Architecture Program Report Tulane University New Orleans ...

Establishing "standards without standardization" with a more coherent and widely
known set of learning goals for all programs within the context of diversity
creating "a more humane learning environment" in the schools
Producing a "more liberal, flexible and integrated program of study" that fulfills
the goals of professional competence while allowing students the freedom to
explore connections between architecture and other fields;
Creating "a more unified profession" through stronger collaboration between the
academic and professional worlds, a more productive internship, and the promotion of
life-long learning.
For the schools to be "in service to the nation" by increasing the storehouse of
architectural knowledge to enrich communities and to prepare architects for lives of civic
engagement and ethical practice.
Building Community emphasizes an holistic approach to architectural education—and
architectural practice—by responding to both traditional and enlightened concerns. The
"enriched mission" supports the tradition of architecture in terms of aesthetic values,
while diversity and a more humane learning environment are proposals that seek to
remedy difficulties that have plagued the environment of architectural education and
practices of the past. "Standards without standardization" is also an approach that
appeals to diversity, whereas a "more liberal, flexible and integrated program of study"
speaks to the new interdisciplinary approaches to education that populate the
contemporary mission of the university. A "more unified profession" seeks to heal the
ongoing rift between the missions of education and practice, whereas the schools "in
service to the nation" proposes a higher level of civic engagement and responsiveness.
All of these issues are reflected in the outline of the environmental context listed above,
providing a necessary shorthand to the benefits and challenges of architectural
education.
a. Economic Issues
Traditionally, schools of architecture have not kept pace economically with their peers in
professional education (Law, Business, Medicine. and Engineering). This condition
seriously affects long-term viability and planning.
Firstly, there is the increasing cost of architectural education, in particular as it is
compared to career compensation. Although wages of architectural practitioners have
been rising overall, architects entering the profession are still paid substantially less than
their peers in other professions. The economic investment required to achieve a
professional degree is anywhere from five to seven and one-half years. The lag in wages
prior to achieving licensure is also substantial. These conditions affect the selection of
architecture as a course of study by students This, and the demands of accreditation
(which seeks to ensure educational outcomes according to the terms of practice) also
impacts the flexibility in which schools can respond to necessary curricular modifications
and development.
Secondly, there is the continual expansion of accredited programs in architecture leading
to increased competition for students. Opportunities world-wide—including schools that
are being accredited on the basis of the American system—also affect the pool of
incoming students. Global prohibitions on who can practice and where they may
practice are beginning to have an impact on opportunities for students from the United
States, in particular in the arena of the 'United States of Europe.'
Third, the foundation of architectural pedagogy is the design studio, where students