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The American College of the Building Arts of Charleston, South Carolina, USA has established itself as the first American college to offer four year Bachelor of Applied Sciences in the Building Arts degrees in six traditional building trades: Blacksmithing, Timber Framing, Carpentry, Plaster Working, Stone Carving, and Preservation Masonry. There is a plan for students from France’s prestigious Compagnons du Devoir du Tour de France to come to the college to study to obtain their Bachelor’s degrees this autumn along with students from fifteen US states.

On 19 May 2011 the college graduated its third class and presented its crest as a parade banner. Following in an age-old guild tradition, graduates paraded to their seats following the banner of which they are so justly proud wearing sashes and tassels representing the color of their trade.

One of this year’s distinguished graduates, Meghan Shogan, has been given a fellowship from the Coubertin Foundation in France. She is the second American, and the only American female, to have received such a fellowship in the fifty year existence of the Foundation.

Blue represents the wood trades, red the metal trades, and cream the trowel trades. The dovetailing interlocks them in ovum. Aut Disce Aut Discede is generally translated as Learn or Leave. The roman numerals set date of establishment Ab Urbe Condita rather than Anno Domini. The plumb bob is self- explanatory. Designed by William Bates.