The Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
for-profit art school in
Lakewood, Colorado
The City of Lakewood is the home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 155,984 at the 2020 U.S. Census making Lakewood the fifth most populous city in Col ...
. The college was founded in 1963 by
Philip J. Steele, an artist and teacher.
History
RMCAD was founded in 1963 by
Philip J. Steele, an artist and educator. The college relocated several times as it increased enrollment. In 2003, the college moved from its three-building Denver location to its current and larger location in the suburb of Lakewood. In 2010, a group of investors who own
Full Sail University purchased a controlling share of the college from the Steele family, and began an initiative to restructure the college and curriculum. In 2014, amidst a turnover of a significant number of key faculty, RMCAD rescheduled its in-person campus courses to align with the scheduling of online classes, and to cut costs moved most
liberal arts
Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...
courses on line. Currently, RMCAD is affiliated with Full Sail University.
Academics
RMCAD is accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
(HLC) and the
National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The Interior Design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
Students
Approximately 1,400 undergraduate students with a student body is 66% female, 34% male, 41% minorities and international students. Seventy-nine percent of students are out-of-state.
Student to instructor ratio is above average at nine students for every instructor and the average class size is eight students. The average age of on-campus students is 23 and the average online student is 30.
Campus
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design campus comprises . The RMCAD campus has the designation of National Historic District. Currently, the campus has 17 structures, 11 of which are devoted to classrooms, common areas, and other support spaces, including four galleries and studio spaces. The campus is the former site of the
Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS) and its successor organization, the American Medical Center, included in the
and is located in the 40 West Arts District close to
Casa Bonita
Casa Bonita (Spanish for "pretty house") is a Mexican restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado, at the JCRS (Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society) Shopping Center, now known as the Lamar Station Plaza. It was originally part of a chain of Mexican-themed en ...
. The campus is located in the city of
Lakewood, Colorado
The City of Lakewood is the home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 155,984 at the 2020 U.S. Census making Lakewood the fifth most populous city in Col ...
which is between the city of
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
and the foothills of Colorado's
Front Range mountains.
Galleries
The college has four main galleries; the Philip J. Steele Gallery, Rude Gallery, Alumni Gallery, and Student Gallery. The Philip J. Steele Gallery is the largest gallery on campus and is named after the founder of the college. Rude Gallery is a more intimate space in the Rude Building, and the Alumni Gallery is located in the main foyer of the Texas building.
The student gallery is located in the EPiC building.
References
External links
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Art schools in Colorado
Private universities and colleges in Colorado
Education in Jefferson County, Colorado
Education in Lakewood, Colorado
Universities and colleges in Denver
Educational institutions established in 1963
1963 establishments in Colorado
For-profit universities and colleges in the United States