October 29, 2004

BOISE STATE’S ART DEPARTMENT RECEIVES ACCREDITATION

Boise State University’s Department of Art was recently granted accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design’s Commission on Accreditation. NASAD is the accrediting agency for approximately 240 schools of art and design out of several hundred across the country in an effort to foster high standards for art and design education. Boise State joins the University of Idaho as one of only two such accredited programs in Idaho. Evaluators were especially impressed with the quality and breadth of students’ work, which they felt measured up to that of top tier schools across the nation, said department chair Richard Young. Boise State’s Art Department is one of the largest academic departments on campus, with about 600 majors. The department offers emphases in the following areas: art metals, ceramics, drawing, interdisciplinary studio, painting, printmaking, photography and sculpture. Accreditation is the process by which the work of a department or program is independently evaluated to see if it meets educational objectives. Evaluations focus on educational quality, institutional integrity and educational improvements. In short, accreditation is a stamp of approval for an institution showing that it meets the standards necessary to help students develop competence in a variety of art programs. “NASAD has acknowledged the depth and quality of our programs and faculty and the exceptional work being created by our students,” said Young. “This also acknowledges the contributions by an incredible group of emeritus faculty who built the program.  Our department looks forward to working with NASAD, maintaining the highest standards of achievement and gaining increased national recognition.” In addition to the quality of student work, the following strengths were identified during the accreditation process:   Faculty members not only carried full class loads, they also act as visiting artists at other universities, devoted out-of-class time to student mentoring and preparing for local, regional and national exhibitions of their work.   The department has strong support from upper administration in its efforts to grow and expand, including the acquisition of 10,000-square-feet of additional space in the former Office Depot building and expansion of the graphic design program.   The department’s increased collaboration with the city, including its growing role as a resource for businesses. The accreditation will be reviewed in five years, after which it will be reviewed every 10 years. -30- Contact: Richard Young, Department of Art, (208) 426-3561, ryoung@boisestate.edu                                                               Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, communications and marketing, (208) 426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu