Dear IDEC members,

As we move into one of the busiest times of the year with multiple activities percolating along all at once, it’s refreshing to step back and take stock of what we’re accomplishing with the energy and inspiration of IDEC’s many volunteers.  The old adage ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’ comes to mind as I consider our many current initiatives.

Something old (but receiving needed new attention!)

• Many of you will remember the Innovative Teaching Strategies binders of the 1990’s, full of our collective project ideas designed to be shared. While these are no longer available, a task force led by Catherine Anderson is currently exploring bringing this idea back in an enhanced, accessible format. This initiative holds much potential to provide proven teaching and learning strategies to both seasoned and new educators alike, heightening our collective success.
• Did you know that IDEC will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2012? To acknowledge this important milestone, a task force led by Buie Harwood is underway to determine how we might honor and document this legacy for ourselves, others and those that come after us.

Something new

• The 2010 annual conference committee is busy making plans to make this a must-see event. Brought to us this year by the Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta and conference host Grant Preisser, its emphasis on our foundations of teaching, research and service make this an event ideal for all, but especially those new to education and research. The IDEC Academy led by Barbara Anderson is showcasing three new CEU teaching workshops during pre-conference suitable for experienced and new educators alike. Also new to the conference this year is a digital Newcomer’s Guide, enabling first-timers to make the most of the conference. Thanks goes to Lindsay Clark, chair of the Emerging Faculty Network for this helpful new brochure.
• The 2010 annual conference will also be the first unveiling of the annual Creative Scholarship Showcase, a tangible exhibit of this year’s Creative Scholarship entries, thanks to Creative Scholarship Co-Chairs Tim Cozzens and Maura Schaffer.
• The task of paper selection through the peer review process is a critical one for the conference. This year for the first time, paper review training will occur via webinar through the efforts of Jean Edwards, paper review coordinator, assisted by our IDEC staff.
• Past President Eric Wiedegreen continues to carry the torch of the need for more educators for our classrooms on behalf of IDEC. His tour of Neocon Chicago, IIDEX and Neocon East this year with the assistance of Jane Kucko, Denise Guerin and myself have delivered this critical message to over 100 interested practitioners  in the last two years. Similarly, the IDEA line, a list of educators practitioners might call to speak with an experienced educator at the IDEC website, continues to receive calls, thanks to Joy Dohr and her colleagues on the Sustaining Interior Design Education Committee.

Something borrowed

• In these times of careful attention to costs, the IDEC Board has been able to conduct their bi-monthly meetings via video conferencing (which now means our hair must be in decent shape on meeting days…). This enhancement brings the visual element to our discussions and is made possible by the generous underwriting of the University of Minnesota, and organized by our President-Elect, Denise Guerin.

Something Blue

Lastly, don’t forget that the deadlines for proposals for the IDEC Annual Conference in March 2010 are fast approaching! The blue links on the http://www.idec.org/events/2010.php webpage provide the gateway to apply.

As always, thank you for your passion for interior design education and research. It is through our collective efforts that we will move our cause for excellence forward.

Jill Pable, IDEC President

The second of the web-based audiocast series, An IDEC Minute by President Jill Pable, is now available on the IDEC website. To listen to this audiocast, click here. For a text transcript and to respond to our blog, click here.

An IDEC Minute will keep you appraised of issues and upcoming activities throughout the year. These audiocasts are designed to be conversation starters for the IDEC blog.

To access An IDEC Minute in the future, please find An IDEC Minute under News & Publications, IDEC Publications in the left navigation menu on the IDEC website.

Discussion about the possibility of ASID and IIDA merging their organizations into a single entity has for some time been a topic of debate. With regard to IDEC, this issue was the subject of focused discussion at the 2009 Annual Conference, which suggests it is of significant interest to IDEC members.

In response to this ongoing discussion, the IDEC Board sought to take the unusual step of informing the Boards and executive staff of ASID and IIDA of the IDEC educator perspective on the question of their merging. A brief online anonymous survey was initiated in mid September 2009 in order to ascertain the extent of concern about this topic and members' perceptions and preferred outcome. Please click here to view the survey results. Additionally, these results have been shared with the leadership of both ASID and IIDA with the goal of providing them with an accurate view of IDEC educators' opinions on this matter.

The Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship was established as a memorial to Don Brinkmann, an inspirational and gifted interior designer who personified the essence of design vision and leadership. The program is open to students entering their final year of a CIDA-accredited interior design program in the Fall of 2010. Finalist will be considered for a paid internship in a Gensler regional office for the summer of 2010, and selected winners will also receive an academic scholarship paid directly to their college or university toward their final academic year.

For complete details click here.

July 22-25, 2010

University of Sydney, Australia

The International Conference on the Arts in Society and The International Journal of the Arts in Society provide an intellectual platform for the arts and art practices, and enable an interdisciplinary conversation on the role of the arts in society. They are intended as a place for critical engagement, examination and experimentation of ideas that connect the arts to their ontexts in the world - in studios and classrooms, in galleries and museums, on stage, on the streets and in communities.

For complete details click here.

The Architectural Research Centers Consortium is pleased to announce the Call-for-papers for the 2010 ARCC/EAAE International Architectural Research Conference to be held in Washington DC, June 24-26, 2010. The conference will be hosted by Howard University, Catholic University, the University of Maryland and the American Institute of Architects. Abstracts are due October 15. This is an excellent venue with a rigorous peer review process. Last year we had an outstanding conference with excellent papers and presentations.

Click here for additional details.