Interior Design Program Receives Accreditation
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARLINGTON, Va, September 28, 2009—The Art Institute of Washington, an applied arts college in Virginia and its Interior Design program received accrediation from the Council for Interior Design Accreditation recently. This accomplishment was met by dedicated administration, faculty, alumni and students of the Interior Design program. CIDA’s Accreditation Commission voted last week to grant a six-year term of accreditation.
The Council’s accreditation process is intended to facilitate continual program development. It involves six primary steps: the request for review; determining program readiness; preparing the Program Analysis Report; the site visit; the Visiting Team Report; and, the accreditation decision. By law to pratice Interior Design in the state of Virginia, practioners must be a graduate of a CIDA accredited four year Interior Design program, therefore this accreditation is necessary for graduates of the college.
“Receiving our initial CIDA accreditation is a milestone in the development of our interior design program,” said Gail Davison, department chair for Interior Design. “We expect the program to continue to develop to meet the changing needs of a global economy, and to continue to produce outstanding graduates who will be prepared to meet those needs.”
The Council also required a three-day, on-site review by a visiting team to determine whether The Art Institute of Washington’s program meets its standards for interior design education. The team used the Program Analysis Report as a roadmap for the visit. The visiting team drafted a Visiting Team Report (VTR), which was reviewed by CIDA’s Evaluation Committee before the Accreditation Commission made its final decision.
The Art Institute of Washington is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of over 42 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
Media Contact
Shelly Ford
shford@aii.edu
Director of Communications
703.247.6864