Cal Poly Graphic Communication Department Earns National Re-Accreditation
SAN LUIS OBISPO—Oct, 13, 2010—After completing an extensive self-study and hosting a site visit by a three-member team of industry and education experts, the Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly has received national re-accreditation through to Aug. 31, 2016.
The Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications, Inc. (ACCGC) awarded the academic accreditation. The council is an independent body professionally supported by collegiate leaders and management personnel in the graphic communication industry. The council’s board of directors comprises 11 educators and eight industry personnel in the graphic communication field and is dedicated to the improvement and recognition of collegiate level curricula in graphic communication. The council is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt body supported through industry contributions and educational accreditation fees.
“ACCGC accreditation has further established the credibility of Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department as an important academic program with a vision for educating future professions and leaders,” said Department Head Harvey Levenson. “The university administration respects the views and recommendations of independent bodies such as the ACCGC and has provided the Graphic Communication Department with resources for growth and development because of its re-accreditation status.”
Linda H. Halisky, dean of Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts, said the department has been recognized as one of the best in the country for many years. “We are gratified,” she added, “that the sterling report of the ACCGC again confirms and underscores this program’s wonderful and well earned reputation.”
A formal presentation was made and a recognition plaque was given to faculty and administrative representatives from Cal Poly during the Oct. 3 annual ACCGC Board of Directors meeting. The annual meeting is always held at McCormick Place in Chicago during the Graph Expo and Print shows, which are the largest graphic communication expositions held annually in the U.S.
In their “Visitation Report,” the council’s team stated that the Graphic Communication Department has an important mission, well aligned with the missions of the College of Liberal Arts and Cal Poly. “Also,” the team wrote, “the curricular outcomes of the program are well analyzed and validated, appropriate to the discipline, and provide a framework for the course competencies that support them.”
About the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications, Inc.
The council’s mission is to provide viable, credible and defensible accreditation standards that can be used to promote and encourage sound associate- and baccalaureate-level education programs in graphic communication. In the accreditation process, the council strives to stimulate the exchange of ideas between administrative and instructional personnel in academia and within the graphic communication industry.
The council reviews qualitative and quantitative evidence obtained through the self-study and facts substantiated by a three-member campus visitation team. The academic program is evaluated in 14 areas: Mission Statements and Curricular Outcomes, Competency Identification and Assessment, Governance/Administration, Financial Support, Equipment and Facilities, Staff Support Services, Curriculum, Instruction and Evaluation, Internships/Practicums/Cooperative Study, Industry Advisory Committee(s), Faculty, Faculty Evaluation, Student Records and Advising, and Graduate Placement and Follow-up.
Cal Poly’s is one of eight baccalaureate-level, graphic communication-related programs nationwide to receive accreditation. The other programs are at Ferris State University, Florida A&M University, California University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania College of Technology, University of Wisconsin-Stout, New York City College of Technology, and University of Houston. The Graphic Arts Technology associate level program at Rock Valley College, Rockford, Illinois is currently under accreditation review by ACCGC.
For more information about the council, contact Managing Director Ervin A. Dennis at ea.dennis@cfu.net or President Jerry J. Waite at jwaite@uh.edu, or log on to www.accgc.org.
About Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department
Founded in 1946, the department is one of the largest and best-known programs of its kind in the nation. It includes concentrations in graphic communication management, web and digital media, design reproduction technology, graphics for packaging and individualized study.
The program is strongly supported by industry with grants and endowments as well as equipment, supplies and software for the department's more than 33,000 square feet of modern laboratories.
The Graphic Communication Institute at Cal Poly (www.grci.calpoly.edu) focuses on services for industry, including research, testing, product evaluations, consulting, training, seminars, workshops, and conferences.
For more information about the department, contact Levenson at hlevenso@calpoly.edu or (805) 756-6151.
