This type of dialogue is needed to elicit much needed interaction between practitioners and educators for the continued improvement of interior design educational standards. There is also a need to focus discussion on the necessity for professional support of a strong accreditation process. It is important to remember that the accreditation process is voluntary. First, some may not be complete programs and therefore not accreditable. Finally, some may not have the desire or economic ability to apply.
Accreditation does have a cost.
Running a viable program also has costs, and programs that cannot afford to apply for accreditation could be looked at as not being seriously viable schools. The topic of how design education should be conducted has become a hot subject. This type of dialogue is needed to elicit much needed interaction between practitioners and educators for the continued improvement of interior design educational standards. This is a pretty impressive number when one considers the voluntary nature of accreditation, and the fact that in order to even apply for accreditation, a program must meet certain minimum qualifications. Program administrators, therefore, must see value in having an accreditation status.