Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), Faculty of Architecture, Department of Interior Architecture was invited to an online workshop organized by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), an organization that provides accreditation to ensure the quality and continuity of interior design education programs in North America and Canada. EMU Department of Interior Architecture academic staff member Prof. Dr. Özlem Olgaç Türker who has guided the preparations of the EMU Department of Interior Architecture for the CIDA accreditation since 2020, was invited the event along with 3 other academics from different institutions.
CIDA, responsible for evaluating institutions that apply based on 16 main standards and their subcategories, revises its standards biennially to reflect the latest advancements in interior architecture and provides international recognition globally. To explore the framework of these standards, CIDA has initiated a series of meetings with scholars and professionals, extending an invitation to EMU Department of Interior Architecture, one of its members, to participate in the related workshop.
The workshop was led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amanda Gale from the University of North Carolina, who serves as the Director of the CIDA Board. Among the participants were Taneshia West Albert from Auburn University, Susan Ray Degges from North Dakota State University, Helen Turner from the University of Kentucky, and Prof. Dr. Özlem Olgaç Türker from EMU, all of whom contributed ideas on how CIDA’s structure should be revised.
The Chair of Department of Interior Architecture Assoc. Prof. Dr. Afet Ç. Coşkun and Prof. Dr. Türker who attended the workshop expressed their pride to be invited to such an important meeting, contributing to the formation of the structure of CIDA standards and conveyed their pride in the educational quality of the Department of Interior Architecture.
EMU Faculty of Architecture, Department of Interior Architecture received its second accreditation from the Germany-based EU quality assurance body, the Agency for Quality Assurance (AQAS), and was also accredited by CIDA last year.
