CIDA publishes FAQ’s for programs seeking guidance about DEI directives

The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) is closely monitoring developments related to presidential executive orders and the “Dear Colleague Letter” issued by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on February 14, 2025. The “Dear Colleague Letter” provides guidance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), specifically addressing Title VI requirements and other federal civil rights and constitutional law principles. The letter primarily focuses on institutional admissions, financial aid, hiring, training, and DEI-focused services.

On March 1, 2025, the US Department of Education released FAQs connected to the February 14 Dear Colleague Letter. Another resource is Faegre Drinker Biddle and Reath LLP’s February 27th legal analysis of the letter.

CIDA Standards and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

As a programmatic accreditor, CIDA develops and maintains a single set of professional standards that are both future-oriented and flexible. These standards are used to accredit interior design programs at various types of institutions, each with different missions and student populations. While DEI is an overarching theme within CIDA’s Professional Standards 2024, programs have flexibility in how compliance is demonstrated.

CIDA understands that federal or state laws, as well as other government mandates, may pose challenges for institutions working to meet various regulatory expectations. CIDA’s goal is to support all programs in adhering to the values important to higher education and the interior design profession while also enabling programs to comply with federal and state regulations.

Provided below are answers to questions CIDA staff has frequently received in this changing regulatory environment. Please feel free to send any additional questions or topics you would like us to address to megan@cida.org.

Is CIDA planning to remove language related to diversity, equity, and inclusion from the accreditation standards?

Because the majority of the content related to DEI in the CIDA standards is found in the preamble and in guidance, CIDA is not immediately implementing changes. Programs have flexibility to address the broad standards and specific expectations using any methods, learning experiences, student learning outcomes, and language that is appropriate and allows the program to comply with federal and state requirements.

My program is not allowed to use the words diversity, equity, or inclusion. Will that impact program compliance with the CIDA Standards?

CIDA understands that the United States regulatory environment is shifting quickly and that, in the absence of specific guidance about scope and reach of executive orders, institutions and programs may decide to change terminology in whole to ensure compliance. CIDA standards do not require specific language to be used to address the underlying intent of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. As stated above, programs have flexibility to address the broad standards and specific expectations using any methods, learning experiences, student learning outcomes, and language that is appropriate for the institution and program.

Is my program required to include CIDA Standards and/or expectations on course syllabi?

CIDA does not have any requirements or guidelines related to course syllabi. While some programs include language from the CIDA standards on course documents for internal assessment purposes, this is not required and can be removed in order to ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional mandates and requirements.

My program is not allowed to collect or provide some of the data that is included on CIDA’s institutional and program data form. Will that impact the program’s accreditation?

CIDA collects institutional and program data on a three-year cycle through the self-study Program Analysis Report and the Progress Report. This information provides CIDA site visitors and the Accreditation Commission with contextual information about the institution, program, faculty, and students, helping CIDA understand the factors influencing the program. CIDA also uses this data to create summary reports, which are a valuable resource for programs.

While institutional and program data is collected as part of the accreditation process, it is not part of the evaluation of program compliance with the CIDA standards. Please complete as much of the institutional and program data form as you can. If your program no longer has access to some of the requested data, please indicate this on the form you submit.

Do CIDA Standards look at program hiring, admission, or financial aid policies and practices?

CIDA accredited programs must be housed within an institution that is accredited or recognized by an institutional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Higher Education, or a provincial ministry of education in Canada, or the appropriate higher education agency or authority in the institution’s country of origin. This allows CIDA to focus on program inputs and student learning outcomes related specifically to interior design. The CIDA standards do not evaluate program hiring, admission, or financial aid policies and practices.

What happens to CIDA accreditation if the U.S. Department of Education is closed?

CIDA is an independent agency working within and outside the United States of America. Potential changes at the U.S. Department of Higher Education may or may not ultimately impact how agencies like CIDA function within the system of higher education. We are continually watching developments to see how changes to the current federal regulations may impact higher education’s quality assurance framework in the United States and, in turn, how that may impact the role of professional accreditors like CIDA. In the meantime, CIDA remains steadfast in its mission to ensure students seeking professional interior design education are assured quality through higher education’s self-governing mechanism of accreditation.

Is it also worth noting that CIDA is recognized as a reliable authority on interior design education by the non-governmental, quality assurance agency for accrediting bodies, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CIDA’s CHEA-recognized scope of accreditation is professional-level interior design programs that culminate in a bachelor’s or first-professional master’s degree located in the United States and internationally.