The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin announced today that it had reached almost 50% of the $1 million fundraising goal it needs to reach by the end of August on its way to independent status. The remaining $500,000 of these funds must be promised to the school by August 25 for the school’s Campaign for Independence to move forward.
In December of 2014, after an agreement between the Board of The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, the School agreed to raise $2 million, with $1 million of it by the end of this month, in order to achieve the financial autonomy necessary to become an independent organization.
Accreditation for the school has been threatened because the Higher Learning Commission changed its by-laws and would no longer accredit schools that are operating divisions of larger institutions with multi-faceted missions.
The School’s professional M.Arch degree program offers graduate students design-intensive studio experiences at campuses in Taliesin West (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Taliesin (Spring Green, Wis.). Over the last year, the school has revamped its curriculum to provide a better experimental graduate program in architecture. It focuses on learning how to make the human-made environment more sustainable and open. Students work with local communities to both design and build projects, and they make shelters that each student lives in for his or her final semester.
Accreditation for the school has been threatened because the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) changed its by-laws and would no longer accredit schools that are operating divisions of larger institutions with multi-faceted missions. Facing the possibility of the Frank Lloyd Wright School losing accreditation and potentially closing, longtime supporters suggested the possibility of raising funds to create and support an independently-incorporated school.
The Foundation Board agreed that, if the school's community could raise funds sufficient to demonstrate that the new organization would have “its own financial resources” (as explicitly required by the HLC’s by-laws), then spinning off the school would not present the same obstacles. The new, independent school organization would take ultimate fiduciary responsibility for itself.
As part of the new structure, the Foundation would donate over $1 million in facilities-related cash expenses every year, related to the school's use of Taliesin West and Taliesin as its campuses (at no cost to the school). The Foundation would also contribute an additional subsidy of $580,000 to the school in 2015, with decreasing levels of such additional transitional support over the next five years (but always continuing to cover 100% of annual facility-related expenses which total more than $1 million annually).
In order to achieve the desired independence and continue as a stand-alone School of Architecture, gifts and pledges for an initial $1 million in contributions must be received by August 25, 2015 – and gifts and pledges for a second million must be received by December 31, 2015.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 K-12 School Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. K-12 school facilities sector
AECOM, Gilbane, and PBK head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest K-12 school facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Sports Facilities Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. sports facilities sector
Kimley-Horn, Mortenson, and Populous top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest sports facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Office Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. office building sector
Gensler, Jacobs, and STO Building Group head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest office building sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Hotel Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. hospitality sector
Gensler, Jacobs, and Suffolk Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest hotel sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Healthcare Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. healthcare facilities sector
HDR, Jacobs, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest healthcare facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Government Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. government buildings sector
HNTB, Jacobs, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest government sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Cultural Facilities Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. cultural facilities sector
AECOM, Arup, and Populous head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest cultural facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 2, 2020
2020 Retail Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. retail building sector
Gensler, Jacobs, and PCL Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest retail sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 2, 2020
2020 University Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the higher education sector
Gensler, AECOM, and Turner Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest university sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 2, 2020
2020 Multifamily Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. multifamily building sector
Clark Group, Humphreys & Partners Architects, and Kimley-Horn head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest multifamily building sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
