The Art Institute, a system of for-profit arts colleges with eight campuses across the U.S., including one in Dallas, will permanently close on Sept. 30, according to its website.
Many students, parents and teachers posted their shock on social media platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter). The university offered associate's and bachelor's degrees in many fields, including photography, film production, audio production, and fashion design.
“We encourage you to complete your education at another school,” said an announcement on the Art Institute's website.
The museum did not respond to requests for comment.
The parent company reached a $95.5 million settlement with the Department of Justice in 2015 after it allegedly violated federal and state False Claims Act provisions, according to the Justice Department's website.
According to Artnet News, art schools closed many campuses across the United States by 2018 due to declining enrollment.
Those who studied or worked on the remaining eight campuses are trying to figure out what to do.
In an email to students and faculty last week, the Art Institute said the closure was a “culmination of events over the past decade” and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am in a state of shock,” the instructor, who has taught at the Dallas Museum of Art for 17 years, wrote on his Facebook page. “I had a very creative and rewarding workplace, with very interesting students and colleagues, and many opportunities to participate in meaningful and fun extracurricular activities. I will miss it very much. I am saddened by its fate. .”
The Art Institutes website has a landing page with a closure notice, but the original website is no longer accessible. Other Texas campuses that will permanently close include Austin, San Antonio and Houston. His other four campuses to close are Miami, Atlanta, Tampa and Virginia Beach.
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