For students pursuing higher education, attending college or university is often a deeply transformative experience that changes their lives. Many colleges don’t bother continuing the relationship with alumni beyond asking for occasional donations, but the ones that do stand out are for the resources and connections they provide. The Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) understands this and is committed to supporting its students both before and after graduation.
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is a leading art institution located in Denver, Colorado, dedicated to nurturing artists of all kinds through a rigorous, innovative, and community-oriented educational program. The school’s mission is to foster critical thinking and professional growth and prepare students to become forces of change in their communities. RMCAD does this through a strong curriculum, frequent events, and clear communication. RMCAD’s student-centric philosophy continues even after graduation, where resources are made available, feedback is considered, and alumni career achievements are celebrated.
On the RMCAD website, the very first of the institution’s espoused values is “Our students come first,” and that value is consistently demonstrated by the school’s varied programs and systems. From tutoring in the Student Learning Center and on-campus advisors to the school’s Alumni Services Department and RMCAD Renew, a student at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design will always feel welcome. If an institution truly wishes to foster the creativity and professional growth of its students, then it makes sense to support them during their education and after they graduate
RMCAD Support Services
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design has a number of personalized support services designed to meet the diverse needs of both its student body and alumni network. These services exist to supplement what is learned in the degree programs, which include animation, graphic design, fashion, game art, interior design, and more. Students have access to these individualized programs, while alumni are supported by career coaching, workshops, industry-specific benefits, and RMCAD Renew.
RMCAD students have access to individualized academic advising, which offers one-on-one academic support to help them chart a course through their coursework and personal challenges to ultimately graduate and pursue their career goals. Paired with the school’s flexible learning options, which let students choose between campus learning or studying online to take advantage of asynchronous coursework, students are empowered to learn in a way that accommodates their unique schedules and preferences. Considering RMCAD’s community-oriented approach to education and career development, it’s unsurprising that the school also offers and encourages a variety of clubs and organizations, along with customized orientation experiences to help students feel welcomed and prepared for their academic journey.
After graduation, RMCAD alumni are given new resources and connections to help further their art and/or design careers. They retain access to the school’s Symplicity CRM platform as a central portal for career-related programming content, resources, guides, and documents. As part of that same platform, alumni and students alike have access to an online job board and mock interview tool, boosting them along in their careers. Aside from that, RCMAD Alumni can join the school’s Alumni Association for lifelong learning and engagement opportunities and are given passes and resources like Alumni PASS and RMCAD Renew for continuous learning and support. Through RMCAD Renew, graduates of RMCAD’s BFA degree programs may audit (attend without grade or credit) most current course offerings within their original degree program with no cost of tuition.
Growth, Feedback, and Communication
Much like the artists in their care, the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is constantly seeking to improve its services and programs for the benefit of students and alumni alike. As a result, the school has a robust and regular system for gathering feedback from current and former students. RMCAD shows its dedication to putting its students first through regular communication and an eagerness to consider feedback.
RMCAD uses a number of tools to gather and consider student and alumni feedback. This primarily takes the form of regular student and alumni surveys. End-of-course surveys, student satisfaction surveys, alumni exit surveys, and more are collected and discussed by the appropriate stakeholders. Ambassadors and student government representatives often volunteer to participate in focus groups for the school’s administration to gather some insight into the realities of student life. All of this is enabled by the school’s open communication strategy, giving students (both current and former) a safe place to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Indeed, consistent multi-platform communication is a consistent strength of the institution, whether it’s via the school’s website or its digital platforms. Web publications, blogs, and success stories are shared regularly, highlighting student success. Tools like Zoom and the school’s Learning Management System offer a seamless online learning experience, with virtual asynchronous classes, online discussion forums, and an online platform for assignments, giving students the tools they need to study from anywhere, when it’s convenient for them. Other tools like the Edsights chatbot, which checks in with students on academic, wellness, and financial status, or Anchor, which identifies at-risk students in need of early intervention, give the school and students new tools for getting help to those who need it.
Student and Alumni Satisfaction
The Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design heavily prioritizes the success and well-being of their students, and as such, is incredibly interested in student and alumni satisfaction. The various survey and feedback opportunities discussed above are considered when RMCAD is considering new developments or upgrades to its campus, programs, or services. The school hopes to build lasting connections and community amongst its students, and ensuring high rates of student satisfaction is crucial to fulfilling that goal.
Student satisfaction is tracked through a number of regular surveys, but there are other metrics that are used to expand and enrich that dataset. Student performance, retention, and persistence rates are critical data points that measure how well students are supported both academically and personally while at RMCAD and combine with student complaints and issue resolution data to track patterns, recurring issues, and areas in need of improvement. This gives the institution the ability to not only track the students’ own statements and surveys but also the smaller day-to-day components that impact those statements.
Career + Alumni Services actively participates in Co-Curricular Assessment to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of its programs, letting the school measure, analyze, and apply the outcomes of student learning and engagement to new decisions and initiatives. Paired with ongoing career support advisement and a slew of alumni-oriented events (workshops, guest speakers, gallery expos, award shows), RMCAD alumni are given a variety of avenues to provide feedback and continue creating as part of the RMCAD community.
At the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, the student journey doesn’t end at graduation—it evolves. Through comprehensive support services, a dedication to community building, and a strong feedback-driven approach, RMCAD fosters lifelong relationships that help students and alumni thrive. Whether through tailored advising, alumni access to learning resources, or platforms for career development and engagement, RMCAD exemplifies what it means to truly put students first. By continuing to invest in their success long after they’ve left campus, RMCAD not only builds better artists and designers—it builds a lasting legacy of creativity, support, and growth.
