The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) today called for Congress to pass legislation that includes architecture school graduates in the same programs that offer other graduates loan debt assistance if they donate their services to their communities and elsewhere. — aia.org
The AIA/AIAS initiative comes as both President Obama this past weekend and likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney today urged Congress to head off a scheduled increase in student loan interest rates this July.
Also today, the AIAS released a survey of almost 600 architect school graduates showing that graduating architecture students carry a much higher amount of undergraduate student debt - $40,000 on average – than the national student loan debt average of $25,000. AIAS members will visit Capitol Hill in July to lobby lawmakers on these issues.
“There are numerous opportunities for young talented architects to use their skills to help rebuild our nation’s communities,” said AIA President Jeff Potter, FAIA. “Yet, more and more young architects are leaving the profession because they cannot afford to remain; this brain-drain will have major implications for our communities and the construction industry in the years ahead.”
“The AIA and AIAS are not asking for a handout; rather, we want Congress to provide the ability of architecture graduates to use their talents in underserved communities in exchange for debt assistance, just as Congress has provided for doctors, lawyers, teachers and others,” said Potter.
The survey also found that architecture students face a large amount of hidden costs that are not part of the listed tuition fees of a program. Specifically, the survey showed that architecture students spend more than $1,000 annually on materials for models and project submissions. Textbooks amount to another $800 per year, and technology spending accounts for an additional $1,500 per year. Thus, over the course of a 4 year Bachelor’s program, most students will spend an additional $13,200 in related school costs, with a six-year Master’s course of study leading to $19,800 in these types of expenses.
“The current trends in the pursuit of Architecture as a career, and the realities of the current economy and the anticipated progression of the recovery, demanded that the AIAS look at our members’ perception and expectations for the future,” said AIAS President Nick Mancusi, Associate AIA. “In order to remain relevant, our organization and the profession as a whole needs to be aware of the next generation’s concerns and offer information and resources to support those capable and willing citizens as they graduate and engage with their community.”
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“There are numerous opportunities for young talented architects to use their skills to help rebuild our nation’s communities,” said AIA President Jeff Potter, FAIA. “Yet, more and more young architects are leaving the profession because they cannot afford to remain; this brain-drain will have major implications for our communities and the construction industry in the years ahead.”
Young Architects.....not to be confused with "interns"....so only licensed Architects would be eligible for this program.
hopefully that's a communication error made by jeff potter and architecture school graduates refers to both graduate and undergraduate degree holders regardless of whether they hold a license to practice. otherwise, this lobbying effort is pretty useless.
seems like this could potentially be really awesome though.
I hope you're right Micah. I wouldn't mind getting my hands dirty on pro-bono work do get rid of some of my student debt. You could probably get some IDP hours completed through this as well and would go a long way to easing concerns about recent grads not being able to find work in order to get through IDP.
neither would i. actually, my plan is to do a small design/build program between now and when (if) i go back to graduate school provided i don't find some professional experience that allows me to yield a hammer on a construction site. speaking of, brian, i noticed you have a blog here about finding your first job...how's that going? i see we're both '11 grads and possibly like me you're still jobless?
Yes, still jobless and about to be even more jobless (my part-time job is upgrading equipment soon and my current position will be unnecessary). I've been meaning to update the old blog for a while now I just haven't made the time to sit down and write a post.
ouch. it's a strange world we live in where college grads can't even work part-time jobs let alone internships or (god forbid) a full-time job.
Seems like we are asking the government to help us pay for our poor choices instead of asking the more difficult questions as a profession. Like, whether we are spending this borrowed money on something that will provide a sustainable career. Or, whether the education we are paying for costs more than it is worth. I don't mean to be a downer, but we made the choice to get into debt to begin with and there are much more important things our tax dollars can be doing other than debt relief for architects. We got ourselves into this mess and it is up to us to get ourselves out. And... it's not pro-bono if you are benefiting financially from it.
Micah and Brian. Sorry to hear about your situation. I was a 2010 grad and it took just shy of a full year for me to get my first architecture job. Keep pushing it, it will come. And seriously, some employer will notice if you are really making the effort to find a job. After that first job, the second one comes much easier. I am hopeful that this pro-bono initiative will open some new possibilities both for recent grads and communities that could use some essential design/construction.
Lee. I think that is slightly reductionist thinking because I do not disagree with any one statement you make it still doesn’t account for the complexity of the problem. What we were really thinking at 18 when we decided to go to college and all the influences on us is not easily accounted for years, seven for me, down the road. But I don’t think that the AIA is asking for anything unlike what we have seen in Americorp, Teach for America, etc. And I think it is in a country’s best interest to back their investments, they don’t really wish to see all the college education they have paid (loaned) for go to waste.
You guys have got to be kidding right? There is no way that the powerful stakeholders are going to let unlicensed architects engage in public service pro bono work.
Young architects means exactly what it says, young architects.
For all you interns, you hopes will be crushed, yo!
Any Architectural student, undergrad/grad needs to connect with a Mentor..an Architect that will take them under their wing, and besides knowing the theory in the classroom actually apply the skill into actually designing/planning and completing a full-set of plans for a given project from scratch..only with some corrections from the Pro..your Architectural Mentor.
The best way is to know how to sell/market your own "Brand" that's you. Start by selecting Architects right out of the Yellow pages/google in your area...like for instance, I'm into designing Industrial/Commercial Buildings..and want to specialize in this area...building boxes but by using my "creative" talents and new innovations and technologies...like knowing some of the basics, AutoCad, strong graphics, Sketchup, Vray, BIM(Revit)abilities...just to name a few of these desciplines.
Now get out there..and I honestly don't want to listen to your complaining...have confidence in yourself..and get that invite/job and career on track...or else!!!..smiling..
http://www.gkw-design-and-associates.net
I don't think that this would be asking for some sort of handout from the government. Lee, you say there are much more important things that our tax money could be doing than just debt relief and I agree. However, this could be opportunity to take out two birds with one stone.
This debt relief has the ability to get work done for our communities and local governments, places where tax dollars are probably best spent. What's the difference between a community getting a government grant to pay architecture firm ABC to design project DEF and contractor XYZ to build it, and some other version of that scenario where architecture firm ABC agrees to do the design pro-bono and then mentors some young architects or even interns they've taken on for the project?
The AIAS already has Freedom By Design in place and working in various communities to provide pro-bono work in exchange for teaching opportunities for architecture students. From what I've seen many of the professionals engaged in working with students through FBD are willing to donate time, services, and materials and I don't think that would change much if the students suddenly became recent grads looking for some debt relief. I'm not saying FBD is the only way this could happen, the AIA could create a similar program for this pro-bono work with incentives and enticements to get firms willing to participate and train the next generation of architects.
I know it's tough out there in the real world...especially after 5 years of college...architectural degree in hand and full of hope and anticipation for success. Just to share with you, it's always been like that, even when our economic future is uncertain...ask the Politicians or don't. Just some advice, don't count on your education alone to land your first 'gig'...but besides sending all those Resumes out on the Internet/ Linkedin.com..."start" your own group and start using all Social Media outlets, Linkedin, twitter, facebook, myspace...and with this investment in your time...this will help you in possible collaboration..networking..and getting your 'brand' out there.
Also start visiting all of your local Architects...hi my name is?...and I'm seeking a mentor and I'm certain I will make you happy with my dedication, work ethic..and skill set.
lee, it's difficult for me to understand how you think a mutually beneficial program is "asking the government to help us pay for our poor choices". i think if i could reduce my debt by volunteering with habitat, architecture for humanity, or another humanitarian organization that could be created because of this initiative, that would not only directly make life better for real people by expanding the capabilities of these philanthropic organizations, but it would also equip recent grads with a skill while allowing them to contribute to the economy faster by shrinking the amount of their paycheck they'll pay to the government once they actually do find a source for income. everybody wins.
and to also pick up on what mark said, at 18 when i was deciding to go to school it was 2007 and the economy was great. the housing bubble hadn't yet burst and every college recruiter would have told me that architecture was a great investment in my future. i agree with you lee that there are real systemic problems with our higher education system and young people have found ourselves caught up in a problem that we didn't create. we face problems that the generation before us didn't have to face, and you're right, it is up to us to get ourselves out of this mess and hopefully correct the wrongs for the next generation that have been dealt to us.
Young, unlicensed, soon-to-be architects quite often have the best ideas. Unburdened by the ills of liability and construction contracts they are free to propose the new and robust ideas which hold merit in the next round of architectural ingenuity.
One has to think absolutely critically about the system of disenfranchisement the AIA and NCARB have both worked to create.
In the US, we make it more difficult to become an architect than to become a lawyer. The average time it takes for a would be architect from graduation to licensure in New York State is 11 years. Eleven Years. I don't think that is an admirable fact.
Everyone touts Europe as an architecturally mature continent, but I highly doubt that is currently due towards European old worldness. Rather it is because Europe can quickly and efficiently churn out fully qualified architects of merit from within their academic systems.
Young American architects are straight-jacketed by outmoded and obsolete policies. They are taken advantage of at every turn. Architecture can be a positive force for the economic and ecological renaissance of the States, but the States currently insists upon a system that denigates creativity and rewards liability and litigation.
Put quite frankly, and I challenge anyone, and foremost policy makers, to propose an alternate viewpoint, architects in the US are ridden like plow horses and not utilized as the great source of creative intelligence that they are.
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