Last month in April 2005’s LEARN, BABY, LEARN piece we asked for reader input concerning the following issue: Regarding the way that some states are writing / have written their Interior Design legislation Acts (Title and/or Practice), one must have graduated from a FIDER accredited program in order to become licensed in that state. Where does that leave non-FIDER accredited graduates, and should this be considered fair? Blame it either on the chaotic end of the spring semester or the sensitivity of the subject matter, but we received only two responses so far, and we’re including them for your review. Readers, we’re itching for a good debate, so read on and then respond.

[Note: If you have not already, first read April 2005’s LEARN, BABY, LEARN piece to get up to speed on the argument. In it you will read the comments of Susi Santorelli, Director of U.S. & Canadian Affairs & ASID Student Chapter Faculty Advisor for Rhodec International. Rhodec is the online distance learning educational design program out of Brighton, UK and Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and it is not FIDER accredited.]

Regarding the issue of current and pending legislation requiring that a designer must hold a degree from a F.I.D.E.R. accredited program I have the following opinions.

1.) There are too many "interior design" programs creating too many "interior designers" for far too few "interior design" jobs.

2.) There are far too many "interior decorators" (a.k.a. under-qualified interior designers) posing as "interior designers" because..... well, because they can. Although their days are numbered.

3.) The only way (at this point) to ensure that the profession of Interior Design elevates itself to the level of respect and status that those of us who have followed the accepted path (per FIDER & NCIDQ) demand, is to make sure that all interior designers graduate from an FIDER accredited program AND pass the NCIDQ exam - at a minimum.

As long as under-qualified schools are cranking out marginal "interior design" graduates, the profession of "interior design" will continue to be mired in an identity crisis. One that leaves the general public (our clients) thinking our greatest skill is picking just the right slip cover for our neighbor's Goodwill sofa (thanks to HGTV & Discovery et al). That is not Interior Design and shame on the posers that call themselves "interior designers" in that public forum.

Obviously there must be a way to transition legislation and stricter requirements that might cause hardships to new programs or long time practicing and qualified interior designers. Let’s be reasonable but open-ended grandfather clauses and wishy-washy legislation are not the answer either.

It may be painful to a few but in order for this profession to grow we need to raise the bar ASAP.

Thanks for the opportunity to discuss this aspect of the profession.

Mike Dudek
Manhattan, Kansas

Being in a professional business which is very public for the last 29 years and wanting to switch to a field, which will let me use my artistic talents, I have found that Distance Learning is the best way for me to go. I have researched many ways to do this.

I have found that at my age, I can't seem to fathom why FIDER accredited schools charge so much money to students when a lot of the students do not go into the field of Interior Design. In the business I am in as of the moment I found that a lot of students learned more of the basics and that what they learn through these accredited schools doesn't help them in the long run.

It's what you put into your learning and most of us who are changing their lifestyle hold down full-time jobs, and the only way to learn is through distance learning. Rhodec is the only distance learning school which allows their students to be a part of a world that was only accepted by FIDER schools. How many distance learning schools have a student ASID [chapter], or allow their students to join IIDA. I feel that it's what you learn and how you learn that makes you a good or great designer. Having said this, I hope that more people like Ms. Santorelli will step up to the plate and help the distance learning students in the future.

Sincerely,
Rick Cejalvo