Stairway to Architecture

[Matt]

Last month I started a little study of the path to licensure as an architect -- examining statistics of colleges, interns, and ARE pass-rates. If you're interested in the practice of architecture, you might be interested in the results so far. It's posted at http://www.stairwaytoarchitecture.com.

-- Matt

[pbacot]

Matt,

That looks like a staggering amount of work for a month. Very good graphics and interesting results. A worthy project.

Peter

[Matt]

Thanks Peter. Actually, the charts are the result of about two solid weeks of work. I'm hopeful that the profession will prevail on the powers-that-be and procure the information that we need to finish them.

Matt

[Peter Severin Carlsen]

A very interesting quest. I have sent this on to the director of AIA Minnesota in hopes of forwarding your goals. It looks like an astounding effort.

I used to teach a class at the U of M on architecture for non-architects. I have long thought that the balance between book learning and practical experience has shifted far to far toward the schools. But that isn't your debate.

At an AIA convention the President looked out and told us the average age of an architect was approaching 50. You are bunch of geezers, she said. Age might be another item you want to note.

When I taught my class there was a much simpler exam in place. I asked the head of the architectural registration board how many passed the test on the first try. !0% was the answer...but something like 90% of the individuals who take the exam eventually pass it. The results of the exam as compared to lawyers taking the bar made me wonder about the test.

How many people are working on this?

Peter

[Matt]

Thanks for your kind words, Peter. All your points are more than valid.

I was astounded that the percentage of licensed professors is less than 50%, and the schools are accredited. I would like to track the performance of the graduates of the different programs to see what the heck is going on, but the data isn't publicly disclosed as of now. I'm looking for all the support I can get to have NCARB disclose this, going back a few years for sure.

So far, it's just me doing this. I am hoping to see an article about this at archinect.com soon, they've indicated interest.

If it's going to proceed, the IDP Advisory Committee is going to need to get a grant to pull this together. They might need a dentist too.

Matt

[O-Archy]

Matt,
Excellent stuff, we as peers are obligated to monitor the profession as it moves with the building industry and societal shifts... I was sent an email regarding the Univ. of Washington renaming it's architecture program to the 'College of Built Evironments' and I was a bit amazed, have we as a profession gone stale?

Cheers,
Mike

[Matt]

Mike -- that's better than the College of Un-built Environments, you know what I'm saying?

;)

[O-Archy]

Yes Matt, it is better than the 'unbuilt'...
Personally, I believe there is waaay too much emphasis on fashion / style and less on performance in the technical realm...

Here's the text from the article, enjoy:

2. Student engineers, Bates settle lawsuit

TACOMA (AP) — Bates Technical College is paying $500,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by students who said the school's civil engineering technician and surveying program left them unprepared for the job market.

Thaddeus P. Martin, a lawyer who represented the 16 students, announced the settlement on Friday. College President David Borofsky told The News Tribune it was “good for the college and good for the people involved.”

The students filed the lawsuit in February 2007, saying the lead instructor frequently failed to show up for class. One student, Michael Edmundson, said in a court affidavit this month he was embarrassingly unprepared for work, and was told as much by potential employers.
3. UW's architecture program renamed

SEATTLE — University of Washington Regents approved a request from Dean Daniel S. Friedman and faculty to change the College of Architecture and Urban Planning to the College of Built Environments starting Jan. 1, 2009.

‘College of Built Environments' better reflects our core responsibility to 21st century challenges — urbanization, climate change and livable communities,” Friedman said in a statement.

The UW is one of a dozen American universities that house architecture and construction management degree programs in the same college. The college already awards doctorates in the “built environment.”

The new name follows a yearlong discussion among faculty members and a college-wide poll.

[JohnMorse]

Goodness, I would have thought I was still too young to be a crusty old curmudgeon.

A "College of Built Environments" sounds like a program in virtual reality design where the terms "architecture" and "planning" imply something too serious or practical.

I should talk, though. I got my master's in "Human Settlements".

[csintexas]

I think this just reflects a popular trend by all colleges to rename themselves.

My wife's college did the same thing. It is supposed to sound friendlier or something. Personally I think it is BS, but those administrators like to be progressive.

[Matt]

I have a new post up at Stairway to Architecture.

It's a letter from me to someone's boss. It starts out like this:

Dear Boss:

You have good people working for you, and you know it. I hope you have fired the others by now. There are a few things your people would like you to know, and they’ve asked me to tell you. They are counting on you to take action on these items, they are also interested in discussion, but less so.

First of all, you are not checking their work often enough or thoroughly enough. They do not have the kind of access to you that they need. They are not stupid, but they are occasionally ignorant, and they need your help if they are to become more knowledgable. They need to have a clear understanding of your expectations if they are to going to have a chance to meet them.

They know how you hate to be interrupted--

If you want to read the rest it is here
http://stairwaytoarchitecture.com/KCessay4.html

[pbacot]

Matt,

Fully agree. Although there are good architect bosses too, seems like some upfront training and protocol is hard to come by. Decent pay is hard to come by too, when you're starting out. I wonder if IDP is changing attitudes or is a begrudged process the intern must fight for.

Peter

[Matt]

I waited three years from graduation, then took the test in four days. The rule today seems to be that you wait three years, then take the test in a year and a half. or so. at least. Seems like, at the very least, a huge economic disadvantage to the interns today.