2008-09 ACSA Annual Report

ACSAACSA

2008-09 Annual ReportAssociation of Collegiate

Schools of Architecture1735 New York Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20006www.acsa-arch.org

2008-09 ACSA Annual Report

Board of Directors

PRESIDENT Marleen Kay Davis, FAIA University of Tennessee—Knoxville

VICE PRESIDENT Thomas Fisher University of Minnesota

PAST PRESIDENT Kim Tanzer, AIA University of Florida

TREASURER Graham Livesey University of Calgary

SECRETARY Mitra Kanaani, AIA NewSchool of Architecture

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL DIRECTOR Andrew D. Chin Florida A&M University

SOUTHWEST DIRECTORUrsula Emery McClure, AIA, LEED APLouisiana State University

WEST CENTRAL DIRECTORKeelan Kaiser, AIAJudson University

WEST DIRECTORStephen Meder University of Hawaii at Manoa

NORTHEAST DIRECTORBrian Kelly, AIAUniversity of Maryland

EAST CENTRAL DIRECTORPatricia Kucker University of Cincinnati

CANADIAN DIRECTORGeorge Baird, FRAIC, AIA University of Toronto

STUDENT DIRECTORDeana MooreAmerican Institute of Architecture Students

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Michael Monti, PhDAssociation of Collegiate Schools of Architecture

To advance architectural education through support of member schools, their faculty, and students. This support involves:

• Serving by encouraging dialogue among the diverse areas of discipline;

• Facilitating teaching, research, scholarly and creative works, through intra/interdisciplinary activity;

• Articulating the critical issues forming the context of architectural education;

• Fostering public awareness of architectural education and issues of importance

This advancement shall be implemented through five pri-mary means: advocacy, annual program activities, liaison with collateral organizations, dissemination of information and response to the needs of member schools in order to enhance the quality of life in a global society.

ACSA Mission


With this Annual Report I am pleased to report the grow-ing strength and vitality of the ACSA. Throughout the year, the Board of Directors and staff were highly focused on some key strategic goals that flow from our mission of advancing architectural education. In brief, ACSA was able to enhance architecture scholarship and expand the resources we provide to help schools further their own educational goals. I invite you to read about some of the ACSA’s highlights in 2008-09 and to visit our website, www.acsa-arch.org, regularly to learn more.

A once-in-a-century opportunity will occur in 2012, when ACSA celebrates its 100th anniversary. The Board of Directors charged a steering committee, led by Northeast Director Brian Kelly, to brainstorm ideas to mark the centennial. The result is four projects that together look forward, celebrate the past, and involve faculty at all of our schools. The ACSA Board enthusiastically sup-ported the plan to publish a comprehensive, scholarly book on the history of architectural education, an innovative online exhibit on how architecture schools build community around their campuses and beyond, and pair of theme issues of Journal for Architectural Education to be published in 2011-12. Finally, we look forward to the 100th ACSA Annual Meeting, which will be hold in Boston, home of the first school of architecture (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded in 1868).

100th Anniversary

Marleen Kay DavisACSA President 2008-09

“ “

ACSA holds two major conferences each year, both of which exceeded our projections for attendance. Thanks to our conference co-chairs, Crystal Weaver of Savannah College of Art and Design, and Alan Plattus of Yale Uni-versity, the ACSA Administrators Conference in Savannah captured the energy of what ties all ACSA schools together: “Design… in the Economy, in the University and in the Curriculum.”

With over 400 attendees, the 97th ACSA Annual Meeting in Portland contin-ued this momentum through stimulating keynotes, walking tours, the Topaz Award presentation by Adèle Naudé Santos, and the many conference ses-sions. Everyone enjoyed the two receptions at Portland State University and at the University of Oregon downtown center. Conference co-chairs, Mark Gillem of the University of Oregon, and Phoebe Crisman of the University of Virginia generated a record number of paper submissions with their engag-ing theme, “The Value of Design.”

The ACSA Fall Conferences continue to be popular, typically with intriguing themes that attract national interest in the peer-reviewed selection process. We had three regional conferences last fall, and special thanks are due to the host schools: University of Southern California for hosting “Material(s) Mat-ter”, University of Illionois Urbana-Champaign for “[ARCHITECTURE] in the age of [DIGITAL] reproduction,” and University of Massachusetts-Amherst for “Without a Hitch: New Directions in Prefabricated Architecture.”

Conferences


Hundreds of ACSA faculty were involved in the accreditation of U.S. and Canadian schools during 2008-09, whether preparing for a site visit, serving on a visiting team, or taking part in efforts to revise the U.S. National Archi-tectural Accrediting Board’s Conditions for Accreditation. Under the leader-ship of West Central Director Keelan Kaiser, ACSA completed a two-year effort to lead the profession in debates around the future of the architectural education and practice, and specifically the standards for education that will be needed. ACSA is pleased with the new Conditions approved by NAAB in July 2009, which fairly addressed the competing concerns voiced by many constituencies in the architecture profession. WE look forward in 2009-10 to working with NAAB and our member schools to implement the changes. The ACSA website has complete documentation of this two-year process.

Accreditation

In 2008-09, ACSA held four student design competitions: The American Insti-tute of Steel Construction’s ninth competition focused on the Life Cycle of a School. | In partnership with the National Building Museum, ACSA held the Green Community competition which was part of a series that included an exhibit and symposium. | In its fourth year, the Portland Cement Association competition challenged students to design an environmentally responsible Public Transportation Center. | The Preservation as Provacationc compe-tition, Re-thinking Kahn’s Salk Institute, asked students to anticipate the needs of the Salk Institute for future growth.

Awards and competitions are an important form of peer recognition valued by faculty. Hundreds of submissions to the various awards programs are judged by dozens of faculty involved different award juries. During the Awards Cer-emony, 38 faculty or programs received award recognition, including a new class of ACSA Distinguished Professors, who join our recently formed Col-lege of Distinguished Professors, who intend to build a service and mentor-ing program for architectural education.

Competitions + Awards

Publication efforts are a key service of ACSA, facilitating communication as well as providing a major venue for faculty scholarship and peer recogni-tion. The Journal of Architectural Education has an active Editorial Board under the leadership of Executive Editor George Dodds. Routledge has sponsored a series of edited books based on ACSA past conferences: the latest book, entitled Writing Urbanism: A Design Reader, edited by Douglas Kelbaugh and Kit Krankel McCullough.

With significant updates, the 8th Edition of the ACSA Guide to Architecture Schools was published in February, along with a fully searchable online da-tabase at archschools.org. Adding to the online database is the newly cre-ated ACSA Index, which puts 13 years of ACSA conference proceedings at the fingertips of users, who can search and doanload full text chapters.

Publications


Marleen Kay DavisACSA President 2008-09

Providing service to ACSA schools and faculty is a multi-dimensioned task, with impressive efforts as described. None of this would be possible without the enthusiasm and professional dedication of the ACSA staff, board, and other volunteers. I want to express my deepest gratitude for their efforts, as well as a genuine thank you to the hundreds and hundreds of faculty who participate in and contribute to ACSA. Thank you!

“ “The National Academy of Environmental Design, created in 2008, con-tinues in its start-up phase, with the ACSA leadership of 2007-08 President Kim Tanzer, Executive Director Michael Monti, President-Elect Tom Fisher, and many others. Modeled on the National Academies of Science and Engi-neering, the National Academy aspires to be the central repository of exper-tise related to environmental research and design, with a goal of developing transformative design practices and policies in the face of a global environ-mental crisis. The National Academy of Environmental Design has incorpo-rated, with the support of 22 member organizations representing 500,000 members.

ACSA has joined with AIA in “A Call for Action” related to the Obama Stimulus plan. We want our web sites to feature faculty and student work that would relate to some of the opportunities in federal financing for short-term con-struction, as well as long-term research funding.

Research

ACSA has focused more on grant opportunities in the last year, as a way to connect and strengthen the scholarly activities occuring at our member schools. We were pleased to receive notice of a National Endowment for the Arts grant on affordable housing design.

Grants

Inspired by the AIA Gateway Commitment to Diversity in April 2008, ACSA has focused on diversity this year. ACSA Director Brian Kelly has pro-active-ly established panel discussions at both of our major conferences, initiated an informal LGBT Breakfast during the Annual Meeting, and has started a collection of best practices and other resources for schools.

Diversity


Current Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents $301,561 Accounts Receivable, Net 74,595 Accrued Interest Receivable 11,622 Prepaid Expenses 19,755

Total Current Assets 407,533

Investments 1,092,081

Property and Equipment 39,628

Cash—Permanently Restricted 30,000

Total Assets 1,569,242

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

Current Liabilities Accounts Payable $45,474 Accrued Expenses 26,106 Deferred Revenue 44,520

Total Current Liabilities 116,100

Net Assets Unrestricted 36,371 Unrestricted - Board Designated 1,386,771 Permanently Restricted 30,000 Total Net Assets 1,453,142 Total Liabilities and Net Assets 1,569,242

Financial Information

% R

EVE

NU

ES

SU

RP

LUS

: $

82

,82

4

% E

XPE

NS

ES NAAB SupportMembership

Publications

Publications

8

66

14

11

31

23

17

14

14

Annual Programs

Annual Programs

Membership

Grants + Contracts

Grants + Contracts

Miscellaneous NAED Support

$1,865,092

AUGUST 31, 2009

$1,782,268

Assets

1 1

Documents

2008-09 ACSA Annual Report