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ACSA Response to Aaron Betsky in Architect Magazine

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Ned Cramer, Assoc. AIA
Editor-in-chief
ARCHITECT
By email to ncramer@hanleywood.com

Dear Ned,

Aaron Betsky’s October 29 column, The ACSA and NAAB Merger, deserves clarifications. First, ACSA and NAAB are not merging. The talks announced a year ago have evolved to include all of the organizations that fund NAAB’s accreditation activities and nominate 11 of NAAB’s 13 directors. Representatives from all five collaterals (including AIA, NCARB, and AIAS) formed a joint task force to explore multiple options for the funding, organizational structure, and governance of NAAB. This fall and winter, the participating organizations will review the task force recommendations and determine future action.

Second, the “fast-track” option is an independent initiative by NCARB—one that the ACSA board endorses—to assist schools in offering additional options for students to complete some or all licensure requirements in school. Although Dean Betsky implies that NCARB’s initiative and the ACSA/NAAB partnership will lead to a narrowing of the scope of education, the ACSA’s goal is to do the opposite.

Betsky rightly identifies some fundamental issues being discussed by the collateral task force. What is the role and purpose of architectural education? What is the role and purpose of accreditation? While there may not be a merger, the task force and the collateral organizations continue to discuss how the collaterals should invest money and resources to advance architectural education.     

The ACSA maintains that an ACSA/NAAB partnership would empower both organizations to carry out their independent missions more effectively, without compromising their integrity and values. NAAB’s mission is to set minimum standards for professional architectural education. The ACSA, through its membership, offers programs and opportunities that promote excellence across the spectrum of architectural education.

An ACSA/NAAB partnership could also address the reality that accreditation is more costly in architecture than in our peer professions, and that architecture schools must continue to invest resources in research and teaching, beyond the professional curriculum. This does not have to impact the diversity of approaches to education that are a hallmark of the ACSA membership. In fact, the ACSA will strive never to allow this to happen. 

Marilys R. Nepomechie, FAIA
ACSA President

From the President: The Future of ACSA and NAAB

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At the ACSA Administrators Conference in Philadelphia today we made an important announcement that ACSA and the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) are exploring a merger that would change the funding and governance model of the two organizations.

This proposed merger is intended to strengthen architectural education, and is the result of over a year of discussions among NAAB, ACSA, AIA, NCARB, and AIAS leadership—the collateral organizations that provide most of NAAB’s funding and nominate a large majority of its board of directors. 

While no final agreements have been made—a formal merger requires a number of approvals by the ACSA and NAAB boards, the ACSA membership, as well as the boards of AIA and NCARB—we believe it is appropriate to announce our deliberations and to begin a conversation among the membership.

The working model for the merger would create an umbrella Council for Architectural Education that holds financial responsibility for all ACSA and NAAB activities but delegates most oversight and operational responsibility to the boards of directors for the respective groups. This means that the ACSA board would continue its role working through our membership to shape architectural education. Similarly, the NAAB would have independent responsibility to set and apply accreditation standards and for its current international activities, such as the Education Evaluation Services for Architects process. 

Neither the ACSA nor the NAAB board would have authority over the other, and with limited exceptions, the Council for Architectural Education would not have the authority to replace board members for ACSA or NAAB, nor will it have the authority to override accreditation decisions. Instead, the Council will manage the financial and human resources of the organization and coordinate long-term planning activities.

The ACSA Board of Directors believes that a merger will strengthen architectural education and better support architecture schools. We see this opportunity in a broader context of change within the architecture profession and higher education over the past several years. In the context of education we all acknowledge the challenges of constrained budgets and growing needs and expectations for student learning, research, and service. Both organizations alone have a role to play in helping schools to respond to these challenges and opportunities. A merger of ACSA and NAAB is intended to take advantage of complementary organizational strengths by enhancing information and research capacities and strengthening the scholarship of teaching. ACSA will continue its many peer-review activities, and we will continue to expand our efforts to demonstrate the value of architectural education to prospective students and the broader public. 

Next Steps

The ACSA and NAAB board have each appointed three board members to serve on a task force with the ACSA and NAAB executive directors, who have been working together since April on this new organizational model. 

The ACSA board is committed to having numerous opportunities for member input over the next several months, leading up to the ACSA Annual Business Meeting on Friday, March 20, in Toronto. We will hold a series of discussions about the merger, its impact on member schools, and the decisions that ACSA members will need to make. ACSA regional directors will be in touch through your Faculty Councilors and administrators with details on the new opportunities a potential merger can create. 

We thank you for your attention to these matters and invite your feedback as we continue forward. 

Sincerely, 

Hsinming Fung, President
Marilys R. Nepomechie, Vice President/President-Elect
Norman R. Millar, Past President
Michael J. Monti, Executive Director

 

ACSA Update 10.30.15

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ACSA Update

 
October 30, 2015

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Show Us What You’re Making

We want to know more about what students are making in architecture school and plan to feature those stories on the #IMADETHAT blog. Between Nov 2-Nov 6 we are asking students to show off their work with a video on Instagram, using hashtag #IMADETHAT and their school name. The post with the most ♥ will be featured as part of our blog’s new Q&A series!

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Call for Nominations: 2016 ACSA Representative on NAAB Board of Directors

Deadline: December 7, 2015

There is an open position for an ACSA representative on the NAAB Board of Directors. The appointment is for a three-year term (Oct. 2016 – Oct. 2019) and calls for a person with some experience on NAAB visiting teams.

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JAE Call for Submissions

Deadline: November 6, 2015

Given the overwhelming response to our open call, the forthcoming issue, 70:1 (March 2016), will be dedicated exclusively to Design as Scholarship. We are soliciting images from both students and faculty at ACSA member schools to feature on our website and, for first-place winners, in the print issue.

AASL Column: How Can I Retain Copyright?

This is an issue, which should be of prime importance to new as well as seasoned authors, including architecture faculty. However, many faculty, feeling tenure and promotion pressure, are willing to give up certain rights in order to have their work published. Read more

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Founded in 1912 to advance the quality of architectural education.
 

How Can I Retain Copyright...

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Barbara Opar and Barret Havens, column editors

 

October column prepared by Amy Vanderlyke Dygert, Esq., Director of Copyright Services, Cornell University

 

How can I retain the copyright in my publication?

 

This is an issue, which should be of prime importance to new as well as seasoned authors, including architecture faculty. However, many faculty, feeling tenure and promotion pressure, are willing to give up certain rights in order to have their work published.

But federal copyright law grants authors six exclusive rights relative to their work, including the rights to make and distribute copies of their work and to make derivative works based on their original scholarship. This exclusivity means that only the creator of the work is entitled to engage in those activities. Unfortunately, that exclusivity is often lost when authors, eager for publication, sign publishing agreements that unilaterally transfer copyright to the publisher. Many authors simply skim the boilerplate contracts without the specificity required to catch the copyright transfer.

Such consequences can be significant. At a minimum, authors may not be able to distribute copies of their work to students, colleagues, in course packs, or on their own websites. They may not be permitted to creative derivative works based on their original research and scholarship. Publishers can repackage or repurpose the scholarly works without attribution to the original author because they now legally own all rights in the work.

To prevent the loss of their scholarly work, authors should read all publishing agreements carefully before signing. Upon discovery of a copyright transfer or assignment clause, authors should negotiate with the publisher to retain their copyrights. Ideally, authors should explicitly retain all copyright ownership of their work. Publishers may pressure authors to transfer some rights, such as the right to reproduce and distribute, which are necessary to publish and distribute the journal and authors’ content therein. However, authors need not transfer these or any of their exclusive rights outright to achieve publication. They can instead grant an exclusive or non–exclusive license to the publisher. Granting such a license gives the publisher the right to engage in some of the authors’ exclusive copyrights, while simultaneously allowing the author to retain ultimate control over his or her work.

At present, a number of groups, including The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), are engaged in helping authors to understand and retain rights over their publications. SPARC is an international alliance of academic and research libraries working to create a more open system of scholarly communication. For more information about negotiating publishing agreements, as well as sample documents to convey particular rights, see The Author Addendum at http://www.sparc.arl.org/resources/authors/addendum.

 

How to Retain Copyright...

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Barbara Opar and Barret Havens, column editors

October column prepared by Amy Vanderlyke Dygert, Esq., Director of Copyright Services, Cornell University

How can I retain the copyright in my publication?

This is an issue, which should be of prime importance to new as well as seasoned authors, including architecture faculty. However, many faculty, feeling tenure and promotion pressure, are willing to give up certain rights in order to have their work published. 

But federal copyright law grants authors six exclusive rights relative to their work, including the rights to make and distribute copies of their work and to make derivative works based on their original scholarship. This exclusivity means that only the creator of the work is entitled to engage in those activities. Unfortunately, that exclusivity is often lost when authors, eager for publication, sign publishing agreements that unilaterally transfer copyright to the publisher. Many authors simply skim the boilerplate contracts without the specificity required to catch the copyright transfer. 

Such consequences can be significant. At a minimum, authors may not be able to distribute copies of their work to students, colleagues, in course packs, or on their own websites. They may not be permitted to creative derivative works based on their original research and scholarship. Publishers can repackage or repurpose the scholarly works without attribution to the original author because they now legally own all rights in the work. 

To prevent the loss of their scholarly work, authors should read all publishing agreements carefully before signing. Upon discovery of a copyright transfer or assignment clause, authors should negotiate with the publisher to retain their copyrights. Ideally, authors should explicitly retain all copyright ownership of their work. Publishers may pressure authors to transfer some rights, such as the right to reproduce and distribute, which are necessary to publish and distribute the journal and authors’ content therein. However, authors need not transfer these or any of their exclusive rights outright to achieve publication. They can instead grant an exclusive or non–exclusive license to the publisher. Granting such a license gives the publisher the right to engage in some of the authors’ exclusive copyrights, while simultaneously allowing the author to retain ultimate control over his or her work.

At present, a number of groups, including The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), are engaged in helping authors to understand and retain rights over their publications. SPARC is an international alliance of academic and research libraries working to create a more open system of scholarly communication. For more information about negotiating publishing agreements, as well as sample documents to convey particular rights, see The Author Addendum at http://www.sparc.arl.org/resources/authors/addendum.

 

Call for Nominations: 2016 ACSA Representative on NAAB Board of Directors

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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
ACSA Representative on NAAB Board of Directors
Deadline: December 7, 2015

The 2016-2017 National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) will comprise thirteen members: three representing ACSA, three representing AIA, three representing NCARB, two representing AIAS, and two public members. Currently Brian Kelly of University of Maryland; Judith Kinnard, Tulane University; & Jori Erdman, Louisiana State University represent ACSA on the NAAB Board. With the expiration of Brian Kelly’s term in October 2016, the ACSA Board of Directors is considering candidates for his successor.

The appointment is for a three-year term (Oct. 2016 – Oct. 2019) and calls for a person willing and able to make a commitment to NAAB. While previous experience as an ACSA board member or administrator is helpful, it is not essential for nomination. Some experience on NAAB visiting teams should be considered necessary; otherwise the nominee might be unfamiliar with the highly complex series of deliberations involved with this position. Faculty and administrators are asked to nominate faculty from an ACSA member school with any or all the following qualifications:

    1. Tenured faculty status at an ACSA full member school;
    2. Significant experience with and knowledge of the accreditation process;
    3. Significant acquaintance with and knowledge of ACSA, its history, policy programs, and administrative structure;
    4. Personal acquaintance with the range of school and program types across North America.
    5. Willingness to represent the constituency of ACSA on accreditation related issues.
    6. Ability to work with the NAAB board and ACSA representatives to build consensus on accreditation related issues.

For consideration, please submit a concise letter of nomination along with a one-page CV indicating experience under the above headings, and a letter indicating willingness to serve from the nominee, by December 7, 2015.

Nominations should be sent to:
Email (preferred): eellis@acsa-arch.org
Eric Ellis, ACSA Director of Operations and Programs
ACSA, Board Nominations
1735 New York Avenue, NW 
Washington, DC 20006
 
 

Hey, US architecture graduate: Why donÕt you get a job (in Europe)?

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Thomas Vonier FAIA, 2016 President-Elect, American Institute of Architects 

As part of my ongoing commitment to secure new opportunities for US architects, I have been working on jobs overseas for recent graduates.  In contrast to what seems to be a common perception, US graduates who wish to work or to complete internships outside of the United States have great opportunities to do so. 

Such stints can offer unparalleled enrichment, of course, even if they are relatively short-term, and a track record abroad can be a great calling card for onward employment.  The experience of a young US architecture graduate, now working in France, is a case in point. 

“France has visas available for young professionals, ages 18-35, who wish to obtain new skills they cannot acquire in their home countries,” he found.  “I had an interview with [a French architecture firm] in April 2014, before I graduated.  They offered me a position in May, and I found a visa program through Cultural Vistas (http://culturalvistas.org/) in the US.” 

The French firm, which has links to an office in the US, was required to complete several forms and return them to the applicant, along with a description of the work he would be doing.  The applicant then completed his portion of the forms, and returned the complete application to the firm for final validation.

The firm filed the forms with the French immigration authority in early July, along with a 72€ fee, and the applicant received authorization to work a month later.  “This allowed me to apply for my visa at a French consulate in the US,” he says.  “Then I had an interview at the consulate in Atlanta, at the end of August, received my visa one week later, and left for France at the beginning of September.” 

The advantage of this type of visa over a full-blown work visa—at least in France—is that it doesn’t entail much cost or legal procedure on the part of the employer, or the applicant.  On the other hand, one usually qualifies for this type of visa only once, and then only for a fixed, short term.  The steps for obtaining a “young professional” visa in France are here: 
http://www.immigration-
professionnelle.gouv.fr/proc%C3%A9dures/fiche/jeunes-professionnels 

Foreign language ability is always an advantage, of course, but it is not an absolute necessity. Says the graduate in France:  “I now have a BS degree in architecture, and I had studied in France while I was in school, but I didn’t have a very advanced level of French by the time I started working.”  His level of French has naturally advanced on the job. 

In addition to the Cultural Vistas organization, a number of other groups can help explore opportunities abroad: 
http://culturalvistas.org/programs-for-students-and-professionals http://www.iaesteunitedstates.org/intl.html 
http://www.iaesteunitedstates.org/intl.html 

Working outside of the US is not for everyone, but architecture is an increasingly “global” profession, and visa programs of this type offer an effective way for recent graduates and students to engage with the world.

ACSA Update 10.23.15

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ACSA Update

 
October 23, 2015

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Preservation as Provocation

The 2015-16 Preservation as Provocation, International Student Design Competition challenges students and multi-disciplinary teams in architecture, preservation, landscape architecture, planning, engineering, sustainable design and other cross-disciplines, to create a new Visitor Center and approach experience for the iconic Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe in Plano, Illinois. Register by March 30, 2016.

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COTE Top Ten for Students

The program challenges students to submit projects that use a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology to provide architectural solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The competition will recognize ten exceptional studio projects that seamlessly integrate innovative, regenerative strategies within their broader design concepts. Register by December 9, 2015.

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Timber in the City

The second Timber in the City Competition challenges participants to design a mid-rise, mixed-use complex with affordable housing units, a NYC outpost of the The Andy Warhol Museum, and a new and expanded home for the historic Essex Street Market. Register by March 30, 2016.

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Steel Design Competition

The 2015-2016 Steel Design Student Competition offers architecture students the opportunity to compete in two separate categories: Tall Buildings and an Open program. Register by March 30, 2016.

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Founded in 1912 to advance the quality of architectural education.
 

American University of Sharjah

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The Department of Architecture, College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates is pleased to announce the following faculty appointments commencing Fall 2015.

Daniel Chavez has been appointed as an Assistant Professor. With over eleven years in the architectural profession working with RMKM Architecture and at the office of Antoine Predock Architect he has completed many built projects in New Mexico as well as contributing to international projects in Winnipeg, Shanghai and Chengdu. He also worked with Gensler Architecture on the Virgin Galactic Space Port competition team and with Gould-Evens Architecture on CNM Westside Phase III. A passionate furniture designer and maker, Chavez strives for simplicity in his work believing inherent qualities of a material inform design. His courses in material fabrication employ traditional wood working techniques to exhibit structural and architectural principals. Previously a Visiting Assistant Professor at AUS, in spring 2015 Chavez introduced full-scale, project-based learning to the Interior Design program at AUS. His efforts in leading the Senior Project design/build initiative will continue indefinitely.

Marcus Farr has been appointed as an Assistant Professor. Farr has 10 years of experience working in architecture, urban design & site specific landscape architecture throughout the United States, Europe, Middle East and Asia. This includes collaborations with the offices of James Burnett, SOM, Gensler, Carlos Jimenez Studio, HOK, Robert A.M. Stern, PDR and HKS. Relative publications include Landscape Architecture Magazine, Texas Architect, Architectural Record, Architect, Cite Magazine, The New York Times, and World Architecture Magazine. Marcus received a post-professional M.Arch from Rice University, as well as a Professional Degree in Architecture (B.Arch) and a B.A. in Studio Art from Drury University with further studies at the AA. His teaching will focus on performative & sustainable building methods, professional practice & digital design/fabrication.

Gregory Thomas Spaw has been appointed as an Assistant Professor. He is an educator, designer, scholar and entrepreneur. Concurrent with his academic engagement, Spaw is a principal of SHO, a design collaborative that straddles the territories of teaching, research and practice. He has previous held the Ann Kalla Assistant Professorship at Carnegie Mellon University, served as a visiting professor at the Cracow University of Technology, and taught undergraduate and graduate studios, seminars, and electives at the University of Tennessee. His previous professional experience includes work with the award winning offices of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Preston Scott Cohen Inc., and Asymptote. He also contributed toward Independent Architecture’s entry for the PS1 Young Architects Program Competition in Queens, New York and worked on location in Seoul, Athens, and Brussels with LASSA on a series of diverse projects. Gregory holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Kansas State University and a Master in Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

Igor Peraza has been appointed as a Visiting Assistant Professor. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Peraza holds a BSc of Architecture from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, received a scholarship to do his Master of Architecture at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, and obtained his Ph.D at the University of Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan. Professionally, he worked for five years at the Atelier of Arata Isozaki and led the Domus (Museum of Mankind) project on-site in La Coruña, Spain. In 2000 he relocated to Barcelona to work with Miralles Tagliabue as Director of the Santa Caterina Market project. Peraza went on to serve as Director of EMBT’s Shanghai office were he led numerous projects including the Spanish Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo, the New Campus of Fudan University in Shanghai, and the Museum for the Chinese painter Zhang Daqian. He has previously taught at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the European Institute of Design, Tongji University, and served as a visiting professor at the Lebanese American University from 2013 to 2015. 

Matthew A. Trimble has been appointed as a Visiting Assistant Professor. Trimble founded Radlab in 2008. He has a diverse range of experience working and consulting in the field of architecture for firms that include Neil M. Denari Architects, Behnisch Behnisch and Partner, Preston Scott Cohen, Inc, and dECOi Architects. Trimble has taught seminars, workshops, and studios internationally for both graduate and undergraduate students at the Boston Architectural College, the Wentworth Institute of Technology, the Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala City, and the Rhode Island School of Design. Trimble studied architecture at The University of Memphis (BFA), where he received the Frances F. Austin Scholarship, and holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was awarded the Avalon Travel Fellowship.

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