Section 2: CORE REQUIREMENTS

The institution has a governing board of at least five members that is the legal body with specific authority over the institution. The board is an active policy-making body for the institution and is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the financial resources of the institution are adequate to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from it. Neither the presiding officer of the board nor the majority of other voting members of the board have contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution.

A military institution authorized and operated by the federal government to award degrees has a public board in which neither the presiding officer nor a majority of the other members are civilian employees of the military or active/retired military. The board has broad and significant influence upon the institution’s programs and operations, plays an active role in policy-making, and ensures that the financial resources of the institution are used to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from the board except as specified by the authorizing legislation. Neither the presiding officer of the board nor the majority of other voting board members have contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution.  (Governing Board)
 

i.  The College of Architecture participates in the ongoing, integrated TTU-wide research-based planning and evaluation process, also known as the TTU strategic plan.  The strategic plan for the college may be found at: http://www2.arch.ttu.edu/StrategicPlan/2003/StrategicPlan.pdf

ii.  These and other data are reviewed systematically and result in continuing improvement; see for example the enrollment management plan as presented to the Academic Council.   http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/sacs_arch/enrollment.ppt.

iii.  The College of Architecture is accomplishing its mission and goals as demonstrated in its recent annual assessment report: http://www.irs.ttu.edu/SACS/AssessmentReports/12_0_2003.pdf.

iv.  The College of Architecture is committed to being a “Learning Organization”. The Dean, both Associate Dean’s and the key administrative staff have attended the Pegasus Systems Thinking Conference during the Fall 2003.

The College of Architecture offers programs leading to the following degrees:

Master of Architecture 
http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/Academic_programs/Programs/march.asp

Master of Architecture/Master of Business Administration
http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/Academic_programs/Programs/arma.asp

Bachelor of Science in Architecture
http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/Academic_programs/Programs/arbs.asp http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/Academic_programs/bsarch.asp

Bachelor of Science in Architecture/Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/Academic_programs/Programs/bace.asp
http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/Academic_programs/bace.asp

Bachelor of Science in Architecture/Bachelor of Business Administration
http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/Academic_programs/Programs/babs.asp http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/Academic_programs/babs.asp
 

a.  All of the Architecture Programs items  as listed above leading to the Master of Architecture as accredited by the NAAB are subject to the 1998 Guide to Student Performance Criteria standards for curricula.

     The Master of Science Programs as listed above meet criteria 2.7.2 as evidenced in the recent Graduate Review. This report is located in the Dean’s office.

     The LPMD Program currently does not meet the criteria of 2.7.2 . as noted in the Graduate Review Report. We are working with the Graduate School to develop a coherent course of study for this program.

     The college curriculum is currently under review and the Visiting Team was here in the Spring 2004 for a site visit.

b.  The College of Architecture complies with the university-wide core curriculum requirement as found in the TTU University Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/AcademicsCore.html. 

c.  The College of Architecture participates in contracts or consortia with other accredited institutions as managed by the university. The College of Architecture does not have any such degrees as a unit.

The College of Architecture did not comply with this requirement in the 2001 Accreditation Report. Since the 2001 site visit the College of Architecture has hired 11 additional tenure track faculty members.  The visiting accreditation team found us in compliance at the time of their visit in the Spring 2004.  http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/sacs_arch/Final_APR_09-05-03.doc

The college’s has adopted an enrollment management plan as outlined in the PowerPoint to the Associate Dean’s meeting. http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/sacs_arch/enrollment.ppt

The College of Architecture houses a branch library and the holdings were sufficient to meet NAAB standards in the college review Spring 2001 and we expect the same in the spring 2004 visit. Refer to the APR Sept. 2003 Section 8 Information Resources.

 http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/sacs_arch/Final_APR_09-05-03.doc

The college has the following:

• P2ARC

• Two Computer Labs

• Print Bureau

• Slide Library

• Photographic Center

• Office space for student organizations

• Student lounge

• A wood and metal workshop

• A technical library of construction products, literature and samples

The institution has a sound financial base and demonstrated financial stability, and adequate physical resources to support the mission of the institution and the scope of its programs and services.

The member institution provides the following financial statements: (a) an institutional audit (or Standard Review Report issued in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services issued by the AICPA for those institutions audited as part of a systemwide or statewide audit) and written institutional management letter for the most recent fiscal year prepared by an independent certified public accountant and/or an appropriate governmental auditing agency employing the appropriate audit (or Standard Review Report) guide; (b) a statement of financial position of unrestricted net assets, exclusive of plant assets and plant-related debt, which represents the change in unrestricted net assets attributable to operations for the most recent year; and, (c) an annual budget that is preceded by sound planning, is subject to sound fiscal procedures, and is approved by the governing board.

Audit requirements for applicant institutions may be found in the Commission policy entitled "Accreditation Procedures for Applicant Institutions.  (Resources)

Routes of compliance: See section 9 Financial Resources in the APR September, 2003. http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/sacs_arch/Final_APR_09-05-03.doc

a.  Institutional Audit: The College of Architecture was last audited during Spring 1995 by the Internal Audit staff of the university.

b.  Annual Budget:  The annual budget of the College of Architecture is prepared by the Dean and Manager of Financial and Administrative Services with review and input from the tenured faculty. The budget is reviewed and approved by the Office of the Provost. http://www.fiscal.ttuhsc.edu/reports/Budget/OperatingBdg/default.htm

c.  Changes in Net Assets:  N/A

(Not applicable for the Compliance Certification submitted by institution).

Section 3:  COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDS

Institutional Mission, Governance, And Effectiveness

 Narrative:   Not applicable to unit level.

The institution has qualified administrative and academic officers with the experience,
competence, and capacity to lead the institution.

All of the Architecture deans and associate deans hold terminal degrees appropriate for their specialties.

The institution defines and publishes policies regarding appointment and employment of
faculty and staff.

The College of Architecture is in compliance with this standard.

Operating policies regarding appointment and employment of faculty and staff include: 32.02 (Certification of Faculty Qualifications), 32.07 (Other Employment, Faculty Consulting, and Public Offices), 32.16 (Faculty Recruitment), 32.17 (Faculty Appointments and Titles), 32.34 (Faculty Non-Tenure Acquiring Ranks), 70.11 (Staff Employees), 70.27 (Student Employees), 70.36 (Temporary Workers with (H10B) Immigration Status). The college conforms to all university policies.

The College of Architecture is in compliance with this standard.

TTU and the COA have evaluation instruments for unit administrators in OP 30.15 http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP30.15.pdf. The dean of the COA reports to the provost and is evaluated annually. Associate deans, the unit chair, and program coordinators report to and are evaluated annually by the dean. An instrument for faculty evaluation of COA administrators is under study for implementation in the 2004 – 2005 academic year.

The institution’s policies are clear concerning ownership of materials, compensation,
copyright issues, and the use of revenue derived from the creation and production of all
intellectual property. This applies to students, faculty and staff.

The means of determining institutional effectiveness are consistent with the mission of TTU, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission, and with the mission statement of the COA http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/aboutus/mission-vision.asp. TTU has recently undergone an extensive strategic planning process throughout the entire university. This process was established to be an evolutionary, ongoing process, with annual assessment reports based on the written strategic plans of all units. Assessment of Texas Tech is web-posted http://www.ttu.edu/stratplan/Assessment.php. Hard copies of the COA strategic plan, implementation plan and annual reports are located in the Dean’s office.

The College of Architecture must meet Conditions for Accreditation set by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).  These conditions and teaching criteria are listed in section 3.4 of this report.  Meeting these standards requires continual self-assessment by the college.  NAAB teams visited the college in 1998 and 2001.  The college received probationary accreditation both times.  The 2001 team found the college lacking in 8 areas with no conditions or teaching criteria “well met.” 

In March of 2004 the college was visited again by a NAAB site team.  All previous concerns were carefully addressed by the college.  See http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/sacs_arch/Final_APR_09-05-03.doc.

Changes were made in the curriculum and the work of the college was mounted as evidence that all teaching criteria were addressed.  The NAAB team found that all teaching criteria were met (this is an extraordinary achievement) and that 11 of the 12 Conditions for Accreditation were also met.  The team also found that 8 items were “well met.”

Assessment of student outcomes (NAAB Condition 12) is managed with “Learning Walls” throughout the architecture building which articulate expected student outcomes for key courses.  An exhibit representing student outcomes for each of the five years of the accredited program is maintained in the gallery of the architecture building.  At the end of each semester, internal and external reviews are held to review the student outcomes.  Internal reviews include a “walk through” by the faculty of mounted students work and a discussion of successes and failures of each level and component of the curriculum.  External reviews are conducted with the students present in the studios by a diverse group of invited jurors from academia and the profession.  Feedback from the assessments resulted in a redefinition of our technical systems curriculum, eliminating two courses and creating a four course “Architecture Construction” sequence and the addition of a required elective in this area. 

The College of Architecture is committed to being a “Learning Organization”.  Key administrators and staff have attended the Pegasus Systems Thinking conference and have implemented communication and planning tools such as “World Cafes” with faculty and staff to address various issues within the college.  “Tonalities” for each semester of the curriculum were established using the “World Café” process.  College committees advertise and post agenda prior to meetings and send meeting notes to the entire faculty after the meetings.

PROGRAMS

a) The approval process for adding, changing, and deleting courses, and changing the method of delivery is found in OP 36.01 http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP36.01.htm.  The approval process for new academic programs, course approval for new programs, program termination, and changes in delivery format is found in OP 36.04 http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP36.04.htm.

The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) is the sole agency authorized to accredit US professional degree programs in architecture.  Most state registration boards in the United States require any applicant for licensure to have graduated from a NAAB-accredited program.  The accrediting process is intended to verify that each accredited program substantially meets those standards that, as a whole, comprise an appropriate education for an architect. 

Members of the NAAB include representatives from the four collateral organizations that serve the architectural profession: (1) The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), (2) The American Institute of Architects (AIA), (3) The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), and (4) The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

Conditions for Accreditation

1          Program Response to the NAAB Perspective
1.1       Architecture Education and the Academic Context
1.2       Architecture Education and the Students
1.3       Architecture Education and Registration
1.4       Architecture Education and the Profession
1.5       Architecture Education and Society
2          Program Self-assessment
3          Public Information
4          Social Equity
5          Human Resources
6          Human Resource Development
7          Physical Resources
8          Information Resources
9          Financial Resources
10        Administrative Structure
11        Professional Degrees and Curriculum
12        Student Performance Criteria

The College of Architecture is undergoing the accreditation process during the 2003-2004 academic year, with a team visit scheduled for March 2004.  The program has been continually accredited since 1957.   The Architecture Program Report (APR) was sent to the visiting team in February 2004 and is available for review in the deans office and on the college’s web site.

http://www.arch.ttu.edu/Architecture/sacs_arch/Final_APR_09-05-03.doc

The Post-Professional Programs

The College of Architecture offers a Master of Science in Architecture with three certifications: Historic Preservation, Visualization and Community Development.  These programs are administered by a college committee consisting of the directors of each of the certification areas, the advisor (staff) for graduate students and the staff person for the Architecture Research Center.  The programs are reviewed on a regular basis by the Graduate School.  Glenn Hill, the Associate Dean for Research is the administrator responsible for these programs.

The College of Architecture administers an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Land-use Planning, Management and Design.  This program is guided by a committee representing each of the colleges and departments participating in the degree program.  Dr. Saif Haq is the administrator responsible for this program. 

The College of Architecture’s mission statement addresses the future practice of architecture and the advancement of knowledge for the benefit of society.  The Dallas Internship Program addresses the future practice of architecture by placing upper level students in coop Internships in the Dallas area for a spring plus summer or summer plus fall time period.  The students are provided classes via the internet and face to face delivery in the Dallas area.  The Community Design Studio addresses the mission statement by providing a research/service learning environment that addresses community needs.

Information on admissions can be found in the (2004-2005) Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/ADREQS.html, for the university and for the COA here: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Architecture.html#CollegeUndergraduate.  Policies within the COA are consistent with the mission of TTU, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission  and with the mission statement of the COA http://www.arch.ttu.edu/architecture/aboutus/mission-vision.asp

The strategic plan for the COA seeks a more diverse population reflecting the demographics of college bound students from the state high schools.  In the fall 2004, the COA will admit all students that are admitted into the university into the “General Architecture” program.  This is in contrast to the COA being the most restrictive program on campus in regard to admissions.  Enrollment is being managed with a comprehensive review of GPA, portfolio and an analytical writing exam for entrance into the pre-professional program.  The “General Architecture” program offers a broad spectrum of students to demonstrate their abilities specific to success in the COA. 

Information on evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit outlined in this standard can be found in the (2004-2005) Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/ADREQS.html for the university, and for the COA, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Architecture.html. Policies within the COA are consistent with the mission of TTU, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission  and with the mission statement of the COA, http://www.arch.ttu.edu/architecture/aboutus/mission-vision.asp.

Information on academic policies can be found in the (2004-2005)  Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/ADREQS.html for the university, and for the COA, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Architecture.html. The policies are consistent with the mission of TTU. Operating Policies 10.01-10.11 (Administration); 30.01-30.27 (General), 32.01-32.34 (Faculty), and 34.01-34.23 (Students) all address academic policies http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual.

A listing of facilities and services is located in the 2004-2005 Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Facilities.html. The COA has two associate deans who work with students (one with undergraduate and the other with graduate students), and three Academic Program Advisors who manage a myriad of issues related to matriculation such as degree audits, graduation checkouts, and other academic matters. The COA has houses a branch library and a visual images library. Students are provided a space for photography, wood and metal shop, print bureau and two computer labs.  There are 5 active student organizations in the COA which support and complement the academic mission of the college and the university. Housing for architecture students is available at Hulen/Clement which is the Architecture Learning Community (ALC) and this provides support and exchange of information to undergraduate students. The ALC provides meeting space, an architecture lab, student-staff assistance, events with faculty, model building seminars and close proximity to the college.  The Architectural Research Center provides multiple opportunities for undergraduate and graduate student participation in research projects, supervised by faculty.  The COA administers study abroad programs in Seville and Montreal each summer and additional locals as approved.  The COA provides an Internship program for students prior to graduation and assist in career placement upon graduation.   

Uniform undergraduate degree requirements are located in the TTU Catalog http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Academics.html#DegreeReqs , with the Core Curriculum requirements listed here: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/AcademicsCore.html.  Program requirements for graduate studies are located here for Master’s http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GRADMasters.html,  and here for Ph.D.: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GRADDoctoral.html.  Requirements specific to the COA are here:  http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Architecture.html. The requirements are consistent with the mission of TTU, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission  and with the mission statement of the COA, http://www.arch.ttu.edu/architecture/aboutus/mission-vision.asp.