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University of the Arts announces sudden closure
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The University of the Arts, a private nonprofit institution in Philadelphia, announced on Friday night which would close on June 7th.
The institution’s announcement came hours after the Middle States Commission on Higher Education withdrew its accreditation, saying UArts had “failed to inform the commission of the closure in a timely manner or adequately plan the closure with prior approval through substantial changes.”
“[T]The commission determined that immediate adverse action is necessary because the institution failed to comply with the commission’s procedures, requests for written reports, the teaching plan or other information,” Middle States said in its statement. Letter of May 31 to President Kerry Walk. Accreditors have increasingly insisted that institutions facing significant financial turmoil keep their supervisors informed and prepare plans for transferring students to other institutions, among other things.
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For their part, University of the Arts officials had relatively little to say.
“We know the news of UArts’ closure comes as a shock,” said Walk and university board chair Judson Aaron. a letter to the campus Friday. “Like you, we are struggling to make sense of the present moment. But like many institutions of higher education, UArts has been in a fragile financial situation, with many years of declining enrollment, decreasing revenue and increasing expenses.”
Officials said the institution had “worked hard this year… to take steps to ensure the sustainability of the university”, but that “we were unable to overcome the final challenge we faced: with a cash position that has been steadily weakening, we could not cover significant and unforeseen expenses. The situation came to a head very suddenly. Despite quick action, we were unable to fill the necessary gaps.”
Sunday, the institution’s Board of Trustees released another statement affirming the closure, which it approved on Saturday.
“In extraordinary circumstances, we diligently evaluate the urgent crisis presented and the paths to keep the institution open,” the statement said. “Despite our best efforts, we were ultimately unable to identify a viable path for the institution to remain open and serving its mission. With a priority on addressing the impact our decision will have on the UArts community, as well as our home in the city of Philadelphia, we are committed to supporting our students, faculty and staff during this painful transition.”
A spokesperson did not respond to a reporter’s questions about the Middle States agency’s claims about UArts’ failure to follow the accreditor’s policies.
Walk, who became president of the university last year, was previously president of Marymount Manhattan College, which last week was absorbed by Northeastern University.
She told The Philadelphia Inquirer that she became aware of a significant cash flow problem on May 14th. “We had unforeseen expenses that we had to cover with money,” she told the newspaper. “At the same time, some of the deposits [including gifts, grants, and other revenue] We expected that bank account to be late and it just didn’t come in.”
Local news reports cited staff and students expressing shock and dismay at the sudden closure.
“They didn’t even tell the union about the possibility of this,” said Daniel J. Pieczkolon, president of the United Academics of Philadelphia, a labor union. told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Several colleges in and around Philadelphia ended their independent operations last year. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts said in January that his art school would close, and Cabrini University closed and Salus University merged into Drexel University in mid-2023.
The following institutions have announced in 2024 that they will close or, if indicated, merge into another university so that it will no longer be considered an independent institution.
- Delaware College of Art and DesignDelaware
- Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Oregon
- Eastern Gateway Community College, Ohio
- Wells College, new York
- University of Santa Catarina, California
- Goddard College, Vermont
- Oak Point University, Illinois
- Birmingham-Southern College, Alabama
- University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Waukesha Campus
- Bluffton University (merging into the University of Findlay), Ohio
- Cambridge College (merging into Bay Path University), Massachusetts
- University of Fontbonne, Missouri
- Notre Dame College, Ohio
- Jamestown College of Business, new York