Gibbs College

Katharine Gibbs College was a private for-profit institution of higher learning based in the United States of America, founded by Katharine Gibbs.

As the Providence School in Rhode Island, it was founded in 1911 as an institution for the career education of young women. A few years later, the institution expanded with satellite campuses in Boston and New York and was renamed for its founder. It specializes in education in industries such as design, business administration, computer technology, criminal justice, and health care. The college is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. It does not have regional accreditation; thus, most regionally accredited or traditional universities and colleges are reluctant to accept its credits for transfer and many do not recognize its undergraduate degrees for entry into graduate programs.

In 1997, The Career Education Corporation (CEC) acquired the Gibbs Group. For-profit colleges owned by CEC enroll nearly 100,000 students at more than 80 locations in the United States, Canada, England, France, and the United Arab Emirates.

Historic Locations

Gibbs College locations: Cranston, Rhode Island • Dunn Loring, Virginia • Livingston, New Jersey • Boston, Massachusetts • Norwalk, Connecticut

Katharine Gibbs School locations: New York City • Norristown, Pennsylvania • Piscataway Township, New Jersey • Melville, New York

Remaining Location

Boston, Massachusetts as of July 2011 holding company Education Management is reflagging what was Gibbs College as Sanford Brown.

Academic programs

Creative and Design Audio Engineering Digital Film, Video and Multimedia Fashion Design and Merchandising Interior Decoration Visual Communications Visual Communications: Digital Media Visual Communications: Game Design and Development Visual Communications: Graphic Design Business Business Administration Business Administration-Accounting Business Administration: Financial Services Business Administration: Management Business Administration-Marketing Business Administration: Retail Merchandising Business Administration-Sports Management Business Entertainment Management Business Operations: Casino Executive Assistant Fashion Merchandising Hotel and Restaurant management Office Administration: Business Concentration

Health Health Care Management: Long Term Care Health Information Technology Medical Assisting Office Administration: Medical Executive Assistant Office Administration: Medical Computers and IT Computer Network Operations Computer Network Operations and Security Computer Network Security Computer Technical Support Personal Computer and Network Technology Networking and Operations Support Information Technology: Computer Systems Security Information Technology: Network Design and Administration

Law and Criminal Justice Criminal Justice Criminal Justice-Corrections Legal Executive Assistant Office Administration: Legal Paralegal Studies

Controversy

In January 2007, the New York State Education Department reported deficiencies at the Katharine Gibbs New York campus. The problems related to faculty qualifications and remedial course offerings. New enrollment has been limited and the Education Department has stated it will close the college if improvements are not made.

Closure

In the fall of 2006, Career Education Corporation announced that the entire Gibbs College division was being put up for sale. Over the next year, no buyer could be found, so on Thursday, February 14, 2008, Career Education Corporation announced that it would convert two of the nine campuses in the Gibbs division (Vienna, Virginia and Melville, New York) to its Sanford-Brown College brand and "teach out" the remaining seven schools in the division. Those seven campuses were scheduled to close in December 2009. The decision resulted in the cancellation of all new enrollments and a massive reduction in workforce. Students are still being admitted into the Melville, New York campus which has been reflagged as Sanford Brown.

External links

• College - Boston website
• Gibbs College - Farmington, CT
• Career Education Corporation Announces Plans for Strategic Divestitures of Selected Schools