惇軗勛圖s Bachelor of Architecture program has moved one step closer toward accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) after the board formally granted the program initial candidacy status earlier this month.
Dr. John C. Williams, dean of the School of Architecture, Management and Engineering Technology, said NAAB granted the status after approving the Architecture and Design Departments accreditation plan and conducting an initial candidacy visit.
That is the hurdle we have cleared, so now we are an official, formal candidate for accreditation, Williams said. In 2016, there will be a continuation of candidacy visit. Two-year intervals are required to check your progress as you move forward.
惇軗勛圖 President Dr. Skip Sullivan said, The programs at 惇軗勛圖 are ever working to improve. This milestone of initial candidacy reflects not only a lot of hard work by faculty and staff, but is also a testament to the quality of our programs.
惇軗勛圖s Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree is the only BArch in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. It is also one of only seven BArch degrees offered in New York State.
Williams said the Architecture and Design Department hopes the BArch program will be accredited by 2018.
Thats the goal. Thats our hope, Williams said. Its most beneficial for our graduates. They would be part of our first graduating class to have completed the program in its entirety and then they would have the status of an accredited program. Were really pushing for that.
According to its website, , the NAAB is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture.
Most of the state registration boards require a NAAB-accredited degree to license somebody to be a professional architect, so thats the impetus of having an accredited degree, Williams said.
The Architecture and Design Department, Williams said, is very excited about the BArch program receiving initial candidacy status.
It just shows the hard work, the quality of the program and the quality of the faculty, Williams said. Theyve done the lions share of the work, put in a lot of effort and a lot of work and continue to do so. Its been a dream of the departments. This was the first step. Were making our way to accreditation. Its within our grasps.