- Student Body
Students attend The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale from nearly all 50 states and more
than 50 countries. The student body consists of
men and women who have enrolled directly
after completing high school, have transferred
from other colleges and universities, or have
decided on a career change.
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- Alumni Association
The mission of the Alumni Association of The
Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale to promote
relations among the college, its alumni, and its
current students for the purpose of supporting
growth through networking, mentoring,
continuing education seminars, and community
awareness.
Under the leadership of the Alumni Coordinator
and in conjunction with the Alumni Committee,
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale provides
the following services to its alumni: reunions,
newsletters, alumni seminars, alumni
merchandise, career resources, events
calendar, recognition awards, guest speaker
opportunities, gallery exhibitions, and artjudging
opportunities.
The national Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale alumni web site is
http://www.alumniconnections.com/artinstitutes/. This site features an online
directory, career resources tools, success
stories, and an events calendar.
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- Mark K. Wheeler Gallery
Having a gallery space to display artwork is a
tremendous asset to The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale. On a regular basis, the Mark K.
Wheeler Gallery (named for the founder of The
Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale) hosts exhibits
for the students and public to view. The exhibits
are carefully selected and are used to
demonstrate professional accomplishments,
challenge students to explore new mediums,
and showcase The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale’s impressive resources and talents.
Many faculty members incorporate visits to the
gallery into the curriculum, teaching students to
appreciate and critique works of art.
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale Mark K.
Wheeler Gallery serves as a non-commercial
exhibition space that reflects and exemplifies
the artwork of professionals, faculty, students,
and graduates in their fields.
The goals of the gallery are to inspire and
challenge students through examples of
accomplished artists and designers, enrich the
learning community at The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale through exhibitions, demonstrate
high levels of excellence, provide opportunities
to increase public awareness of the college and
its importance in the art and design community,
and expose the local community to relevant
faculty, student, and professional work. A
sampling of the exhibitions include juried
student art shows, faculty exhibitions, and
visiting artists.
The gallery is located on the first floor of the
Main Building and is open Monday through
Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 8
a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. The gallery is closed on Sundays and
holidays.
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- Technology
Technology at The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale continues to grow to keep pace
with the demanding applications used
throughout each program. The college currently
supports Macintoshes and PCs in 32 computer
labs, all with Internet access. Extended hours
are available in two open labs, one in the Main
Building and one in Harbor Walk from 8 a.m. to
10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. An open lab is also
available in the Sunrise Hall dormitory.
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- Technology Policy
Although the use of technology is available for
students and faculty in the labs, classrooms,
and resource areas, students and faculty are
requested not to attach any devices that have
not met the approval of their specific
department requirements (students should
consult with their department chairs for a list of
approved devices). Those who do not follow
this policy may be subject to disciplinary action.
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale requires all
students using the college’s technology and
networks to abide by the Policy on Students’
Use of Electronic Resources. Technology and
networks covered under this policy include but
are not limited to the following:
| • electronic mail |
• photographs |
| • local databases |
• digitized information |
| • games |
• any recorded media |
| • CD-ROMs |
• externally accessed databases |
A copy of the Policy on Students’ Use of
Electronic Resources statement may be
obtained from the Student Handbook (available
at http://aiflhub.aiiresources.com/handbook) or
by contacting the Director of Technology.
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- General Facilities &
Equipment
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale occupies
approximately 150,000 square feet of space in
three separate buildings. The main facility,
located at 1799 SE 17th Street, is a 75,000-
square-foot, four-story building designed
specifically to house the college.
The fourth floor contains computer labs, a
computer-networking room, drawing
classrooms, and office space for the Graphic
Design and Animation departments program
chairs and faculty.
The third floor is shared by the faculty and
administration of the Advertising, Broadcasting,
Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Fashion
Design, Game Art & Design, Photography,
Video Production, and Visual Effects & Motion
Graphics programs. The video post-production
labs occupy 3,000 square feet and are
equipped with editing stations. Two
professionally designed broadcasting studios
and a working newsroom are also part of the
media space. The Fashion Design area
consists of four sewing rooms containing power
sewing machines, cutting tables, power cutters,
dressmakers forms, and steam irons. In
addition, there is a design lab equipped with
computer-driven design workstations. The third
floor also contains the commercial photography
studio and equipment checkout.
The second floor houses the photography
darkrooms equipped with sinks, film
processors, and enlarger stations. Also located
on the second floor are the Registrar,
Accounting, Student Financial Services,
Admissions, and Administrative offices.
Located on the first floor are a television
production studio, a special effects studio
equipped with a full-body cyclorama wall for
high-end visual effects photography, an audio
recording studio, the college bookstore, a
public cafe, and the offices of the Human Resources and Communications Departments.
The Mark K. Wheeler Gallery is located just off
the main lobby.
The Harbor Walk East building, located directly
southwest of the Main Building at 1650 SE 17th
Street, is a four-story building comprising
approximately 60,000 square feet. The fourth
floor has classroom space for the Interior
Design, General Education, Computer
Animation, and Game Art & Design programs.
The Interior Design classrooms are equipped
with drawing tables, mechanical straight edges,
and critique boards. The sample resource
center contains manufacturer catalogs, wall and
floor covering samples, fabric samples, and a
light display. A blueprinting machine is also
available for student use. Offices for the college
academic advisors are also located on this
floor.
The third floor houses offices for the Computer
Animation and Game Art & Design program
chairs and faculty, general classrooms, science
lab, an open computer lab, and a student
lounge equipped with tables, benches, vending
machines, and a microwave oven.
The second floor of Harbor Walk comprises
Career Services, faculty offices, animation labs,
and general classrooms.
The first floor houses the Chef’s Palette
restaurant and the Culinary Arts, Industrial
Design, and Yacht & Marine Design programs.
The Culinary Arts Department is composed of
four fully equipped commercial kitchens,
teaching/service bar, classroom space, walk-in
refrigerators, and freezers. The Industrial
Design area has a ventilated shop equipped
with power saws, grinders, sanders, lathes, a
paint-spray room, work benches, and a tool crib
with all the necessary hand tools.
The Harbor Place building is located directly
adjacent to the Harbor Walk building at 1600
SE 17th Street. The college occupies the entire
third floor consisting of approximately 15,000
square feet. This space houses the 5,000
square foot library equipped with reading
tables, a computer lab with Internet access, a
photocopier, an image scanner, and a laser
printer. This space also houses a computer
lab, lecture room, and office space for the
General Education and Interior Design program
chairs and faculty.
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- History
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale opened its
doors in September 1968, offering diploma
programs in Commercial Art, Interior Design,
and Fashion Illustration. The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale received state approval for
Veterans' training in September 1970 and was
accredited by the National Association of Trade
and Technical Schools of the Career College
Association in April 1971.
In November 1973, Education Management
Corporation acquired The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale from its founder, Mark K. Wheeler.
In February 1975, The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale was licensed by the newly
legislated State Board of Independent
Postsecondary Vocational, Technical, Trade,
and Business Schools.
In 1979, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
was recognized as a two-year degree-granting
institution in the State of Florida, authorized to
confer the Associate of Science degree by the
State Board of Independent Colleges and
Universities.
In May 1986, The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale moved and expanded facilities from
3000 East Las Olas Boulevard to 1799 SE 17th
Street in Fort Lauderdale.
In November 1987, the State Board of
Independent Colleges and Universities
approved the conferring of the Bachelor of
Science in Professional Studies degree, and
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale added
bachelor’s-level programs in Business
Management and Marketing and Fashion
Marketing. In 1988, the State Board approved
the designation of the Bachelor of Science
degree for these programs.
In addition to Bachelor of Science degree
programs, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
added the following Associate of Science
degree programs between 1973 and 1988:
Photography, Fashion Marketing, Music and
Video Business, Travel and Tourism, and
Fashion Design. The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale started a new Associate of Science
degree program in Broadcasting in fall 1990. In
fall 1991, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
began two new Associate of Science degree
programs, Culinary Arts and Industrial Design,
and added a Bachelor of Science degree
program in Interior Design. In 1995, the college
was approved to add Computer Animation,
Video Production, and Multimedia and Web
Design.
In September 1989, The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale leased space at 1650 SE 17th
Street. This building, referred to as Harbor
Walk, currently houses the college's Animation,
Culinary Arts, Game Art & Design, Industrial
Design, Interactive Media Design (formerly
Multimedia & Web Design), and Yacht & Marine
Design departments, the Nevin C. Meinhardt
Memorial Library, and the Chef's Palette
restaurant.
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale began
offering the following diploma programs in
1987: Applied Photography, Residential Design,
and Layout and Production Art. In 1992,
Desktop Publishing was added. In 1994, two
Culinary Arts programs, The Art of Cooking
and Baking and Pastry, were added. Layout
and Production Art and Desktop Publishing
were merged to create Graphic and Desktop
Design. In April 1996, Travel Industry was
added to the diploma offerings.
In 1996, the college took a large step in the
reorganization of the programs and the
extension of the bachelor’s degree offerings.
Four Bachelor of Science degrees were
offered: Computer Animation, Graphic Design,
Industrial Design, and Interior Design.
In keeping with educational trends in higher
education and realizing the necessity to offer
convenient course-scheduling opportunities to
students with many obligations, The Art
Institute of Fort Lauderdale embarked on a
distance-education initiative in January 1999.
Approval was granted in September 1999, and
the first online course was added to the
schedule in Fall 1999 through a consortium
agreement with The Art Institute Online, a
division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
In 2001, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
initiated conversion of the college’s course
codes to codes approved by the Florida State
Course Numbering System and used by all
public postsecondary institutions in Florida, so
that transfer of credit from and to other colleges
within the state of Florida would be less
complicated and more effective. The conversion
of these codes continues. The Art Institute of
Fort Lauderdale also approved three study
abroad articulation agreements with colleges in
Germany, Argentina, and South Korea.
Also in 2001, The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale was awarded the Distinguished
Performance Award of Career College of the
Year by the National Alliance of Business
(NAB). The Distinguished Performance Awards
are presented to “businesses, organizations,
and individuals for their commitment to, and
accomplishments in, improving student
achievement and workforce quality” (source:
NAB 2001 Distinguished Performance Awards
pamphlet).
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale approved
articulation agreements with Broward, Miami-
Dade, and Palm Beach counties of Florida in
2002 under the Tech Prep high-school
program, facilitating the granting of credit to
high-school graduates who have successfully
completed one of these programs during their
high-school years. During 2002, the college
also entered into a statewide articulation
agreement with Florida Restaurant Association
Educational Foundation’s ProStart School-to-
Career Programs. This agreement allows highschool
graduates who have completed
secondary or postsecondary vocational
ProStart culinary programs to receive academic
credit at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
Four new Bachelor of Science degree
programs, Digital Media Production, Game Art & Design, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics,
and Yacht & Marine Design, were offered in 2002, a new Bachelor of Science degree in
Fashion Design was added in 2004, and in 2005, two additional Bachelor of Science
degree programs, Illustration, and Fashion Merchandising were added.
As of May 2006, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale offers 14 Bachelor of Science
degree programs: Advertising, Culinary Management, Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Game Art & Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Interactive Media Design, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics, and Yacht & Marine Design. Also offered are eight Associate of Science degree programs: Animation Art & Design, Broadcasting, Culinary Arts, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interactive Media Design, Photography, and Video Production. Four diploma programs are offered: Applied
Photography, Art of Cooking, Graphic &
Desktop Design, and Residential Design.
The purpose of The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale, as initially developed when it
opened its doors in 1968, was to prepare its
graduates to enter careers in their chosen
fields. Although The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale has expanded its program offerings
through the years, this basic purpose remains
unchanged.
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