The CDR Makes the Grade

To meet the requirements of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, a team of reviewers composed of members from other universities came to conduct a review. The reviewers focus on whether the Design Department meets NASAD standards and guidelines for Mission, Goals, and Objectives, Size and Scope, and Finances. It is a detailed review that takes several days and ends with a report on whether the school meets the requirements. Due to the significant amount done by faculty and administration in preparation for the visit, the NASAD representatives were impressed and awarded a continuation of the vital accreditation. In reviewing the entire department's teaching, facilities, and others, they commented on the CDR:

Center for Design Research (CDR). The Center for Design Research (CDR) is an impressive working laboratory and incubator supporting multidisciplinary research. Research projects, including vehicle usability safety and others discussed during the on-site tour of facilities, are impressive. Several research universities have established similar industry-sponsored research laboratories, but the realized mission of this lab and the work it produces appears a cut above the rest. CDR is one of the most impressive research centers of its type that visitors have seen. Students, faculty, and industry experts from multiple disciplines collaborate with university researchers to create imaginative and practical ways to innovate consumer products and services. Located on the institution’s West Campus the facilities are housed within a repurposed historic stone barn and farmhouse, and a LEED Platinum-certified building. The complex includes studio collaboration and lab space to support teaching and interdisciplinary research. The facility is equipped with sophisticated computer technology, reportedly some of the most advanced at the institution. A visual communication book arts class is currently being taught in the “old barn” portion of the facility as a prelude to more collaborative research initiatives. The facility is sustainably designed using passive solar construction and green technology including solar panels, a green roof, a wind turbine, a smart-grid electrical metering system, a green fern rain garden, and a station for charging electric vehicles.