In October 2004, The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), voted to grant Associate Membership to the School of Creative Arts at the University of Saint Francis.
NASAD, founded in 1944, is an organization of schools, colleges, and universities. It has approximately 240 accredited institutional members. It establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials. NASAD provides information to potential students and parents, consultations, statistical information, professional development; and policy analysis.
What does accreditation mean? Accreditation is a non-governmental system of academic review. It is a process which periodically evaluates and produces an independent judgment by peers about the extent to which an institution or program achieves its own educational objectives and meets the standards established by an Association. Standards address operational and curricular issues fundamental to educational quality.
The granting of accredited Membership by the Commission on Accreditation signifies that an institution has successfully demonstrated compliance with the procedures, standards, and guidelines of the Association. Integral to this voluntary process is ongoing, regularized self-evaluation and peer review.
Accreditation, in practical terms, is a stamp of approval, a sign that an institution ascribes to, believes in, and has met an external set of basic criteria for the programs it offers. In some cases, accreditation assists in the transfer of credits from one institution to another. In all cases, it indicates that threshold standards are adhered to in a fashion that provides a base of academic strength and operational integrity.
The School of Creative Arts at the University of Saint Francis is located in the new state of the art Mimi and Ian Rolland Center. So successful is the School of Creative Arts that presently 85% of the graduates are employed in their respective fields. The curriculum is flexible, broad-based and satisfies many student needs. The newest program, Computer Art, is supported by numerous software and platforms, which will prepare students to enter a very diverse and competitive market.
More information on the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Posted by Admin at January 12, 2005 04:11 PM