St. Michael’s College was founded by the order of the Christian Brothers in 1859. In 1966, the name of the school was changed from St. Michael’s College to the College of Santa Fe to better reflect the connection between the college and the city. The name of the college was changed to Santa Fe University of Art and Design in 2010 to more accurately reflect the school’s mission and vision. The University was accredited by Higher Learning Commission.
The Santa Fe University of Art and Design Board of Directors, along with the university’s ownership, conducted a review and consideration of viable options for the future of SFUAD, with input from students, faculty, community and state leaders, and others. In April of 2017, the Board determined that due to significant ongoing financial challenges, similar to those faced by many small institutions both in the state of New Mexico and nationally, the university would no longer operate after the end of the 2017-2018 academic year.
As always, the steadfast commitment to students’ academic success remained the top priority. As such, the university engaged in a thoughtful, phased teach-out and transfer process leading up to the graduation of students who were eligible to complete their degrees by May 2018.
