Woodbury University School of Media, Culture & Design Awarded 10-Year Extension of NASAD Accreditation

    LOS ANGELES, CA, December 17, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In a ringing endorsement, the NASAD Commission on Accreditation has granted renewal of membership to Woodbury University's School of Media, Culture & Design (MCD) and its undergraduate art, media, and design programs, for the maximum period of 10 years, the university announced today.

Founded in 1944, NASAD, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, is comprised of schools, colleges, and universities across the United States. With some 323 accredited institutional members, NASAD establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials. Its primary responsibility is the accreditation of education programs in art and design, including the establishment of curricular standards and guidelines for specific degrees and credentials. NASAD is recognized by the United States Department of Education as the agency responsible for the accreditation of all art and design curricula.

"This is an astounding achievement, particularly in light of the fact that two of the programs -- Filmmaking and Game Art & Design -- were launched just a few years ago, at the start of our initial five-year accreditation cycle," said Edward Clift, Ph.D., Dean of the School. "This is a tribute to all the chairs, faculty and staff who were involved in this re-accreditation effort, and to the sustaining support of President Luis Calingo, Provost David Dauwalder, Associate VP of Academic Affairs Randy Stauffer, Architecture Dean Norman Millar, and all the other members of Woodbury's Cabinet. "

Clift lauded a number of individuals for their assistance in the accreditation process:
o Doug Post, NASAD Institutional Representative and Chair of Design Foundation
o Carolee Toon, Emeritus Professor and former Chair of Design Foundation
o Sue Vessella, MCD Associate Dean, Assessment Director, and Chair of Graphic Design
o Dave Collins, Chair of Filmmaking
o Bruce Cook, (former) Chair of Filmmaking
o William Novak, Chair of Game Art & Design
o Kathryn Hagen, Chair of Fashion Design
o Dori Littell-Herrick, Chair of Animation
o Kristen King, (former) Chair of Interior Architecture
o Kris Christ, Administrative Coordinator

Woodbury University's School of Media, Culture & Design is a thriving, dynamic school with the special mission of educating the next generation of creative professionals. MCD is located in Burbank, widely recognized as one of the world's media centers. The School's mix of major degree-granting programs covers almost every facet of contemporary culture. Students typically learn directly from faculty who work in the surrounding creative economy. They also benefit from small class sizes, new digital infrastructure, and enriching student life programs.

Accreditation is a non-governmental system of academic review. According to NASAD, the organization's process periodically evaluates and produces an independent judgment by peers about the extent to which an institution or program achieves its own educational objectives and meets the standards established by an Association. Standards address operational and curricular issues fundamental to educational quality. The granting of accredited Membership by the Commission on Accreditation signifies that an institution has successfully demonstrated compliance with the procedures, standards, and guidelines of the Association. Integral to this voluntary process is ongoing, regularized self-evaluation and peer review.

"Accreditation, in practical terms, is a stamp of approval, a sign that an institution ascribes to, believes in, and has met an external set of basic criteria for the programs it offers," the NASAD website notes. "In some cases, accreditation assists in the transfer of credits from one institution to another. In all cases, it indicates that threshold standards are adhered to in a fashion that provides a base of academic strength and operational integrity." The next full review will occur during the 2023-2024 academic year.

About Woodbury University
Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. Woodbury offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and College of Transdisciplinarity, along with a Master of Arts (MA) in Media for Social Justice, Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Interior Architecture (MIA), Master of Science in Architecture (MSArch), and Master of Leadership. The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees, as well as an MSArch degree with concentrations in Real Estate Development and Landscape + Urbanism. Woodbury ranks 15th among the nation's "25 Colleges That Add the Most Value," according to Money Magazine. Visit http://www.woodbury.edu for more information.

Media Contact:
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
(323) 469-3397
[email protected]

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