Fine art of accreditation keeps Del Mar College art program on the national map
Article by: Michael Bratten
Del Mar College’s Art Program achieved a major milestone recently with the granting of accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), an organization that sets national standards for degrees in art, design and related disciplines.
“The NASAD Commission commended Del Mar for its ongoing support of the Art Program, enabling us to continue to meet artistic and curricular goals,” said Kenneth Rosier, Del Mar professor of art and department chair. “Accreditation indicates that the Art Program aspires to excellence for the benefit of our students and the community.”
Del Mar is one of just three community colleges in Texas with NASAD accreditation and 28 nationwide, according to the organization (www.nasad.arts-accredit.org). The college has been accredited since 1995; degree programs recognized by the NASAD are associate of arts in Art Education and associate of arts in Studio Art.
Matter of choice
The Art Program isn’t required to meet NASAD accreditation standards, Rosier said. Rather, faculty and administrators choose to work toward the professional designation.
We set the bar high for all of our programs, whether it’s science, drama or art. This accreditation is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Professor Ken Rosier, other members of the Art Department and the many other departments that supported us in this endeavor.
Achieving accreditation is by no means an easy process. Every aspect of the program is scrutinized by the NASAD, including curricula, safety, program viability, student demand, faculty support and numerous other criteria, Rosier said.
On-site visit
Faculty members also attended NASAD workshops to prepare for an on-site visit by a NASAD team. During the three-day visit in April, the team inspected the Art Program’s instructional spaces and galleries and met with Del Mar personnel including the president, art faculty and students. They also looked at students’ artwork.
“The quality of artwork is closely reviewed to ensure the students are being challenged, are developing well-crafted works and are investigating questions of scale and expression,” Rosier said.
More than two years before the visit, Rosier began writing a 53-page, comprehensive self-study on the Art Program to present to the NASAD team.
“Every initiative taken by the Art Program is done to enhance student learning and advance the students’ art production,” he said. “By extension we meet NASAD programmatic requirements.”
The next full review of the Program by the NASAD will be the 2026-27 academic year, Rosier added.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.