The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) is inviting community comment on proposed Professional Standards 2009 prior to final adoption (scheduled for May 2008).
CIDA has followed an extensive and balanced process to reach this stage of the standards development project, the cornerstone of which has been community engagement. In 2006, leaders from practice, education, and related industries, analyzed studies, research, and articles about the future and identified the most significant implications for interior design higher education. A series of surveys in 2007 gauged community agreement with resulting priorities for the preparation of future interior design professionals, and then honed the specific quality measures for accreditation of professional level interior design programs.
"The CIDA standards project has demonstrated how deeply our profession is committed to quality interior design education. Stakeholders agree that future interior design graduates should not only be prepared with the skills required for entry-level practice, but also with a foundation that poises them to be highly valued contributors well into the future. CIDA is grateful for the community's involvement to date in describing the characteristics that define quality interior design education, and wholeheartedly welcomes future input," states Cary Johnson, regional workplace leader at Gensler Chicago and CIDA board chair.
"It's exciting to see that the proposed standards truly elevate the concepts and professional values identified as priorities during the CIDA Future Vision session in November 2006. The proposed standards are also expressed in a way that embraces a wide variety of educational approaches, supporting diversity and innovation in interior design higher education," notes Holly Mattson, CIDA executive director.
Finalized CIDA standards are scheduled for adoption in May 2008, with a proposed implementation date of July 1, 2009.
To review the proposed CIDA standards and provide your comments, visit the CIDA Web site at www.accredit-id.org/09_jan_news.html. Comments must be received in the CIDA office no later than April 15, 2008.
