The NCARB Draft Position Paper for the NAAB 2008 Accreditation Review Conference

NCARB has a unique position for contribution to the ARC:

“In the United States, the right to practice architecture and the right to use thetitle ‘architect’ are granted by state registration boards and no one else. TheNational Council of Architectural Registration Boards is the nationalorganization representing those state boards and works with its MemberBoards to establish registration or licensing policies.”

The 2008 Accreditation Review Conference provides an opportunity for theNAAB to ensure that the education standards of professional architecturalprograms and professional architectural education satisfies the expectations ofNCARB and its 54 member boards, the jurisdictions that are responsible forthe licensure of architects. It is essential that the National ArchitecturalAccrediting Board, as the sole agency authorized to accredit the professionaldegree programs in architecture in the United States, ensure that accreditationrequirements are in close alignment with NCARB and the mandates of theindividual architectural registration boards.

Five primary issues inform NCARB’s contribution to the

National Architectural Accrediting Board’s (NAAB)

2008 Accreditation Review Conference (ARC) process.

These are:

Professional Knowledge and Practice

Integration of Education, Internship, and Practice

Leadership

Sustainability

Globalization, Accreditation, and Registration

Professional Knowledge & Practice

The profession and practice ofarchitecture have recently been

subjectto dramatic changes. The extent

and scope of these changes have

radicallyimpacted all aspects of the

architectureprofession. Social, environmental,economic, industrial, and

technologicalforces, coupled with new forms ofintegrated practice, have required

theprofession to acknowledge thattraditional processes, practices, andforms of project delivery may nolonger be effective.

In response to the issues associated with PRACTICE, the development of the

new NAAB Conditions for Accreditation and the “Student Performance

Criteria” must:

Expect measurable demonstration of significant interdisciplinarycollaborative work as part of the design studio and other classes.

Enhance student understanding of integrated design and delivery processes

through design studio projects, lead by licensed practicing professionals.

Increase understanding of the architectural profession, its processes, and the

knowledge-based nature of contemporary practice.

Integration of Education, Internship, and Practice

Education

Education: Architectural design has been the core of architectural education for

many years. Embodied in both art and science, architectural design is anintellectual endeavor that strives to create environments that meet client

needsand address current human conditions and situations. It has been thearchitect’s challenge to achieve this within the larger context of protecting

thehealth, safety, and welfare of the public.

Within this new context it is essential to ensure that students receive aneducational foundation that leads to successful practice. Such a foundationrequires a professional knowledge-based and practice-based education. Itrequires a realization that innovation and responsiveness in design is

basedupon a sound foundation of empirical knowledge and research in all

applicablecontent areas that influence decision-making. Such a foundation assumes

thatthe academy embraces the realities of the profession.

In response to the issues associated with EDUCATION, the development of the new

NAAB Conditions for Accreditation and the “Student Performance Criteria” must:

Address knowledge and skill deficiencies noted in the 2007 Practice Analysis of

Architecture.

Increase emphasis on knowledge-based education and design processes.

Increase and require opportunities to learn through collaborative work in most

areas of the curriculum.

Require teaching pedagogies that provide a foundation in and understanding

of integrated design and practice.

Integration of Practice & Education

Integration of Practice and Education: Architecture is inherently an interdisciplinary

activity. It requires processes that involve collaboration between multiplestakeholders. Architecture curricula should provide a stronger foundation forengagement with the practicing professional. Implementation of concepts

such asthe practice academy and the teaching firm could assist students in the

transitionfrom education to internship, and subsequently to practice.

The educator/practitioner plays an increasingly important role in the academic

setting by providing more meaningful appreciation and respect for knowledge based

practices and processes. Architecture programs should have a balancedand diverse faculty. The education and licensure of practicing architects

makesthem an essential part of that balance. As knowledge-based practices begininforming architectural curricula more fully, licensed educators will becomeincreasingly essential to professional programs.

In response to the issues associated with

the INTEGRATION OF EDUCATION AND

PRACTICE, the development of the new

NAAB Conditions for Accreditation and

the “Student Performance Criteria” must

ensure:

Architectural programs demonstrate how

practicing architects are making

significant contributions to theeducational process.

Intern Development Program (IDP)

Internship Development Program: Completion of the Intern Development Program and a professional degree from a NAAB-accredited program are requirements for licensure in

the UnitedStates. Because IDP is a requisite step to licensure, it is imperative that students be

enrolled inIDP at the earliest opportunity in their architectural program. Not only would enrollment

in IDPstrengthen the connection between education and practice, it would provide students

theopportunity to utilize IDP as an important beginning in the lifelong learning process

required fortheir professional career development.

In response to the issues associated with the INTERN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (IDP), the

development of the new NAAB Conditions for Accreditation and the “Student Performance

Criteria” must ensure:

Students in NAAB accredited degree programs are required to be enrolled in the Intern

Development Program (IDP) upon satisfactory completion of: Three years in an NAAB accredited professional degree program; The third year of a four year pre-professional degree program in architecture

accepted for direct entry to a two-year NAAB-accredited professional master’s degree program;

One year in an NAAB accredited professional master’s degree program followingreceipt of a non-professional degree.

Faculty and students understand the role of the Intern Development Program (IDP) inobtaining licensure and registration, and the mutual rights and responsibilities of

internsand employers.

Programs are required to have a designated and trained IDP Education Coordinator, and

that the coordinator’s attendance at all appropriate training conferences and meetings is

supported.

Leadership

The challenges of integrated practice

and sustainable design, among other

forces impacting practice, call thearchitect to a greater level of

leadershipin the delivery of building projects.

Inorder for architects to truly be

leaders inthe building industry and assume

futureresponsibilities inherent in

protectingthe health, safety, and welfare of

thepublic, they must develop skills

andcapabilities that are beyond thosetraditionally taught in architecturalprograms.

In response to the issues associated with LEADERSHIP, the development of the new

NAAB Conditions for Accreditation and the “Student Performance Criteria” must ensure:

Leadership training is integrated into the architectural program.

Management instruction is integrated into the architectural program.

Sustainability

The architect’s charge to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the publicincludes the responsibility to address the issues of sustainability in the designof their client’s buildings as well as their community’s built environment. Aspart of an industry that produces the largest contributions to greenhouse emissions in the world today, architects have a moral, ethical, and professional responsibility to address this issue. In order to be effective in

thisarea, architects must assume leadership as stewards of both the natural andbuilt environment.

In response to the issues associated with

SUSTAINABILITY, the development of the

new NAAB Conditions for Accreditation and

the “Student Performance Criteria” must

ensure:

Sustainability is integrated into allexpectations concerning ethical

behaviorand leadership, as well as in all

aspects ofexpected student’s performance(programming and pre-design

activities,design, building integration, and

practice issues).

Globalization, Accreditation, and Registration

As the United States participates more directly in the world market and becomes more

multicultural within its own borders, architects face an increasingly broad, diverse, and

at times conflicting set of cultural issues. These issues affect all aspects of practice.

Increasing globalization not only brings changes to architectural education and theprofession, but also transforms the territorial-bounded accrediting and registrationsystems. Globalization is bringing changes to architectural education and theprofession, as issues of local development need to be taken into consideration

against aglobal context. Even in a seemingly diminutive local project undertaken by a small

firm,the architect could well interact with representatives from around the world, or amultiplicity of cultures within ones own locale. One of NCARB’s primary charges

hasbeen to facilitate interstate reciprocity. Now it is challenged to serve as the leader

forinter-country reciprocity. Well-developed, mutually recognized accrediting andregistration practices and processes will greatly facilitate this process.

In response to the issues associated with

GLOBALIZATION, ACCREDITATION, and

REGISTRATION, the development of the

new NAAB Conditions for Accreditation

and the “Student Performance Criteria”

must ensure:

Knowledge of global practice and its

implications for the accreditation and

registration processes is integrated into

the architectural program.

Summary

As the organization responsible forInsuring the quality, consistency and content of the education received by

futurearchitects in the US, the NationalArchitectural Accrediting Board has aresponsibility to incorporate the

visions,values and requirements of the

individualjurisdictions that are responsible forarchitectural registration in the US asrepresented by NCARB. If the NAAB

doesnot require the academy to respond to global changes occurring in society, thebuilding industry, and the architectureprofession, there is a great risk that

otherbuilding industry professionals will take responsibility for charges that

architectsare unable or unwilling to assume.

Questions?