School of Architecture

http://comp.uark.edu/~archhome

Departments, Degree Programs and Courses Archtecture Landscape Architecture	Dean of the School 120 Vol Walker Hall 575-4945	Associate Dean 122 Vol Walker Hall 575-4945
	Dean Daniel D. Bennett, M. Arch. Rice University	Associate Dean Ethel S. Goodstein, Ph.D. University of Michigan

[Degrees Offered] [Admission] [Organizations] [Academic Regulations]

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas houses the two professional design programs of architecture and landscape architecture. The School's programs combine traditional models of professional studio-design education with innovative teaching in history and theory, technology, and urbanism. A broad range of course offerings equips graduates with the knowledge required for the challenges of a changing world. Design instruction occurs in a carefully planned studio sequence, providing educational experiences appropriate for students who wish to pursue both traditional and non-traditional forms of professional practice. Fundamental principles and techniques of problem solving are stressed, and the curriculum strives to empower students by
developing skill, knowledge, and a deep sense of responsibility to the cultures we serve. Design studio projects survey issues and opportunities in built and natural settings, as well as complex social, physical, and cultural relations that constitute the human-made environment.

Accreditation and Membership

The architecture program was founded in 1946 and has been accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) since 1958. The landscape architecture program was established in 1975 and has been accredited by the American Society of Land-scape Architects (ASLA) since 1983. The School holds memberships in the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA), organizations comprised of North American schools of architecture and landscape architecture.

ORGANIZATION, FACILITIES AND RESOURCES

The department of architecture and the School's administrative offices are located in Vol Walker Hall, formerly the university's library building, which has been extensively remodeled to meet the needs of the department and School. The landscape architecture department is located in Memorial Hall. The departments share lecture and studio space in both buildings.

The university's location in northwest Arkansas, an area experiencing rapid growth and change, affords unusual opportunity to study the impact of urbanization in a rural setting. The School includes as part of its programs field trips, guest lectures, research assignments, and other teaching techniques oriented toward major urban and rural problems as means to broaden the educational base of its students.

Classes are also offered in a variety of settings away from the campus. Options include a semester in the school's facility near the Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy; a semester in Bath, England; a summer design studio in Mexico City, Mexico; a semester in a special joint venture studio located in Memphis, Tennessee; and exchange programs with Brighton University, the University of Central England and Cheltenham and Gloucester College in the United Kingdom, and Landbouwuniversitiet in Klageningen, the Netherlands.

The University of Arkansas Community Design Center

The School of Architecture provides community service opportunities through the University of Arkansas Community Design Center (UACDC). The Center was founded in 1995 with the support of the Harvey and Bernice Jones Charitable Trust. The Center utilizes students, faculty, and professional staff to provide technical assistance to the towns and communities of the State of Arkansas in such areas as town and environmental planning, low and moderate income housing, and community and policy development. In addition to providing design leadership, the Center gives students the opportunity to work directly with leaders throughout the state to solve real problems in the context of actual situations and conditions.

The Design Studio

The design studio sequence is the core of each discipline within the School of Archi-tecture. Students spend three afternoons each week in a design studio, with complementary lecture courses taught to allow knowledge from those lectures to inform work produced in design studios. This method is designed to develop and nurture the intellectual and creative skills of students and to allow them to approach problem solving in a disciplined, logical and analytical manner.

Design professionals must be able to conceptualize responses to project programs, to communicate with clients, to present ideas verbally, and to demonstrate ideas graphically. They also need to maintain technical knowledge of building or plant materials and construction technology, must be able to negotiate with contractors and owners to administrate construction, and should be prepared to market their services. In other words, each designer fulfills a multitude of roles, whether practicing alone or as a team member in a large multidisciplined organization.

The design studio consists of a series of projects of increasing complexity, all requiring three-dimensional problem-solving, conceptualization, and final presentation to the studio critic, other faculty members, and fellow students. The amount of material to be covered, the fast pace of assignments, and the pressure of critical reviews by faculty and other students all combine to produce a highly charged and energetic studio atmosphere.

Library Resources

The School of Architecture's publication collection is housed in the Fine Arts Library, located in the Fine Arts Building. This library contains approximately 50,000 catalogued volumes relating to architecture and landscape architecture as well as holdings in related areas of environmental design, art, and music. Approximately 65 professional journal subscriptions are housed in the library. The University of Arkansas library system (Fayetteville campus) contains over one million volumes including a number pertinent to environmental issues.

A collection of over 70,000 slides and 600 videos relating to architecture, architectural history, landscape, and urban design is housed in the School's C. Murray Smart Media Center, which is located in Vol Walker Hall.

Garvan Woodland Gardens

This 210-acre botanical garden located on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is operated by the department of landscape architecture. The land and endowment were the result of a bequest to the department in 1985. The garden is open for group tours by appointment. A master plan outlining future development has been completed and is currently being implemented. The garden includes facilities designed by E. Fay Jones and Maurice Jennings. Students participate in design projects in the garden.

DEGREES OFFERED

The School of Architecture offers five-year professional programs in architecture and landscape architecture; each program culminates in a professional degree, the Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) or Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (B. Landscape Arch.). The Bachelor of Architecture prepares students who aspire to registration and licensure to practice architecture.

Architects do more than design and plan buildings. The architect's unique talents create environments that serve the psychological, economic, and spiritual needs of their clients and communities. Architects help cities and small communities to become safe, healthy, and wholesome places to live. Perhaps most important, architects create, preserve, and inspire beauty in the built environment.

The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree prepares students who aspire to licensure to practice landscape architecture. Landscape architects provide designs for outdoor spaces to meet the needs of society, to protect or enhance the natural environment, and to interpret cultural conditions. Design solutions respond to functional, aesthetic, natural, and historic requirements. Projects are broad in scope, including public parks, golf courses, streetscapes, gardens, urban plazas, housing developments, and college campuses.

The School also offers a four-year program culminating in a non-accredited degree, the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies.

MINORS

Students in architecture and landscape architecture may pursue an academic minor in approved degree programs of other colleges on campus, providing they meet the specific requirements for that minor.

ADMISSION TO THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

All students (including freshman, international, and transfer students) admitted to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, are eligible for participation in the pre-professional programs in the School of Architecture. The requirement for completion of the ARCH and LARC I and II design studios may be fulfilled by a two-semester, fall-spring sequence or by an equivalent and intensive 12-week summer program. Students may elect either, but enrollments in the fall studios are limited through competitive selection. Currently, 40 students are selected from all applicants interested in architecture, and 18 students are selected from all applicants interested in landscape architecture. Priority will be based on high school or transfer GPA, ACT, or SAT scores and given to those who make application prior to March 1. Applicants selected for the fall studio must attend the designated School of Architecture orientation to ensure a space in the fall-spring ARCH or LARC design studio sequence.1

1. Students who require developmental work because of low ACT or SAT scores or University-administered math placement examinations or who require courses to remove deficiencies may not register for courses carrying ENVD, ARCH or LARC departmental designations.²

2. Up on completion of required developmental work and maintaining a grade point average of 2.00 or more on at least 12 credit hours, students may enroll in environmental design (ENVD), architecture (ARCH) or landscape architecture (LARC) courses.

The following program is recommended in planning the first year of pre-professional work. (Course numbers refer to courses on the Fayetteville campus of the University of Arkansas.) This structure offers students from other majors and those from other institutions of higher education the option of transferring into the pre-professional programs after approximately one year of undergraduate study.

HOURS

English composition 6

ENGL 1013, 1023

Mathematics 3

MATH 2043 or 2053 for architecture and MATH 1203 for landscape
architecture

Architectural (or Landscape 10
Architecture) Design

ARCH 1015, 1025, or
LARC 1315, 1325

History and Theory of 2
Environmental Design

ENVD 1211, and 1221

American National Government, 3
U.S. History, or Social Science

WCIV 1003, 1013

PLSC 2003

HIST 2003, 2013

ANTH 1013

ECON 2013, 2143

GEOG 2103, 2203

PSYC 2003

SOCI 2013, 2033

Science Core Requirement 8

PHYS 1044/1040L is required
for architecture and

PHYS 1054/1050L is recommended for architecture and

BOTY 1613/1611L, or BIOL 1543/1541L and GEOL 1113/1111L are required for landscape architecture.

NOTE: The specific courses shown in this catalog as Architecture Design Studio I and II, Landscape Architecture Design Studio I and II, and Introduction to Theory of Environmental Design I and II must be taken at the School of Architecture. Alternate courses recommended for students at other institutions may be substituted subject to approval. Students interested in the architecture program must have satisfied the MATH 2043 (Survey of Calculus) or MATH 2053 (Finite Mathematics) requirement prior to taking ARCH 2124.

Transfer and International Students

Persons who have attended other accredited programs in architecture or landscape architecture should apply to the associate dean's office in the School of Architecture, enclosing a transcript of work completed, and arrange an interview. Studio placement of transfer students will be made only after completion of a personal interview. To become eligible for advanced design studio placement, a transfer student must present a 3.00 grade point average in all design studio work from another accredited program of architecture or landscape architecture. The appropriate faculty upon examination of a portfolio and/or other pertinent materials will consider exemptions from any curriculum requirement, as well as the transfer of professional course work. Consult the associate dean's office regarding submittal requirements. School policy requires that, as a minimum, the final two years of design studio be completed at this School of Architecture.

International students must present a TOEFL score of 550 to become eligible for acceptance into the School. Lack of knowledge or misinterpretation of policies and/or regulations on the part of individual students will not be considered a valid reason for failure to fulfill requirements. Ultimate responsibility for completion of entrance requirements rests with each student.

ADMISSION TO THE
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM
IN ARCHITECTURE

The department of architecture offers prospective students the opportunity to prepare for architectural practice or related endeavors. With this opportunity comes a responsibility for demonstrating a commitment to personal growth and success in the professional program.

Students are admitted to the first year of the architectural curriculum based on criteria established by the University and by the School of Architecture. They are evaluated by grades in course work and by grades and written evaluation each semester for performance and progress in the design studio sequence. It is the responsibility of faculty to advise all students for whom they are responsible on their potential for success in the professional program and beyond. These evaluations are subjective and speculative, however, and students will be responsible for the decision to proceed or not, except in circumstances in which department design review policy applies.

At the completion of the third year of the department of architecture curriculum, including completion of the 35 semester-credit hours of the University's general education core requirement, students may apply for admission to the Professional Degree Program in Architecture (B. Arch.).³ Students will be evaluated for admission on the basis of academic performance in the architecture curriculum, demonstrated commitment to serious work, a sense of responsibility to the opportunities offered by the School of Architecture, and contributions to the school community. Students are required to submit a portfolio of design and academic work along with two letters of recommendation from School of Architecture faculty. One letter is required from a design studio faculty member; the other letter is required from a faculty member who has worked with the student in architectural history or technology courses. These two faculty members should note that they are willing to serve as advocates for the individual student's admission to the professional program. The application documents are due in the architecture program office by the first day of classes of the spring semester. The entire department of architecture faculty will serve as an admissions committee. Admission requires a majority vote of the faculty after review of the portfolio and letters of recommendation.

Upon admission to the professional program, all students, in consultation with an academic adviser, will submit a program of study for the fourth and fifth years of the curriculum. Students are encouraged, through this plan, to take maximum advantage of the opportunities that professional and free electives provide for pre-professional development, cultivation of specialization in and related to the profession, and/or preparation for graduate education. It is assumed that the students admitted to the professional program are continuing in the established studio curriculum sequence. At the time of admission, however, the faculty may recommend or approve an alternative course of study that will allow students to pursue an area of concentration other than design studio in accordance with the letter and spirit of the curricula. Multi-disciplinary alternatives may be developed using electives and coursework from business, engineering and other areas applicable to the practice of architecture.

Students who fail to gain admission to the Bachelor of Architecture degree program will be referred to the School's academic advisers for alternative opportunities and degree programs in the School and the University.

ADMISSION TO THE
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Successful candidates are accepted in the professional program in landscape architecture in the fall of their second year. Applicants must have completed at least 30 hours of college-level work from an accredited institution that is acceptable toward degree credit (exclusive of remedial, orientation or repetitive course work). The 30 hours should include the following: 6 hours of English composition, 3 hours of mathematics, the first two theory courses, and the first two design studios, or consent. Preference is given to those who complete their design studios in Fayetteville.

Admission to the professional program is limited to 18 students each year. Grade point averages are assessed from those courses that will count toward the degree and may include approved courses from other institutions. Applicants who have grade point averages below 2.00 are not accepted.

All students completing the first two design studios will be considered for admission into the professional program unless they notify the department to the contrary. Those students who take the first two design studios during the summer sessions may also be considered for acceptance into the professional program for the succeeding fall term. All candidates will be notified of their acceptance or rejection in writing, normally by the first of August. Those enrolled in the summer studios will be notified no later than one week prior to the start of fall classes. Students may elect to begin the year of pre-professional work on the Fayetteville campus of the University of Arkansas or at any accredited institution of higher education. Students who choose to complete this year of work at other institutions in the State of Arkansas should take the required English composition, math, social science, fine arts/humanities, botany/biology and geology courses.

Regardless of where the pre-professional work is done, 30 hours or more of course work must be completed to qualify for admission to the landscape architecture professional program of the School of Architecture. Only work acceptable toward degree credit in the departmental curriculum will be accepted as part of the 30 hours of required course work. Students who desire to attend other institutions still must take 12 credit hours of pre-professional landscape architecture and environmental design courses or an approved equivalent on the Fayetteville campus.

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Over 50 awards and scholarships, including both merit and need-based scholarships, are available to students in the School of Architecture. Most are awarded annually on the basis of recommendations made by the Honors and Awards Committee of the School of Architecture. Students must complete three semesters in residence with a minimum of 15 hours per semester to meet eligibility requirements for most scholarships. Only work accomplished since entering the School of Architecture will be considered in determining merit awards based on grade point averages.

Applications for scholarships are made through the office of the associate dean. Students must apply by December 15.

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE ORGANIZATIONS

School of Architecture Student Government

The student government organization of the School is formed by the election of a representative from each design studio section. These representatives, in turn, elect a student year coordinator for each studio level in architecture and a student program coordinator representing all landscape architecture levels. These nine coordinators form a student executive committee and serve as a nominating body for a student president who is popularly elected.

American Institute
of Architecture Students

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is a national organization whose purpose is "to organize architecture students and combine their efforts to advance the science and art of architecture, to promote excellence in architectural education, training and practice, and to foster an appreciation of architecture and related disciplines among all persons." AIAS stands with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) to make up the five collateral organizations within the profession.

The AIAS Chapter at the University of Arkansas functions as a service and a social organization, organizing and participating in both on-campus activities, such as Architecture Week, and off-campus activities, such as Forum, the national architecture student convention held each year during the Thanksgiving season. The organization also promotes a good transition into professional life by interacting with AIA members. All students in the School's architecture program are eligible for membership.

American Society of Landscape Architects, Student Chapter

The purpose of the student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects is to bring together the landscape architecture students to combine their interests and efforts, to extend their knowledge of the profession of landscape architecture, and to help advance the profession while preparing for a professional career. Specifically, the chapter initiates student competitions, develops field trips, exchanges ideas between students and professionals, identifies and develops projects of community value, maintains correspondence with other student organizations, and solicits presentations of specialized subjects related to the profession of landscape architecture.

Alpha Rho Chi Fraternity,
Daphnis Chapter

Alpha Rho Chi is the only national professional-social fraternity for architecture and the allied arts. Through Alpha Rho Chi, students with common professional interests can develop lasting relationships among themselves and aid in bridging communication gaps, real or imagined, between students, faculty, and practicing professionals.

The Daphnis Chapter was established in the School of Architecture in 1979. Candidacy for membership is open to any student in the School, as well as, allied majors with selections made by the members on the basis of scholarship, personal ethics, and promise of high professional merit.

The Chapter anticipates the development of activities supplementing the regular scholastic programs, including guest speakers, tours, forums, and research projects designed to broaden the professional experiences of the members.

Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society

The Alpha Eta Chapter of Tau Sigma Delta was established at the School of Architecture in 1977. The organization is the only national collegiate honor society recognized in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and allied arts. Its prime objectives are to emphasize scholarship and character, to stimulate mental achievement, and to recognize students who attain high scholastic standing. All students of the School are eligible for membership.

Elections to membership are made by the existing membership, subject to approval by the faculty, from fourth-year and fifth-year students maintaining a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average. In addition, leadership, character, and promise of professional merit are considered in making selections.

Construction
Specifications Institute

Construction Specification Institute (CSI) is a non-profit technical organization dedicated to the improvement of specifications and building practices in the construction industry through service, education, and research. Founded in 1948, CSI provides a forum for architects, engineers, specification writers, contractors, construction product representatives, students, and others in the construction industry.

The Construction Specification Institute Student Affiliate Chapter was formed at the University of Arkansas in 1993. CSI provides social/networking opportunities for students with area professionals as well as sponsors lectures and seminars on current construction issues.

ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
OF THE SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE

Plus/Minus Grading System

The School of Architecture utilizes a plus/minus grading system that assigns numerical values to 12 different grades. These values are used for architecture or landscape architecture courses when grade point averages are calculated. See page 37 for the method of calculating grade point averages. The 12-step grading system with assigned values is as follows:

A 4.00 C 2.00

A- 3.67 C- 1.67

B+ 3.33 D+ 1.33

B 3.00 D 1.00

B- 2.67 D- 0.67

C+ 2.33 F 0.00

Academic Policies

The following academic policies, beyond the requirements of the University, are applicable to all students in the School of Architecture.

1. Any student receiving a grade of "D (+/-)" or below in two consecutive semesters of the Design Studio sequence must repeat both of the semesters in which the grades were received. A student receiving a grade of "C" or better in a Design Studio may not retake that studio, except under special circumstances with approval of the Department Chair.

2. Each student's progress through the Design Studio sequence is monitored and governed by the faculty and subject to the Design Review process described below.

3. Admission to Architectural Design 4016 is contingent upon admission to the Professional Program in architecture as described above.

4. Prior to graduation, a student must present a 2.00 cumulative grade point average at this institution in both all work attempted and all professional course work attempted.

5. Any student receiving an "I" in a design studio must complete all work necessary to receive a grade prior to the first day of the next studio in the student's prescribed sequence in order to be eligible to enroll in that studio.

6. Any exceptions to the sets of degree requirements listed below must be approved in writing by the student's Department Head and the Associate Dean.

Design Review Board

Design Review is a process by which students may appeal grades in studio design courses or seek resolution of conflicts with studio faculty in which it is believed that there are questions of fairness or equity in the application of the published grading policy of the faculty member. Appeals seeking resolution of conflicts may be made at the end of the semester in which the conflict occurs. In the case of grade appeals, appeals may be made only after the student has received the official grade transcript from the registrar, and review will occur in a meeting of the design review committee in the first week of the subsequent semester. Appeals must be submitted in writing on the appropriate form, which is available from the departmental offices.

Design faculty may submit recommendations for non-continuance in the design sequence to the board, in situations in which there is both the probability of the student receiving a grade of D (+/-) or F and a belief that non-continuance is in the best interest of the student and/or other students enrolled in the School of Architecture. The review board is empowered to withhold the consent for continuance, and the decision regarding a student's progression is binding, regardless of the student's grades.

The design review board for each department shall be appointed, at the beginning of each academic year, and chaired by the department chair. The decisions of the board will be communicated in writing to the student by the department chair.

Off-Campus Study Requirement

Each student in the department of architecture is required to complete an approved off-campus study experience focusing upon complex urban relationships, and fostering cultural diversity. Approved programs include a semester in Rome and a summer design studio in Mexico City.

Each student in the department of landscape architecture is required to participate in the program in Bath, England. This program exposes students to urban issues and planning approaches. The program takes place in the spring semester of each student's third year of design studios.

A special international programs fee supports the School of Architecture's international programs. These fees are assessed to all students participating in the architecture and landscape architecture design studio classes designated in the "Fees and Cost Estimates" section of this catalog, and Landscape Architecture 3914. The international program fees offset costs of maintaining off-campus programs that are not a part of the School's university-funded budget, as well as enhancing student-centered activities. The fees are non-refundable under any circumstances, including withdrawal from the respective programs. For further information, see notes on related program fees under "Fees and Cost Estimates" for the university.

Cooperative Education Program

Cooperative education offers architecture and landscape architecture students an opportunity to participate in a paid work experience directly related to their academic studies in the School of Architecture. Students participating in the program must have completed all the requirements of the first three years of the program. Placement will be based on positions available and on academic qualifications, including a minimum 2.50 grade point. The period of cooperative work experience usually ranges from nine to 15 months.

Information about cooperative education may be obtained from the office of the associate dean.

Portfolios

Students are required to maintain portfolios documenting all academic and design studio work. These portfolios are evaluated at the time the students apply to professional degree programs. They are also used to measure individual progress.

Ownership of Work

All work submitted for credit, including design studio projects, becomes the property of the School of Architecture.

School Computer Policy

All students enrolled in the School of Architecture are required to supply, by the beginning of the second semester of the second year, a personal computer matching or exceeding a specification issued by faculty. This specification, which is updated annually, is available through the office of the associate dean. A substantial amount of software may be required depending on specific course requirements.

Honor Roll

In accordance with University policy, the School of Architecture publishes an honor roll at the close of each semester.

GRADUATION WITH HONORS

Students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance in baccalaureate degree programs will be recognized at graduation by the honors designation of cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude. To earn this distinction, the student must meet the following criteria:

1. At least the final two years of the degree course work must have been completed at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

2. For cum laude, the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

3. For magna cum laude, the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.65 or higher.

4. For summa cum laude, the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.80 or higher.

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