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{{Short description|Private art college in California, U.S. (1945–2016)}}
{{Distinguish|Brooks College|Brookings Institution}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox university
|name            =Brooks Institute
|image           =Brooks logo.jpg
|motto           =Passion. Vision. Excellence.
|established     =1945
|closed          =2016
|type            =[[Private college|Private]] [[For-profit higher education in the United States|for-profit]] [[art school]]
|staff           =
|faculty         =
|president       = Edward Clift<ref name="SB Independent">{{cite web | url=http://www.independent.com/news/2015/jul/02/brooks-institute-announces-new-president/ | title=Brooks Institute Announces New President | publisher= www.independent.com | date=July 2, 2015 | access-date=July 31, 2015}}</ref>
|provost         = Victoria Liptak
|students        =
|city            =[[Ventura, California|Ventura]] and [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]]
|state           =[[California]]
|country         =U.S.
|campus          =Suburban
|website         = {{URL|www.brooks.edu}}, defunct
|address         =
}}

The '''Brooks Institute''' was a [[Private college|private]] [[For-profit higher education in the United States|for-profit]] [[art school]] in [[Ventura, California]]. It was formerly the '''Brooks Institute of Photography''' and was originally based in Montecito and Santa Barbara.<ref name=eduhistory>[http://www.brooks.edu/About-Brooks/History-Of-Brooks Brooks Institute.edu: History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150827071159/http://www.brooks.edu/about-brooks/history-of-brooks |date=2015-08-27 }} . accessed 9.25.2015</ref> Brooks Institute offered four majors and two graduate programs. The college was last owned by Gphomestay.<ref name="SB Independent"/> The college consolidated and moved operations from Santa Barbara to the Ventura Campus before autumn 2015.<ref name=campuses>[http://www.brooks.edu/About-Brooks/Campuses Brooks Institute.edu: Brooks Institute Campuses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913103822/http://www.brooks.edu/about-brooks/campuses |date=2015-09-13 }} . accessed 9.25.2015.</ref>

The college abruptly announced it was closing on August 12, 2016. The last term was the summer 2016 semester.<ref name="vcstar.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.vcstar.com/news/local/ventura/brooks-institute-in-ventura-closing-39e445ff-c87c-537a-e053-0100007fabdd-390012681.html|title=Brooks Institute in Ventura closing|access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vcreporter.com/2016/08/12/brooks-institute-closes-fall-classes-cancelled-questions-loom/|title=BROOKS INSTITUTE CLOSES - Fall classes cancelled, questions loom|date=12 August 2016|access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref> Enrollment had declined by 90% to 250 students, completion rates ranged from 3% to 40% by program, and there was controversy surrounding advertising using inflated job placement rates,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-brooks-institute-closure-20160815-snap-story.html|title=Sudden closure of visual arts school leaves students in the lurch|first=Joy|last=Resmovits|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=16 August 2016 |access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref> unusual loan policies, and surprise fees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.challengestudentdebt.com/brooks-institute-deceives-student-with-hidden-private-student-loan-terms/|title=Brooks Institute Deceives Student with Hidden Private Student Loan Terms|access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref>

==History==

===Brooks family===
Brooks Institute of Photography was founded in 1945 by Ernest H. Brooks Sr. over a bakery on State Street in Santa Barbara, California.<ref name=eduhistory/><ref name=history>[http://www.independent.com/news/2012/jun/21/brooks-institute/ Santa Barbara Independent.com: "Brooks Institute History"], by Michael Redmon, 21 June 2012.</ref>  The school's first [[photography]] students were primarily World War II veterans supported by the [[G.I. Bill]].<ref name=history/>

In 1952, the Brooks family purchased the former David Gray estate 'Graholm' after the owner at that time, Herschel McGraw, died. Ernest purchased the property for $61,000. The property was located on Alston Road in [[Montecito, California|Montecito]], a community adjacent to Santa Barbara.<ref name=eduhistory/><ref name=history/> This served as the home of Brooks Institute of Photography, as well as for Ernest H. Brooks, Sr.'s growing family.

Ernest H. Brooks Sr. stayed on as president of the school until 1971, when he became board chairperson. He died in 1990.<ref name=history/> His personal passion for underwater photography inspired the underwater still photography and video courses that started in the late 1960s, and continued until the school closed.

At the time of his retirement as president, his son, Ernest H. Brooks, Jr. 'stepped into his father's shoes' and served as the school's president from 1971 until 1999.<ref name=history/> He continued to expand the Brooks Institute of Photography facilities.

In 1976 Brooks purchased the former Jefferson School in the Riviera neighborhood of Santa Barbara, that had been slated for demolition, and opened the Brooks Jefferson Campus.<ref name=history/>

Brooks Institute has been involved in many extraordinary projects in recent years, but this forward vision and involvement was happening even in the 1980s when the institute was permitted to photograph the [[Shroud of Turin]]. Professor Vernon Miller, then head of the Industrial/Scientific program, led a team of photographers as they photographed the cloth for documentation and study.

===Career Education Corporation ownership===
In 1999 the Brooks Institute of Photography was sold by Ernest H. Brooks Jr. to [[Career Education Corporation]] (CEC), a [[For-profit higher education in the United States|for-profit higher education corporation]].<ref>[http://www.careered.com/our-schools/brooks-institute/brooks-institute Career Education Corporation.com: Brooks Institute homepage] . accessed 9.25.2015.</ref>  CEC expanded the school. That included the acquisition of an {{convert|8|acres}} former movie [[production studio]] in Ventura in 2002, from which to base the school's motion picture program, later becoming the Ventura Campus for consolidating the entire school.<ref name=eduhistory/><ref name=Noozhawk>{{cite news|last1=Potthoff|first1=Gina|title=Brooks Institute Consolidating Campuses in Preparing to Leave Santa Barbara|url=http://www.noozhawk.com/article/brooks_institute_to_begin_process_to_leave_santa_barbara|access-date=20 October 2016|agency=[[Noozhawk]]|date=20 June 2013}}</ref>

In 2007, the school changed its name to the Brooks Institute, from the Brooks Institute of Photography.

In 2011, Brooks Institute moved its programs and offices located on the Brooks Jefferson Campus in Santa Barbara to the new Ventura Campus.<ref name=eduhistory/><ref name=history/> In 2014 it moved the programs, library, and offices at the Mason Street Campus (Santa Barbara) to the Cota Street Campus in Downtown Santa Barbara, before the final move to the Ventura Campus.<ref name=eduhistory/><ref name=noozhawk>[http://www.noozhawk.com/article/brooks_institute_to_begin_process_to_leave_santa_barbara Noozhawk Santa Barbara: "Brooks Institute Consolidating Campuses in Preparing to Leave Santa Barbara"], by Gina Potthoff, 20 June 2013.</ref>

====Campus consolidation====
In 2013 Brooks announced its consolidation of all its educational programs to the Ventura Campus, and departure from Santa Barbara planned for 2015.<ref name=noozhawk/><ref>[http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/14/brooks-institute-to-begin-multi-year-consolidation/  DailyFinance.com: "Brooks Institute to Begin Multi-Year Consolidation of Santa Barbara Campuses into Ventura Location"], Business Wire via The Motley Fool,  14 June 2013.</ref>  From the Cota Street Campus in Santa Barbara, it moved its Professional Photography baccalaureate program in Autumn 2013 and MFA in Photography in Autumn 2014 to its now solo Ventura Campus, where the other baccalaureate programs in Film, Graphic Design, and Visual Journalism were already located.<ref name=noozhawk/>

===Gphomestay ownership===
In June 2015 the Brooks Institute was sold by CEC to Gphomestay—Massachusetts Homestay Company, a [[Waltham, Massachusetts]]-based company that specializes in finding homes for international students studying abroad in the United States.<ref>[http://www.noozhawk.com/article/brooks_institute_sold_to_massachusetts_homestay_company  Noozhawk Santa Barbara: "Brooks Institute Sold to Massachusetts Homestay Company"], by Gina Potthoff, 18 June 2015.</ref><ref name=marketwatch>[http://www.marketwatch.com/story/career-education-transfers-ownership-of-brooks-institute-to-gphomestay-2015-06-18  MarketWatch.com: "Career Education Corp Transfers Ownership of Brooks Institute to gphomestay"], 18 June 2015.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gphomestay.com|title=Hosting International Foreign Exchange Students - gphomestay Cambridge Network|website=gphomestay|access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref>  In July Gphomestay announced Edward Clift as president, and Victoria Liptak as provost of Brooks.<ref name="PRNewswire">{{cite web | url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-leadership-announced-at-brooks-institute-300107648.html | title=New Leadership Announced at Brooks Institute | publisher=prnewswire.com | date=July 1, 2015 | access-date=July 31, 2015}}</ref> In August 2016, Edward Clift was dismissed as president and a majority of the board of directors resigned.<ref name="Ventura County Star">{{cite web | url=http://www.vcstar.com/news/local/ventura/president-at-brooks-institute-in-ventura-ousted-majority-of-board-resigns-39a7d69b-af3e-73f8-e053-01-389877331.html | title=President at Brooks Institute ousted majority of board resigns | work=vcstar.com | date=August 10, 2016 | access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> On August 12, 2016, Brooks Institute announced it was closing and canceled the Fall 2016 semester.<ref name="vcstar.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pacbiztimes.com/2016/08/12/brooks-institute-in-ventura-closing-down/|title=Brooks Institute in Ventura closing down|date=13 August 2016|access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref>

==Campus and student life==
Brooks Institute completed consolidating all its visual arts education programs and facilities for new students onto one campus in the Autumn of 2014, the Ventura Campus, located on North Ventura Avenue in the city of Ventura.<ref name=campuses/><ref name=noozhawk/> The Professional Photography Program and MFA, [[Visual journalism|Visual Journalism]], [[Film production|Film]] and [[Video production|Video Production]], Business Administration and [[Graphic Design]] programs' classes shared the single campus, "providing cross-platform opportunities in one location." The Brooks Library was on the campus, containing thousands of books, journals, and other publications and media.

Brooks Institute had a research vessel, 'Just Love,' on which Ernest H. Brooks II led a photographic research and travel expedition to the [[Sea of Cortez]] in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brooks|first1=Ernest|title=Overview|url=http://www.erniebrooks.com/thephotographer.html|website=Silver Seas|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref>

Brooks Institute had two public art galleries that display student, faculty, alumni, and guest photographer work: the Gallery 27 at the former Cota Street Campus in Santa Barbara; and the Visions Gallery  in Ventura, operated in conjunction with the Marriott Ventura Beach.<ref>[http://www.brooks.edu/About-Brooks/Brooks-Institute-Galleries Brooks Institute.edu: Galleries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911001008/http://www.brooks.edu/about-brooks/brooks-institute-galleries |date=2015-09-11 }} . accessed 9.25.2015.</ref>

===Ventura Campus===
The Ventura campus housed faculty and administrative offices and offers serviced such as counseling, financial aid, academic affairs, admissions, accounting, career services and the library.<ref name=campuses/>

[[File:Film set.jpg|thumb|Students filming a project on the on-campus [[movie set]] "The Mexican Village".]]
;Film
Before Brooks Institute acquired the Ventura Campus and renovated its buildings for the school, the property was used by 'Hollywood' movie [[production company|production companies]] to shoot [[motion pictures]]. The Ventura Campus contained professional [[sound stage]]s, a screening room, digital video editing studios, a [[post-production|post-production facility]], and a movie [[backlot]] with an outdoor [[movie set]].<ref name=campuses/>

Scenes from both ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' and ''[[Cast Away]]'' were shot on there.  In 2010 "The Mexican Village" movie set was used for filming the feature film ''[[Without Men]]'', directed by [[Gabriela Tagliavini]].

====Visual Journalism Program====
The Visual Journalism Program had a [[documentary]]-focused class. This was a class-based program that all Brooks undergraduates can participate in. The documentary class took students all over the world to document various cultures. Students spent a scholastic session (approximately 2 months) in another country and return to California to edit a [[multimedia]] presentation. The documentary class took students to many countries, including: Ireland, India, Mexico, Cuba, West Africa, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Australia, Argentina, China and Chile.

==Accreditation==
Brooks was nationally accredited by the [[Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools]] which offered accreditation to mostly vocational schools.<ref name=accreditation>{{cite web|url=http://www.brooks.edu/About-Brooks/Accreditation-And-Affiliations|title=Brooks Institute.edu: Accreditation & Affiliations|access-date=10 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905052441/http://www.brooks.edu/About-Brooks/Accreditation-And-Affiliations|archive-date=5 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Up until the mid-1980s, Brooks Institute was the only national level university program regionally accredited to offer a full Bachelor of Arts degree in photographic sciences, underwritten by WASC. But because of financial reporting irregularities discovered during its reaccreditation cycle, Brooks lost its standing with WASC and sought accreditation through other oversight bodies. Ernest Brooks II, president of the institute and son of founder Ernest Brooks, eventually lost control of the institute and surrendered his role as president shortly thereafter.

In August 2008, Brooks Institute successfully completed "Eligibility," the first step to receiving regional accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).<ref name=accreditation/><ref name="Brooks.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.Brooks.edu |title=Photography School and Film School - Brooks Institute |publisher=Brooks.edu |access-date=2015-07-02}}</ref> This application process takes several years and is not a guarantee that the school will ever receive regional accreditation. As of Autumn 2015 Brooks was still without regional accreditation.<ref name=accreditation/>

==Controversy==
In July 2005, the California [[Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education|Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE)]] accused the Brooks Institute of Photography and its then parent corporation [[Career Education Corporation]] of persuading prospective students to enroll by "willfully misleading" them, and "falsifying and omitting critical information."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ddunleavy.typepad.com/the_big_picture/2005/07/investigation_c.html|title=Dennis Dunleavy|work=Typepad.com|access-date=2015-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://insidehighered.com/news/2005/07/20/brooks|title=Calif. Reins In a For-Profit College|work=Insidehighered.com|access-date=2015-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | issn = 0362-4331 | last = Morgenson | first = Gretchen | title = The School That Skipped Ethics Class |newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | access-date = 2008-11-09 | date = 2005-07-24
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/24/business/yourmoney/24gret.html?pagewanted=print}}</ref>  Brooks was given only a conditional approval to operate for the next two years with a hearing scheduled for February 2006, and ordered to provide "equitable restitution" to students going back to 1999.  However, Brooks appealed the decision and at the hearing the judge determining that BPPVE had not complied with the mandatory provisions of the Education Code, and that it had wrongly denied Brooks Institute an opportunity to contest the Bureau's action prior to the time it was imposed. The [[California Department of Consumer Affairs]] (which oversees BPPVE) later reached the same conclusion. Although Brooks ultimately received unconditional renewal of its license, it settled with a [[class action lawsuit]] for $12,250,000.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}

===Restructuring===
In November 2008, Brooks laid off five faculty members and 12 staff members as part of a restructuring. The school reports that its enrollment dropped from 2,300 in 2004 to 1,200 in 2008.<ref>[http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/nov/01/brooks-institute-lays-off-17-employees/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081110165658/http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/nov/01/brooks-institute-lays-off-17-employees/|date=November 10, 2008}}</ref>  The restructuring was in addition to the faculty who had been 'seemingly dismissed' in recent years. Together these created tensions at Brooks Institute going back to January 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=4224&IssueNum=108 |title=Ventura County Reporter - Tensions flare at Brooks Institute of Photography |work=Vcreporter.com |access-date=2015-07-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703024757/http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=4224&IssueNum=108 |archive-date=2015-07-03 }}</ref>

In 2015 Gphomestay purchased the Brooks Institute from Career Education Corporation, and appointed new leadership.<ref name="SB Independent"/><ref name=marketwatch/>

==Notable faculty and alumni==
Some notable alumni and faculty include:

===Faculty===
*[[Anacleto Rapping]]
*[[Paul F. Ryan]], Film faculty, director of ''[[Home Room (film)|Home Room]]''
*[[Tracy Trotter]], Film faculty member and principal of Trotter Productions, received his third [[Emmy]] in 2008 for directing the Public Service Announcement, "Voter."<ref>[http://www.brooks.edu/news_08_emmy.asp] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120723222706/http://www.brooks.edu/news_08_emmy.asp|date=July 23, 2012}}</ref>

===Alumni===
*[[Douglas Bizzaro]], Fashion photographer, clients include [[Jean Paul Gaultier]] and Chrome Hearts.<ref>McNally, Greer, "Douglas Bizzaro + Elizabeth Moss",  [http://www.dphotographer.co.uk/ ''Digital Photographer magazine''], 2005, (p. 42) Issue 31 Highbury Entertainment Ltd, Paragon House</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dbem.net/|title=Douglas Bizzaro Photography|work=dbem.net}}</ref>
*[[Javier Manzano]], winner of the 2013 [[Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography]] for his work in Syria.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2013-Feature-Photography |title=The Pulitzer Prizes &#124; Works |publisher=Pulitzer.org |date=2012-10-18 |access-date=2015-07-02}}</ref> He has also won two World Press Photo awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldpressphoto.org/people/javier-manzano|title=Javier Manzano|work=Worldpressphoto.org|access-date=2015-07-02}}</ref>
*[[James Neihouse]], 1976 Professional Photography graduate, works with [[IMAX]] as their director of Photography.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081006/NEWS02/810060330|title=News Government & Politics - FLORIDA TODAY - floridatoday.com|work=FLORIDA TODAY}}</ref>
*[[Mark Mabry]], photographer, journalist, and activist.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deseretbook.com/p/reflections-christ-mark-mabry-67676|title=Reflections of Christ - Deseret Book|website=deseretbook.com|access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref>
*[[Lennette Newell]], animal, advertising, fashion, commercial and wildlife photography
*[[Matt Revolter]], film producer & photographer
*[[Kevin Shulman]], Writer, Producer, Director
*[[Jeremy Roloff]], photographer 
*[[Michael Thompson (photographer)|Michael Thompson]], photographer; clients include ''W'', ''Details'', ''Allure'', ''Harper's Bazaar'', ''Vogue'', Tiffany & Co., and DeBeers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jedroot.com/photogr/mt/thompson-bio.php |title=Containers |publisher=Jedroot.com |access-date=2015-07-02}}</ref>
*[[Theeradej Wongpuapan]], Thai actor
*[[Zoë Marieh Urness]], photographer
*[[David Zimmerman (photographer)|David Zimmerman]], fine-art photographer & filmmaker

The film program at Brooks Institute began in the mid-1950s. Graduates include:
*[[Matt Alonzo]], music video director
*[[Othman Karim]], Award-winning Swedish film director and TV personality
*[[Isidore Mankofsky]], [[Cinematography]] for ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'' and ''[[Somewhere in Time (film)|Somewhere in Time]]''
*[[Jose Villa]], wedding photographer

==See also==
*{{C|Art schools in California}}
*[[List of art schools]]
*[[Film school]]
*{{C|Film schools in California}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|www.brooks.edu}} Defunct

{{Ventura County Colleges and Universities}}
{{Ventura, California}}
{{Santa Barbara County Colleges and Universities}}
{{Career Education Corporation}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Brooks Institute| ]]
[[Category:Career Education Corporation]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1945]]
[[Category:1945 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Educational institutions disestablished in 2016]]
[[Category:Defunct private universities and colleges in California]]
[[Category:Former for-profit universities and colleges in the United States]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Ventura County, California]]