An Overview of the Accreditation Process
and Important Policies
Megan Scanlan, Director of Accreditation, [email protected]
Stacy Wright, Site Visit and Meeting Coordinator, [email protected]
“The future of the interior design profession
depends on how well the next generation of
designers is prepared to meet the ever changing
challenges of our environment. Quality interior
design education sets the foundation for students
to enter the profession prepared to meet these
challenges.”
- John A. Lijewski, FIIDA
CIDA Board of Directors
Purpose of Accreditation
Accreditation is a quality assurance process
 Promotes achievement of high academic
standards
 Discipline-specific accreditation process
includes program self-evaluation and peer
review

Role of Volunteers
Peer evaluation is the cornerstone of
accreditation
 All CIDA evaluators and decision-makers are
volunteers
 CIDA staff administers the process, volunteers
are experts in the field of interior design

Peer Review
Site Visitors
- on-site evaluators
- review other team’s findings
 Accreditation Commission
-makes final decisions on accreditation

Initiating the Process
CIDA accreditation is voluntary
 Programs contact CIDA to begin the process
 CIDA staff provide information and support
 CIDA website provides information and
resources for programs and site visitors

Candidacy Status
Candidacy is a pre-accreditation status
available to new programs/programs in
development
 Granted for a non-renewable term that cannot
exceed 5 years
 Process for seeking candidacy modeled after
accreditation process
 Attainment of candidacy status does not
guarantee program will eventually be
accredited

Candidacy and Accreditation:
What’s the difference?
In order to be eligible to seek accreditation, a
program must graduate 2 classes
 In order to be eligible to seek candidacy status,
a program must be in operation for 2 full
academic years

Candidacy and Accreditation:
What’s the difference?
A program seeking candidacy status does not
need to be in compliance/partial compliance
with all Standards
 A program seeking accreditation must be in
compliance/partial compliance with all
Standards

Applying for Accreditation

Programs must demonstrate eligibility
- Institutional accreditation/recognition
- Minimum of bachelor’s degree
- 30 semester credit hours liberal arts & sciences
- Graduation of 2 classes
 Assessment of readiness
 Application status confidential
Self-Study
CIDA encourages programs to regularly engage
in effective self-study/analysis
 Programs must conduct a self-study process in
preparation for a CIDA review


CIDA provides Guidance for Self-study
Program Analysis Report
Program Analysis Report (PAR) communicates
results of program’s self-study
 Includes institutional and program data and
background information
 Analysis provided for each Standard addresses
strengths and weaknesses and program
compliance
 Includes the Curriculum Matrix

Program Analysis Report
Due 8 weeks prior to site visit
 Program submits a copy to CIDA office and
each member of visiting team
 Hard copy and electronic copy submitted

The Site Visit
Preparation
 Visiting teams formed 1 year in advance
 Team members begin communicating
approximately 8 weeks in advance (sometimes
earlier depending on the team chair or cochair)
 Travel arrangements made 6 weeks in advance
 Materials received from CIDA office 1 month in
advance
 Site visit schedule organized 1 month in
advance
The Site Visit
Site visitors arrive in the host city on Friday, site
visit begins Saturday morning
 Visiting team reviews student work, interviews
faculty and students, observes classes, tours
facilities
 Visiting team works on Visiting Team Report
(VTR) and prepares for interviews during
evening work sessions

After the Site Visit
Visiting Team Report (VTR) due in the CIDA
office 1 week after the site visit
 CIDA staff and two Accreditation
Commissioners review and edit VTR
 Visiting team receives an edited version of the
report and a memo with questions about report
content

After the Site Visit
VTR is sent to the program for review and
response
 Program can address technical errors, content
concerns, and plans for improvement related to
weaknesses cited in VTR
 Visiting team asked to respond to content
concerns

After the Site Visit
All Visiting Team Reports and any program
responses are sent to groups of trained site
visitors for review
 Site visitors asked to provide input on the
application of Standards within these reports
 Site visitor feedback is sent to the
Accreditation Commission

Accreditation Decision
Accreditation Commission meets in spring and
summer
 In order to make decisions, Commissioners
review all of the materials collected throughout
the accreditation process (PAR, VTR, program
response, site visitor comments, etc.)
 CIDA’s list of accredited programs updated
after each meeting

Monitoring
All programs monitored to ensure they remain
in compliance with Standards throughout the
term of accreditation
 Progress Report
 Interim visit

Reaccreditation
Program revisited at the end of each 6 year
term to maintain accreditation
 A fresh look at the program
 Accredited programs do not submit an
application
