M E M O R A N D U M

							
							January 19, 2010


To:	           Members of the Board of Trustees

From:		Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor

Subject:	Degree Authorization for the State University College 
of Technology at Alfred
	

	I recommend that the Board of Trustees adopt the following resolution:

Resolved that the Chancellor be, and hereby is, directed to seek the authorization of the Board of Regents for the State University College of Technology at Alfred to confer the degree of Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch.).


Background

	Approval of this resolution will authorize the State University College of Technology at Alfred to confer the Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch.) degree, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents.  Degree authorization is necessary as the award represents Alfred State College�s first use of the Bachelor of Architecture degree.  

        The Bachelor of Architecture degree is consistent with the mission of Alfred State College.  In 1999 the College established the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Technology.  Building on a decade of experience in offering baccalaureate-level architectural education, the B. Arch program will provide access to a professional architecture program that is licensure-qualifying, technical in nature, and facilitates employment in the field.  The projected full- and part-time enrollment will be approximately 21 students in the first year growing to 200 students after the fifth year. 

Consistent with National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) standards, the B. Arch. curriculum is designed as a five-year program.  In addition to a rigorous course of study in the major, the 158-credit curriculum exceeds both the SUNY General Education Requirement, as well as the NAAB requirement of 45 credits in non-architectural content.  The proposed program was positively reviewed by a team of external evaluators, one of whom observed that some of the programmatic student learning outcomes support the direction of creating �a program that is focused on the paradigms of professional practice and is responsive to the current need in offices of a shift to integrated project delivery � one of the themes of the current revision process for the NAAB Conditions and Procedures.�  

        The College proposes to create a NAAB-accredited Bachelor of Architecture program focused on the principles of Integrated Project Delivery and sustainability.  The B. Arch. program will capitalize on the strengths of Alfred State College�s existing design studio courses, which combine various construction methodologies and environmental technology through a series of projects that increase in difficulty and complexity. The proposed program will expand the projects in sustainable design, historic preservation and urban planning to include advanced mechanical and structural systems and to encourage green building solutions in all studios.  Additional required coursework and electives in construction management, building codes, and structural systems will also be included.  The College is committed to providing the necessary space for the program and hiring an additional architectural faculty member. 

        This professional degree program will prepare graduates to enter the NYS workforce and easily qualify for licensure or transfer to a graduate program.  The NYS Department of Labor list architects as having �favorable� prospects, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts that the field will grow as fast as or faster than the average for all occupations throughout 2016, projecting an increase of approximately 18 percent.  The Alfred State College B. Arch. program will help meet the need for architects in the area of sustainable design, both in new construction and in the retro-fitting of existing buildings. 
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Board Resolution	January 19, 2010