Student Activities and Organizations
American Institute of Architecture Students
The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) serves as the voice of students to the educational system and the profession of architecture and design. The goal of this grassroots association, which is affiliated with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), is to build interest and enrich the educational experience in architecture and design.
Members with benefits. The AIAS—an independent, student-run, 501(c)(3) organization—sponsors an annual national convention, student competition, critical journal, advocacy programs, and other student services. Learn more about the benefits of AIAS membership here.
Local chapter. AIAS membership—which typically starts at the local chapter level—is open to all NewSchool of Architecture and Design students and students enrolled at other San Diego County colleges who have an interest in architecture. Chapter-sponsored events include lectures, design competitions, site visits to area architecture firms, and networking events. Faculty and staff also encourage members to serve on campus committees.
Official reps. Elections for AIAS chapter officers are held each spring quarter. The AIAS chapter president represents fellow students as a member of the NSAD Institutional Board of Directors and the AIA San Diego Chapter Board of Directors.
Design Clinic
For the past 10 years, NewSchool of Architecture and Design has conducted the Design Clinic, which links students with community-based projects. Students are exposed to each stage of the design process—from the time a prospective client brings a project to the table, through design production, and responses to client comments. Students learn to work in teams in an office setting, as well as independently, to fulfill individual tasks and provide deliverable products. Projects emerge from specific community needs, and are at a variety of scales and located across the globe.
In past years, projects have included:
- Designs for post-Katrina housing (One NSAD graduate later went to New Orleans and helped build the housing he had designed.)
- Site plans and building prototypes for a K–12 boarding and day school in Liberia
- Schematic space planning for the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park
- Transportation Center design studies for UCSD campus
NewSchool of Architecture and Design Student Council
The NewSchool of Architecture and Design Student Council represents the student body in NSAD’s local governance. Its goals are (1) to enhance the NSAD experience for all students; (2) to encourage open, constructive relationships among students, faculty, and staff; and (3) to support an active interaction between classes.
Together, members of the student council aim to achieve these goals by:
- Serving as an advisory body to NSAD’s president, administration, faculty, and staff on issues of concern to students
- Facilitating communication between the administration and the student body
- Managing a Student Activity Fund (generated from a modest student activity fee) to provide activities that support the above goals. In the past, these have included field trips throughout the San Diego area and a Casino Night event.
The student council consists of two representatives from each of the 8 studio classes, elected in the spring quarter:
- The AIAS chapter president, as a non-voting ex officio member
- The student council’s immediate past president, also as a non-voting ex officio member
- Two faculty liaison/advisors, one undergraduate and one graduate faculty member.
- First-year student representatives are elected in the week after convocation each fall quarter to serve terms extending through the spring quarter.
Urban Bike Club
The Urban Bike Club was formed with two missions in mind: encouraging bicycle/alternative transportation and having fun. On the last Friday evening of each month, members join cyclists in over 300 cities around the world for Critical Mass.
