ÌÇÐÄvlog

The built and natural environments that people inhabit shape health, well-being, and opportunity in direct and lasting ways. These outcomes are not accidental, but emerge from decisions about planning, design, construction, and the overall stewardship of the places where we live, work, and play. The professions that guide this work—architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning— carry a public responsibility to serve both people and the environment with care. The future of these professions is essential to advancing the social, environmental, and economic viability of communities across the United States and abroad.

With recent changes to higher education policies redefining professional degrees, we, the leaders of the four educational associations representing architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and planning—ÌÇÐÄvlog, IDEC, CELA, and ACSP— jointly communicate the national need for students to have access to higher education so that they may address complex and urgent problems directly related to human health and well-being.

Our organizations collectively educate a stable, diverse pipeline of qualified future practitioners to work in the thousands of firms, organizations, and public agencies that create the buildings, landscape, cities, and regions where millions of people reside. Access to affordable student loans is an essential investment in the future health of American people and places. 

Each one of our fields adheres to voluntary licensing, certification, and accreditation standards that aim to ensure our collective investments in cities, buildings, and natural environments will be supported by practitioners who are educated to value research, humanity, and an ethical approach.

ÌÇÐÄvlog. The mission of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture is to lead architectural education and research. Founded in 1912 by 10 charter members, ÌÇÐÄvlog is an international association of architecture schools preparing future architects, designers, and change agents. Our full members include all of the accredited professional degree programs in the United States and Canada, as well as international schools and two- and four-year programs. Together, ÌÇÐÄvlog schools represent some 7,000 faculty educating more than 40,000 students. ÌÇÐÄvlog seeks to empower faculty and schools to educate increasingly diverse students, expand disciplinary impacts, and create knowledge for the advancement of architecture. For more information, visit .

IDEC. The Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) is the leading organization for interior design education. IDEC’s 550 members across North America teach approximately 20,000 students each year. Conceived in 1962, IDEC was named and formalized at its first conference in 1963 with the goal to network educators and strengthen interior design education. IDEC advances responsible design thinking through interior design education, scholarship, and service. IDEC members lead discussions that shape the design community, offer creative teaching tools, and share impactful interior design scholarship. IDEC’s members provide leadership in academia, communities, and the profession. For more information, visit .

CELA. The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) is the premier international association focused on advancing landscape architecture education, scholarship, and research. Founded in 1920, CELA serves faculty, researchers, and academic leaders committed to excellence in teaching, research, creative activity, and public service within the discipline of landscape architecture. CELA’s membership includes educators from accredited and non-accredited programs across the United States, Canada, and around the world, as well as affiliated scholars and institutional partners. Through its annual conference, regional meetings, publications, and collaborative initiatives, CELA fosters dialogue, innovation, and critical inquiry in landscape architecture academic and professional practices. CELA supports the professional preparation of future landscape architects by strengthening academic programs, encouraging rigorous research, and promoting engagement with pressing environmental, cultural, and social challenges. The organization works in partnership with allied associations and accrediting bodies to ensure the continued growth and impact of the discipline. For more information, visit

ACSP. The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) is a consortium of more than 125 university departments and programs in the United States and Canada that offer planning degrees, as well as programs that offer degrees affiliated with planning. ACSP also has individual members from around the world that include faculty, retired faculty, and student members. ACSP connects educators, researchers, and students, to advance knowledge about planning education and research. We are committed to promoting the field of planning as a diverse global community that works collectively toward healthy, equitable, and sustainable neighborhoods, cities, and regions. .