The primary goals of the School of Architecture are to promote research into architecture and to educate students for professional practice and other forms of architectural engagement. Faculty instructors challenge students to develop the capacity for understanding the built environment and generating architectural design proposals as a critical response. They assist students in cultivating manifold design capabilities linked to critical intelligence about the discipline and supported by state-of-the-field expertise in representation, technology, structures, theory and history.

A central component of this mission is the cultivation of a learning environment that supports students in the fullest development of their capacities as designers, scholars, professionals, and citizens. Students, faculty and staff are dedicated to the task of working together to foster five fundamental values:

  • mutual respect among all members of the School
  • optimism about the potential for student learning, creativity and contribution
  • collaboration among students, faculty, staff and the broader public in pursuing advances in learning, knowledge, and practice
  • critical engagement with the discipline, the profession and the world
  • continual innovation in teaching, learning, and research

These values inform all of our activities. In the context of classrooms, studios, and other learning environments, they translate into these guidelines:

  • The School encourages students and faculty alike to embrace the design studio and the classroom as places of intellectual and creative exploration and collaboration. The frequently open-ended pursuit of knowledge through design and other forms of learning requires generosity of spirit on all parts, including the recognition that faculty members bring a high level of expertise to their teaching and that students bring a diversity of valuable prior knowledge to their learning. It also requires clear communication, rigorous testing of ideas, and a commitment to excellence on the part of all participants.
  • The School encourages collaboration among students in their academic work and in extracurricular activities, as well as among students, faculty and staff in continually advancing knowledge and improving the ways we work together. It also promotes a culture of engagement in which students develop intellectually, technically and ethically through interaction with problems, opportunities and people within and outside the field of architecture.
  • The School values social, intellectual and disciplinary diversity in its staff, faculty and student population, as well as in its curriculum. In its teaching, research and daily activities, it strives to support and promote each of these kinds of diversity.
  • The School expects students to uphold the principles of academic integrity in their work and ethical conduct in their daily lives. Honesty, trustworthiness and fairness are essential attributes for conduct in class, within the university community, and in academic activities beyond Syracuse. These principles should guide behavior not only in the completion of course assignments, but also in treatment of buildings and equipment; interaction with university staff, systems and procedures; and behavior in the studio and elsewhere.
  • The studios are considered environments for design exploration, creative production and enriching interaction among students, and with their instructors. Studios are open and available to all students on a 24/7 basis. With this privilege comes the obligation to conduct oneself in a responsible and considerate fashion. Actions and behaviors that are not conducive to supporting an appropriate academic environment are strictly prohibited. All students are expected to observe the rules and regulations governing the use of the studios. Any violation will be treated as a breach of this trust and prosecuted accordingly
  • The School recognizes that balance is a crucial element in the pursuit of excellence, and it encourages faculty to guide students in developing the capacity to reconcile what often seem to be competing imperatives in their work and in their lives. This includes managing expectations so as to minimize conflicts among courses, helping students to manage their time effectively, and promoting an appropriate balance between academic work and the other essentials of life.