Dear Valued Community Members,

With a heavy heart, I share the news that the Delaware College of Art and Design will be winding down operations in the coming weeks and eventually closing. We will no longer offer classes or confer degrees for the ‘24-’25 school year.

Our entire team is very proud of our 27-year history of educating and training the next generation of designers and artists, and we are working together through this challenging but necessary transition to uphold our legacy and to do what is best for our students. 

Like many independent art and design schools, DCAD faces long-standing challenges related to declining enrollment, a shrinking pool of college-age students, rising costs, and unexpected issues with the rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

We did not make the decision lightly and sought every possible avenue to avoid it. Our declining enrollment numbers over the last several years and for the upcoming school year have prevented us from adequately supporting our educational purposes and programs. The Board of Trustees has worked diligently to find other funding solutions, but none allow us to overcome the longer-term problem of too few students.

No educator committed to teaching, challenging, and preparing students ever wants to share this devastating news. We are, however, committed to minimizing the impact on our students, alumni, and the community.

We are also committed to helping our rising second-year students and accepted students transfer to partner schools, including the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and Moore College of Art and Design, to finish their education and start their careers. We will meet with students over the next few weeks to help them with their path forward.  

The DCAD Board of Trustees and I are working with the Middle States Commission for Higher Education and the Delaware Department of Education to ensure that our wind-down and eventual closure cause as little disruption as possible and that our teach-out plan is fully approved. 

We recognize your contributions to our community over the years. I am personally grateful for all you have done to support DCAD and our students.

Sincerely,

Jean Dahlgren, President