Stephen Dent, associate professor, University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning, recently received a $5,000 grant from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards to create a series of professional-level courses to be taught at the UNM School of Architecture and Planning by practitioner/educators and offered to interns, practicing professionals and advanced students.
Photo: Steven Dent
“Reconsidering the role of practitioner/educators could be instrumental in addressing the gap between practice and the academy, strengthen the continuum of the architectural education process, and transform training of interns into education of interns,” Dent said, adding, “These courses would cover the topic areas that are generally considered to be the most critical in the gap between the academy and practice.”
Geraldine Forbes Isais, director, UNM architecture program, said, “The grant brings all groups together – students, interns and professionals – using an educational facility and forum to deliver professional education. The grant will help us bridge between practice, training and architectural theory and design. In addition to students and professionals, interns, who are in line to become practicing professionals, can advance their training and education.”
The proposed classes would be taught by local experts in various topics, recruited from local offices, and mentored in course development and classroom skills by UNM “master teachers.”
“Teaching examples drawn from locally accessible projects gives them a richness and immediacy that is difficult to duplicate in abstract or distant projects. Courses will be taught in a variety of formats based upon information needs, using computer pods, seminar rooms, design studios, offices or even a construction site,” Dent said.
He said that faculty will assist practitioner/educators in teaching methods, especially in preparing course materials that place the topic in its larger context – reflecting both theory and practice.
Funding for the NCARB grant will pay for Dent, as principal investigator, and a graduate research assistant to survey architectural interns to determine most needed courses, recruit most qualified educator/practitioners, supervise course development and coordinate outreach efforts and enrollment.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at January 16, 2008 09:30 AM