In education and academia news, 2016 had its fair share of architecture's everlasting debate over Theory v. Practice, while also making a big move towards improving students' rights. Check out our most significant News stories from the world of architecture school in 2016:

Peter Zellner to launch the Free School of Architecture, a tuition-free, experimental architecture school

The FSA is a tuition-free post-graduate school in Los Angeles, to be launched in 2017. While free, the school won't be accredited, nor based in a static location, and also be capped at 48 students by 2020 – characteristics that commentators were critical of, for concern it could turn into a pure ideas salon. Zellner aligned the school with the radical pedagogical departures taken by Ray Kappe at SCI-Arc and Peter Eisenman at the IAUS.

Following a landmark decision, graduate students will now be able to unionize

The decision overturned a 2004 precedent set by the National Labor Relations Board, that determined students at private universities could not be considered employees, and therefore could not collectively bargain. Architecture students were a vocal faction among the many student advocates, pushing for more timely pay and clearer teaching responsibilities.

UK architecture students seeking mental health care is on the rise, according to Architects' Journal survey

Extreme working conditions and lack of sleep have long been taken for granted in architecture education. As further evidence emerges of how sleep deprivation damages creativity and mental health, the stigma around students seeking help for such conditions needs to be dispelled.

A girls-only summer camp for aspiring architects and engineers

This Florida summer camp encourages girls to pursue architecture and engineering, in hopes of eventually balancing out those typically male-dominated fields. The relatively benign story provoked a comment-storm of arguments over gender theory and social engineering, questioning gender-based methods as the best way to create more equitable societies.

Alejandro Zaera-Polo sues Princeton University for libel

In 2014, Zaera-Polo was asked to resign from his position as Princeton's architecture dean in the wake of allegations that he had plagiarized texts used in a Venice Biennale exhibition that same year. Zaera-Polo's 2016 lawsuit against Princeton alleges they sullied his name and breached his contract, and the ongoing dispute could have lasting influence on deans' administrative supervision.

The Yale architecture studio where students must pitch to "an actual client"

Considering the perennial discussion around how much reality should be let into architecture education, this Yale undergraduate studio was a student favorite. Commentator "citizen" summed it up best: "Exposure to real clients is a good thing. It's also unfortunate (and telling) that this arrangement is rare enough that it warrants mention."

Keep an eye out for our other 2016 News round-ups, and let us know of any big stories that you want to submit for review.