Orientation for New Site Visitors

CIDA’s Mission, Value, and the Guiding Principles of Peer Review

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Introduction

This presentation will introduce CIDA’s mission, values, and the guiding principles of peer review. Before participating in a site visit, you should review the training presentations on CIDA’s website, the Site Visitor Handbook, and attend an in-person training workshop.

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CIDA’s Mission

The Council for Interior Design Accreditation provides the foundation for future excellence in the interior

design profession by setting standards for education and accrediting academic programs that meet those

standards.

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Value of CIDA

Accreditation is a quality assurance process that replaces government regulation of higher education.

Accreditation is a process of program self-evaluation and peer review.

CIDA is a specialized (discipline-specific) accreditor. CIDA accredits interior design programs that culminate

in a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

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Value of CIDA

Accreditation promotes the achievement of high academic standards and makes education responsive to student and society.

Volunteer site visitors are essential to the accreditation process.

Site visitors serve as ambassadors of CIDA by promoting understanding of it’s mission and work to interior design programs and the community at large.

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Value of CIDA

CIDA ensures quality in interior design education by:Setting standards for postsecondary interior design

education.Evaluating and accrediting interior design programs at

colleges and universities.Facilitating outreach and collaboration with all

stakeholders in the interior design community.

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Value of CIDA

Setting Standards: A core responsibility of CIDA is to set and periodically

update standards for interior design education. CIDA exercises a well-established protocol in

developing educational standards. CIDA’s Standards Committee stewards the standard-

setting process.

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Value of CIDA

Setting Standards: Major standards revisions are conducted on a 5- to 10-

year cycle and encompass all standards criteria. Limited standards revisions are conducted on an as-

needed basis and encompass select standards criteria. CIDA just completed a major standards development

project that resulted in the implementation of new standards (Professional Standards 2009) on July 1, 2009.

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Value of CIDA

Evaluating and accrediting interior design programs: CIDA’s Standards are used to review and evaluate

interior design programs. The accreditation process includes program self-

evaluation and an on-site review conducted by volunteer site visitors.

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Value of CIDA

Evaluating and accrediting interior design programs: CIDA’s seven-member Accreditation Commission

(composed of 5 experienced site visitors, 1 accredited program representative, and 1 public representative) reviews all information collected throughout the accreditation process.

The Accreditation Commission decides to grant or deny accreditation depending on a program’s level of compliance with the Standards.

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Value of CIDA

Facilitating outreach: CIDA consistently communicates with all relevant

stakeholders in the interior design community. This communication guides CIDA’s outreach efforts

and actions. These efforts and actions utilize brainstorming,

teamwork, and consensus-building to address issues and concerns in the interior design community.

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Value of CIDA

Examples of CIDA’s outreach efforts include: Interior Design Profession’s Body of Knowledge, 2005 and

2009 Updates, joint sponsorship with 4 other design associations.

Future Vision 2006, interior design visionaries from education and practice participated in a joint session with CIDA’s Board of Directors to describe priorities for future interior design curriculum.

Careers in Interior Design Website – www.careersininteriordesign.com

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Value of CIDA

As a site visitor, you will assist CIDA in serving: Academic programs Parents and students The interior design profession

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Value of CIDA

CIDA serves academic programs by: Facilitating self-assessment and development by

requiring programs to complete a self-study process. CIDA accreditation also acts as a strong marketing tool

and helps programs fulfill enrollment goals.

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Value of CIDA

CIDA serves student and parents by: Assisting them in selecting the right school. CIDA accreditation serves as a strong indicator of

quality for those looking at various schools and programs.

Accreditation also provides an objective third-party assessment of these programs.

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Value of CIDA

CIDA serves the profession by: Assuring employers that interns and potential

employees with CIDA accredited degrees have received an education that meets specific standards of competency.

Assuring potential clients that designers will meet professional standards.

CIDA accreditation serves interior design professional organizations’ commitment to enhancing and strengthening education and the profession.

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Guiding Principles of Peer Review

Site visitors are drawn from the field of interior design and have an essential role in the accreditation process.

Site visitors participate in the peer review process by gathering evidence and making informed decisions regarding program compliance using CIDA’s Professional Standards for evaluation.

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Guiding Principles of Peer Review

The goal of peer review is to evaluate a program’s compliance with CIDA Standards and to document this evaluation clearly in a written report.

You must always use unbiased judgment when determining program compliance.

Following good practices for peer review will help you perform well in the role of site visitor. Examples of these practices are outlined in the following slides.

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Guiding Principles of Peer Review

Always use your background and experience to make informed judgments regarding program quality.

CIDA visiting teams consist of three members, each team includes at least one educator and one practitioner.

CIDA site visitors are experts who come together to evaluate the quality of an interior design program.

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Guiding Principles of Peer Review

Focus only on criteria included in CIDA’s Standards for evaluation.

CIDA Standards are based upon thorough research into the interior design field and must be applied equally to each program that is reviewed.

The visiting team’s evaluation must not be excessively influenced by one team member’s area of expertise or ideas regarding the necessary requirements for practice.

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Guiding Principles of Peer Review

Accreditation uses threshold standards as a measure of quality – CIDA accreditation status makes no distinction between programs that meet standards and those that exceed standards.

Not all programs will exceed CIDA Standards. When reviewing a program, be objective. Comparisons to other programs are strictly prohibited.

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Guiding Principles of Peer Review

As a site visitor, you must observe appropriate protocols.

Professional courtesy sets the stage for respectful dialogue between site visitors, program representatives, and others engaged in the review process.