergoes a review of its organization and evaluative practices in order to assure a responsive and informed assessment of programs.

• An important venue for discussing current issues affecting the future of architectural education (and the profession).

• A discussion that creates recommendations for improving the effectiveness of NAAB in pursuing its mission.

• A culmination of the visions of the collateral organizations based on their research and collaborative discussions.

• This ARC will take a step in a new direction, and involve collaborative work between the collateral organizations, as well as the development of white papers by each organization.

The ARC Task Force has identified seventrends that will influence the future ofaccreditation, education, internship, practice,regulation, and society:

1. International/Global Trends and Drivers of Change

2. Trends in the Professions

3. Trends in Education

4. Trends in Accreditation

5. Trends in Regulation

6. Emerging Accreditation Models

7. Evolution of the Student Performance Criteria (SPC’s)

The ARC is important because?

• Changes to the documents for accreditation: Conditions and Procedures

• Changes to the Student Performance Criteria (SPC)

• Often initiated by input from the collateral organizations

NCARB Issues for the ARC

Conditions: NAAB Perspectives

Architectural Education and Registration

The accredited degree program mustdemonstrate that it provides students with asound preparation for the transition to internship and licensure. The school may choose to explainin the APR the accredited degree program’srelationship with the state registration boards, the exposure of students to internshiprequirements including knowledge of the nationalIntern Development Program (IDP) andcontinuing education beyond graduation, thestudents’ understanding of their responsibility forprofessional conduct, and the proportion ofgraduates who have sought and achieved licensure since the previous visit.

NCARB Issues for the ARC

Student Performance Criteria (SPC)

14. Accessibility

16. Program Preparation

20. Life Safety

22. Building Service Systems

23. Building Systems Integration

28. Comprehensive Design

31. Professional Development

33. Legal Responsibilities

34. Ethics and Professional Judgment

Important Dates:

Feb. 2007 ARC Task Force AppointedDefines role, work plan, dates

March 2007 Collaterals identify resource people

Collaterals and ARC Task Force groups work on white papers

Oct. 2007 NCARB Education Committee works on white paperFeb. 2008 (?) NCARB Education Committee finalizes white paper for

BODFeb. 2008 White papers to NAABMay 2008 Review of and comments on white papers by collaterals Oct. 2008 ARCFeb. 2009 Draft accreditation documents to collateralsAug. 2009 NAAB approves new documentsSept. 2010 First program APR’s due under new documentsFeb. 2011 First accreditation visits under new documents

How to Provide Input• For background material on

the NAAB: www.naab.org(The ARC, the Conditions and Procedures, and NAAB Surveys)

• To provide the Education Committee with comments and input: miller@arch.utah.edu

Questions?