Sessions College for Professional Design
 | |
Former names |
Sessions.edu Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design |
|---|---|
| Motto | The highest quality in online arts education |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1997 |
| President | Gordon Drummond |
| Students | 1,500 |
| Location |
 Tempe, Arizona, United States |
| Campus | Electronic |
| Colors | Blue, green, and orange |
| Nickname | Sessions |
| Website | |
Coordinates: 33°25′36″N 111°56′25″W / 33.426669°N 111.940271°WSessions College for Professional Design is a fully accredited online college offering career training programs for both aspiring and established creative and design professionals. Sessions offers vocational certificates, undergraduate certificates and associate degrees in a variety of art and design fields. The main campus of Sessions College is located in Tempe, Arizona on historic Mill Avenue. Courses are delivered entirely online. Sessions College has graduated students from over 80 countries worldwide.
History
Sessions College was founded in 1997, originally located and licensed in New York state; in 2009, Sessions moved its campus to Tempe, Arizona and secured licensure from the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education.[1]
Accreditation and Licensure
Accreditation
The school has been accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council [2] since 2001. Additionally, Sessions College certificate programs have been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools [3] since 2006.
State Licensure
Sessions is licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education.[4]
Other Authorizations and Memberships
Sessions is:
- Approved by the U.S. Department of Education to administer Federal Student Aid to eligible students.
- A member of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)[5]
- A Workforce Investment Board (WIB) provider in the state of Arizona through the Arizona HEAT program.[6]
Awards and Notable Achievements
In March 2014, GD USA Magazine named Sessions College among the top design schools in the United States,[7] in a list that included such respected traditional design schools as SVA, RISD, MICA, CCA, Parsons, and Pratt, in addition to schools offering online programs such as SCAD, Academy of Art University, and Full Sail University.
In June 2014, BestColleges.com rated Sessions College among its top 100 online schools for 2014, and in the top 50 colleges offering online Associate degree programs. The survey was compiled through the use of "student surveys, faculty surveys, independent research, ranking systems, and the input of highly credible and authoritative sources."
In Summer 2014, Sessions College was nominated for a Best Value School Award by the Best Value Colleges organization. The Best Value School Award aims to provide an alternative to established metrics-based lists by highlighting small to medium-sized colleges and schools that offer not only an outstanding education but also value for money.
The USDLA United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) has three times awarded Sessions College United States Distance learning Association awards for its contribution to distance education. In April 2012, Sessions College instructor Piper Nilsson won a USDLA Platinum award for teaching excellence - the highest honor bestowed by USDLA for teaching. In 2008, the Sessions College Graphic Design Certificate program received the USDLA Best Practices Award for Distance Learning Programming.[8] Judges commended the program's creative and technical curriculum, one-to-one student mentoring, and dedicated faculty. In 2009, Sessions College received a second Gold Award for its Louis H. Schilt Memorial Scholarship for severely injured veterans.[9]
Sessions College has twice won ANGEL Impact Awards for online educational technology. The school received awards for its development of the My Gallery and Success Tracker tools, two customized extensions of the ANGEL LMS functionality. The purpose of the ANGEL awards was to recognize efforts to impact education, exemplary ANGEL implementation, and fostering innovation and collaboration.
Sessions was an Inc. 5000 honoree in 2008[10] and was ranked #40 in the Inc. 5000 2008 Top 50 Education Companies.[11]
References
- ↑ Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education Directory
- ↑ DETC - Sessions College Accredited Institution Listing
- ↑ CSS MSA listing for Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design
- ↑ Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education Directory
- ↑ USDLA Organizational Members
- ↑ Arizona HEAT listing for Sessions College
- ↑
- ↑ USDLA 2008 awards page
- ↑ USDLA 2009 awards page
- ↑ Inc. 5000 profile for Sessions, 2008
- ↑ Inc. Top 50 Education Companies, 2008