LATC recommends continuing UCLA Extension landscape‑architecture certificate with conditions, requests annual updates

The Landscape Architects Technical Committee voted to recommend that the California Architects Board approve a continuation of UCLA Extension’s Landscape Architecture Certificate Program through Dec. 31, 2030, while asking the institution to provide annual progress reports until the review team’s recommendations are implemented.

A three‑person LATC review team conducted a day‑long site visit and evaluated UCLA Extension against seven standards: mission and objectives; governance and administration; professional curriculum; student outcomes; faculty; outreach; and facilities. The team found the program meets LATC standards but made one required recommendation and several improvement suggestions.

Required recommendation and improvements
- Required action: appoint a qualified program administrator to ensure continuity and regulatory compliance. UCLA reported a candidate has been identified and is in the campus hiring queue; campus hiring procedures are managed through main‑campus review and are temporarily slowed by university processes.
- Suggested improvements: develop a formal written program evaluation plan and succession plan; create a long‑range strategic plan addressing faculty recruitment, alumni engagement, inclusion and statewide access; ensure administrative support meets minimum staffing expectations; and document program policies and evaluation processes in writing.

Program profile and review findings
UCLA Extension’s certificate is a long‑standing program (the visiting team noted an institutional history dating back decades) that serves working professionals and second‑career students through evening and hybrid offerings. The team praised the program’s practitioner faculty, active guidance committee and growing statewide reach via hybrid instruction. The review noted a robust studio curriculum and steady enrollment growth; staff said the program tracks student work via Canvas and cohort structures, and uses volunteer practitioners for mentorship and exam subject‑matter development.

Vote and conditions
The LATC motion approved the visiting team recommendation and added a friendly amendment requiring annual updates from UCLA Extension until the recommendations are fulfilled. The committee’s motion passed on roll call. Committee members said they were comfortable granting a multi‑year continuation given the program’s strengths and UCLA’s stated plan to hire an administrator and formalize documentation.

A quote from the program
“We are proud of this program and its long standing reputation for academic rigor, design innovation, and community impact,” said Kimberly Velasco, portfolio director overseeing the program. She told LATC members a program administrator candidate has been interviewed and is in the institutional hiring queue.

Why this matters
LATC certification affects whether certificate programs can serve as pathways for licensure and how programs prepare candidates for California‑specific practice. The committee asked UCLA to submit annual written updates on the administrator hire, the strategic plan, and written evaluation materials until the items are implemented.

Ending: LATC staff will forward the visiting team report and the committee's recommendation (including the request for annual updates) to the California Architects Board for final action.