Baylor Interior Design Program Awarded Reaccreditation

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WACO, Texas (June 8, 2012)- Baylor Interior Design Program Coordinator Dr. Adair Bowen's belief that her program is a strong one has been affirmed by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The Accreditation Commission awarded Baylor's program another six years as an accredited interior design institution.
"Every six years you have to go through another site visit to become reaccredited," Bowen said. "An extensive self-study is written by the coordinator and myself. They (the accreditation council) are on site for three days, and in those three days they evaluate and look at student work. They've already read the self-study, so they have to make sure that what we say that we are doing is what we're doing."
According to the letter issued to the university on behalf of CIDA, the "award of CIDA accreditation attests to the quality of your interior design program and benefits your program in many ways. Parents, students and employers of graduates can be assured that your program meets the rigor of peer review and develops the skills and knowledge required to practice interior design. Furthermore, the accreditation process provides your program with valuable input for continued development and assists the program in adapting to meet evolving professional requirements as CIDA updates standards."
Baylor has had an interior design curriculum since 1979 and first became accredited in 2005, according to Bowen. She said that although it did not become important for a program to be accredited until 2006, it is now critical for a program to maintain accreditation for the graduates.
Bowen said that the program offers many opportunities for students and graduates of the program.
"Our students do really well. They get really good internships and jobs. Some go on to graduate school," she said. "Our goal is to maintain accreditation, stay current with the industry, be sure that our students are on the cutting edge in the field, give them the best undergrad experience and prepare them to be great designers."
Dr. Suzy Weems, professor and chair of the department of family and consumer sciences at Baylor, explained that there are two degree options for interior design at Baylor.
"A bachelor of science in family and consumer sciences and a bachelor of arts degree with this major are both available," she said. "The courses that are offered in the program in either degree path are delivered in a manner to assure the knowledge, competencies and skills required for accreditation (assurance of quality) are being met. Courses are added based on this criterion, primarily but also on the evolving needs of the professional who holds this degree."
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Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, classified as such with "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions.

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by Mallory Hisler, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805