Guiding Principles | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Guiding Principles

MCAD's Morrison building on a summer day

Vision

MCAD emboldens creative leaders to collaboratively transform society through equity, empathy, and imagination.

Mission

MCAD provides a transformative education within a community of support for creative students of all backgrounds to work, collaborate, and lead with confidence in a dynamic, interconnected world.  

MCAD students become:

  • Accomplished makers and scholars
  • Equity-minded problem solvers 
  • Critical, conceptual thinkers
  • Inclusive, collaborative partners
  • Empathic listeners
  • Creative storytellers
  • Engaged citizens within a global context

Values

  • Transformational Ideas and Actions that emerge from the intersection of creativity, culture, and equity.
  • Collaborative Community that supports both independent achievements and collective successes.
  • Empathetic Leadership that integrates humility, inclusivity, curiosity, and foresight to fuel change. 
  • Multifaceted and Complex Identities that embody diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. 
  • Experiential Learning that embraces generative processes, critical discourse, and an iterative methodology to achieve academic, institutional, and individual excellence.

Equity and Inclusion

MCAD strives to be a community of equal opportunities and inclusivity. You are welcomed into the MCAD community as an individual, regardless of your race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, ability, or marital status.

Non-Discrimination Policy

MCAD admits students of any race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, age, or marital status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or marital status in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

Disability Accommodations

MCAD offers disability accommodations by supporting equitable access to education. Persons with disabilities have a right to equal opportunity as prescribed by law. MCAD offers reasonable accommodations to ensure equitable access for students who self-disclose a documented disability. MCAD complies with federal disability laws; including, Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Fair Housing Act.