According to a GoFundMe campaign launched on June 6, faculty and staff would like to buy the school so they can "continue to provide great education in the applied arts to current and future students." The Art Institute of Portland campus is closing at the end of this year, but faculty and staff are launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise $2 million in an effort to buy the institute from its owner. Los Angeles-based Dream Center Education Holdings recently announced that it will discontinue campus-based programs at the Portland location, along with 15 other art institutes nationwide. According to a GoFundMe campaign launched on June 6, faculty and staff would like to buy the school so they can "continue to provide great education in the applied arts to current and future students." The campaign has a goal of $2 million, which the page notes is "a rough estimate of how much the college is worth." Supporters would like to raise at least $1 million by Nov. 1, which would allow them to make an official buyout offer to DCEH. If it is unsuccessful, the campaign will refund any donations made. Dream Center Education Holdings is also discontinuing operations of its two additional education systems, the Argosy University and the South University. "Over the last several months, we have taken a strategic and comprehensive look at each of our three education systems and their respective campuses, evaluating them to be sure that they are meeting the needs of today’s learners and providing the best student and graduate outcomes," Dream Center said in a release announcing the move. "What has become clear is that we have a critical need and responsibility to become a much more agile organization, responsive to the needs of our students and the changing demands of higher education." The Art Institute of Portland website indicates that the school isn't taking new enrollees. The closure is slated for Dec. 31. AI had 155 students in 2014, the last year in which it submitted information for the Portland Business Journal's List. AI is located in the Brewery Blocks development at 1122 N.W. Davis Street. "This decision was made for a number of reasons, including significantly declining enrollment and an increase in the demand for online programs in higher education," DCEH said. "It is important to note that current, active students should continue to attend class as scheduled. However, we are continuing to assess the viability of our current offerings at these locations." DCEH acquired multiple campuses from Education Management Corp. in 2017. Along with Portland, the group announced it would close the following campuses: The Art Institutes in Arlington, Va.; Charleston, S.C; Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Chicago; Denver; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Indianapolis; Nashville, Tenn.; Novi, Mich.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Ana and Sacramento, Calif.; and Schaumburg, Ilinois. The Argosy University campuses in Sarasota; Alameda, Ontario and San Diego, California; Dallas; Denver; Nashville, Salt Lake City; and Schaumburg, Ill. The South University campuses in Novi, Mich.; High Point, N.C.; and Cleveland. "Since acquiring these schools in late 2017, we have been undergoing an ongoing process of evaluating the viability of certain campus-based programs relative to student needs and preferences in order to best support our students, both present and future," Dream Center officials said. "While we actively work with our accreditors and regulators to assess the viability of our current offerings at these locations, DCEH remains steadfast in our mission to provide students with accessible, affordable, relevant, and purposeful education aligned with market demands." The group added that the recent Education Management Corp. bankruptcy filing — Dream Center had bought the institutes from EDMC — had no bearing on its decision. Officials from the Art Institute of Portland couldn't be reached for comment. The Art Institute of Portland posted a 29 percent graduation rate and cost students $25,000. It offers programs in visual design, interior and product design, animation and effects, film and production, and gaming and technology.<doc-sep>The Art Institute in Fort Lauderdale is one of dozens of colleges across the United States that will be closing its doors. Los Angeles-based parent company Dream Center Education Holdings announced Friday its decision to discontinue enrollment at campus-based programs for 30 schools within The Art Institutes, Argosy University and South University systems. It acquired these systems in late 2017. "We have been undergoing an ongoing process of evaluating the viability of certain campus-based programs relative to student needs and preferences in order to best support our students, both present and future," the company said in a statement. The company advises current, active students to continue to attend class and promises to offer them other options to continue their education. Dream Center Education Holdings will also redirect prospective students to another one of their campuses or online programs.<doc-sep>
The Art Institute's campus in Northwest Portland will close its doors Dec. 31. The school, which has been owned by Dream Center Education Holdings since 2017, is one of a group of campus-based programs the holding company plans to shutter, according to a message posted to the company's website. The Art Institute of Portland offers Bachelors and Associate degrees in design, animation, film, and gaming and technology. In 2016, the school's graduation rate was 29.3 percent. According to the Portland Business Journal, the school reported 155 enrolled students in 2014. "Dream Center Education Holdings is aware of multiple reports and speculation regarding the future of certain schools and campuses within The Art Institutes, Argosy University, and South University networks," the message reads. "Since acquiring these schools in late 2017, we have been undergoing an ongoing process of evaluating the viability of certain campus-based programs," it continues. "As a result of that examination, we have made the decision to discontinue campus-based programs for a number of schools within The Art Institutes, Argosy University, and South University systems." The Art Institute of Portland's website says it is no longer enrolling students. Art Institutes across the country, including the campuses in Arlington, Denver, San Francisco and Philadelphia, are set to close. The release posted by Dream Center Education Holdings said students who are enrolled at one of the affected campuses "should continue to attend class as scheduled." In the statement on their website, the school said: "We will support current students by offering multiple options to continue their education." While the campus is set to close Dec. 31, Portland Business Journal reports that faculty and staff hope to buy the school for $2 million. The description of a GoFundMe campaign created Friday said, "This buyout is an attempt to have independence as a college and make the college the best applied arts college it can be." The group said if they raise $1 million by Nov. 1 "an official buyout offer will be made to DCEH." -- Lizzy Acker 503-221-8052 lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker