In this issue:
· AIA Adds 15 Economic Survival Sessions to Convention
· AIA, ACE Mentor Program Extend Partnership
· AIA Reacts to White House Small Business Plan
· Hartford Architecture Program Accredited

AIA Adds 15 Economic Survival Sessions to Convention
In an effort to assist members and firms during this prolonged economic downturn, the AIA has added 15 educational sessions devoted to addressing the current economic situation. The AIA will also have representatives from a number of federal agencies on hand to advise members on how they can contract with the federal government and get their firms involved with stimulus-related projects.

Educational sessions addressing the economic downturn:

· Blueprints for Brighter Tomorrows: The Upside of the Downturn
· Business Strategies and Tactics to Survive and Thrive in an Economic Downturn
· Firm Valuation in a Turbulent Economy: The Best of Times/The Worst of Times
· Making the Cut: The Psychological Impact of Downsizing and Surviving a Layoff
· Maximizing Firm Human Resources in a Complex World; Key components to success with Human Resources during good economic times and bad
· Best Laid Plans: Business Planning for Small Firms
· Redefining Your Practice in the Turbulent Global Economy: The Global Perspective and the Regional Context
· The Construction Outlook: Implications for Architecture Firms
· Coping with Stress in a Complex World; Tools to manage stress, create balance and harmony in your career, life and company.
· Firm Closure: What You Should Know (working title)
· Define Your Career Vision: Practical Tactics and Strategies to Execute a Targeted Job Search
· Downsizing: What You Should Know (working title)
· Expanding your Firm with Minimal Capital Investment: How to Expand and Diversify Your Practice through Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions
· Designing the Emergent Firm
· The Research Frontier of Risk Management in an Economic Downturn

The convention will be held on 04.30-05.02.09 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. For more information visit the 2009 AIA Convention website.

AIA, ACE Mentor Program Extend Partnership
Created to address the growing need for skilled professionals, the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program is a nationwide effort of outreach and mentoring for students in 136 markets across the country. Officials of ACE and the AIA announced the extension and expansion of their national partnership through 2013. In addition, the ACE student website will be linked to the AIA’s Career Center, additional members will be introduced to the ACE program, and a matching fund donation program will be created. ACE will continue to offer a college scholarship to an architectural student in AIA’s name.

AIA Reacts to White House Small Business Plan
“The White House’s plans to help unfreeze the credit market for small businesses is welcome news for the hundreds of small and sole practitioner,” said AIA President Marvin Malecha, FAIA. “With architecture billings at historic lows, small design firms need every tool they can get to keep cash flowing. The AIA has made relief for small businesses a key plank of its Rebuild & Renew plan for economic recovery. This is a very helpful step, but Congress and the White House need to take additional steps to provide additional tax relief for small firms, change unfair procurement rules that disadvantage small firms, and ensure that architecture practices of all sizes can take part in the economic recovery.” To learn more about the White House plan click here.

Hartford Architecture Program Accredited
The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) has accredited the Master of Architecture degree program at the University of Hartford. In most states, a professional architecture degree is one of the requirements to take the architectural registration exam. The program is now one of two NAAB-accredited degree programs in Connecticut (the other is Yale University’s), and the first newly accredited program in the state in more than 40 years.