Recent moves by UT Arlington are expected to help more students realize their dream of earning a college degree.
UT Arlington's longstanding schools of Architecture and Urban and Public Affairs are in the final phase of an integration that will strengthen academic and research opportunities under the new College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved the creation of the new college today during its regular meeting in Austin.
Nan Ellin, founding dean of the new college, said CAPPA brings the best of both schools to the forefront of education and research. The College will incorporate six professional degree programs---urban planning, public administration, public policy, architecture, landscape architecture and interior design. All faculty will be located in the existing Architecture Building on the main UT Arlington campus.
"These six programs are essential to advancing sustainable urban communities and when we bring them together, some wonderful new synergies emerge," Ellin said. "Our new college is exceptionally well situated to improve the urban, ecological and social fabrics of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan region and beyond.
" The new college fulfills an early initiative of UT Arlington's Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact and is an advancement toward the University's focus on enhancing quality of life in large urban regions. During the next year, the College expects to introduce new certificates in areas such as historic preservation and urban design.
"The College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs will create new momentum for the excellent work our students and faculty already do in the critical areas of architecture, urban design, planning and public policy," said Vistasp M. Karbhari, president of The University of Texas at Arlington. "This integration will foster new synergies to elevate each degree program and will encourage collaborations across the University.
" Ralph Hawkins, chairman of the global architecture firm HKS and a UT Arlington architecture alumnus, said the design and planning industry is embracing the new College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.
"It uniquely differentiates our course offerings in architecture, landscape, interiors, city planning and even public affairs together under a common cause - which is to make the places we live, work and play extraordinary," said Hawkins, who serves as chair of the UT Arlington Development Board. "It will better equip UT Arlington's graduates for the workplace, making them more valuable in those markets.
" Arlington City Manager Trey Yelverton, also a UT Arlington alumnus, said CAPPA graduates will have a clear advantage.
"The integration of the two schools into this broader college will give students a very practical palette of skills and tools that they need to develop and build communities - whether it's design, landscaping or public policy analysis," Yelverton said. "All of the component pieces of this new college will help students as they plan, build and green cities of the future."
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