Rob Robbins, professor of Studio Art in Miami University's Department of Art, has completed six years of elected service on the Commission on Accreditation of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), concluding his second term at the association's October 2026 commission meeting and Annual Meeting in St. Louis.

Founded in 1944, NASAD is the national accrediting organization for art and design education, with accredited institutional members that include colleges, universities, conservatories, and independent schools of art and design. The association establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate programs in art and design.

The Commission on Accreditation is NASAD's accreditation decision-making body. Composed of a small group of elected members from institutions across the country, the commission reviews institutional accreditation materials and determines accreditation actions on behalf of the association.

Robbins also brings experience from Miami University's own NASAD accreditation process. As chair of the Department of Art, he oversaw preparations for the university's reaccreditation review, including the development of institutional documentation and coordination of the site visit.

Robbins was nominated for the Commission on Accreditation in 2020 and elected by NASAD's institutional membership that November. He was nominated again and reelected in fall 2023 to a second three-year term, concluding in October 2026. During his six years on the commission, he participated in the review of accreditation and reaccreditation materials from art and design programs across the country and affiliate institutions from around the world.

His work with NASAD extends beyond the commission. Robbins has served as a visiting evaluator since 2019, beginning with an accreditation review at the College of DuPage. He subsequently chaired evaluation teams at William Paterson University and the University of Saint Francis and participated in the 2026 comprehensive review of New York University, including its New York and Abu Dhabi programs. He has also served as a NASAD consultant to institutions preparing for accreditation review.

Robbins will continue his work as a NASAD visiting evaluator after completing his commission service. He expects to continue contributing to NASAD through accreditation visits and consulting.

Robbins has also been invited to share his accreditation experience with colleagues nationally. At the 2024 NASAD Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, he co-presented “Communicating with the Commission: Creating Effective Written Accreditation Materials” with Carlyle D. Johnson of Tennessee State University. The session was designed to help art and design administrators prepare materials for commission review. Attendees found the session informative but also unexpectedly entertaining, with several suggesting that Robbins and Johnson should do a podcast together. As Robbins jokes, “It’s not every day someone suggests you start a podcast about college accreditation.” NASAD invited him to co-present the session again at its 2026 Annual Meeting in St. Louis, this time with Kate Bukoski of East Carolina University.

Robbins also served as a mentor during the 2024 NASAD Annual Meeting, meeting individually with art and design administrators from institutions in the United States and abroad to discuss accreditation, institutional challenges, and program development.

“One of the things I've valued most about serving on the commission is the opportunity to work with colleagues from institutions across the country,” Robbins said. “People sometimes think of accreditation as something imposed on institutions, but NASAD is fundamentally a membership organization built around peer review. When I visit a school, my goal is to understand its particular mission, support its faculty, and help the institution strengthen what it's trying to accomplish. There are many different ways to provide an excellent art and design education, and I've learned an enormous amount from the colleagues and programs I've worked with.”

Robbins is a professor of Studio Art at Miami University and served as chair of the Department of Art from 2017 to 2022.

Learn more: 

Rob Robbins’ website: https://www.robrobbinsstudio.com/

NASAD Commission on Accreditation

https://nasad.arts-accredit.org/about/officers-commissioners-committees/commission-on-accreditation/

NASAD

https://nasad.arts-accredit.org/