University of the Arts in Philadelphia abruptly closes

The Philadelphia University of the Arts announced this weekend that it would close, abruptly ending programs for about 1,100 students and 700 faculty and staff due to financial difficulties.

Many students and faculty were first informed of the closure. Via The Philadelphia Inquirer The announcement was made on Friday, with an official explanation from the school released later the same day and confirmed on Sunday.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce that the College of Arts will close on June 7, 2024,” university officials said. I said on Sunday“Under extraordinary circumstances, we diligently considered the impending crisis and a path forward for the institution’s survival. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to conclusively identify a viable path forward for the institution to survive and fulfill its mission.”

The university said the Inquirer broke the news unintentionally, and that the school’s accrediting agency announced it before the school did. In a statement on Friday, the university said it would help students transfer to universities near Philadelphia, including Temple University and Drexel University.

The University of Art has a long history, having been founded in 1876 as the Pennsylvania School of Art and Industrial Arts, making it one of the oldest art universities in the United States.

President Kelly Walker told the Inquirer that 700 university employees will be laid off.

“We find ourselves in a heartbreaking situation that is unimaginable and incredibly difficult for all of us who love this very special university community,” she said.

“We know the news of UArts’ closure is shocking,” Leadership said on Friday“Like all of you, we are struggling to make sense of our current situation. But like many institutions of higher education, UArts is in a precarious financial position, with years of declining enrollment, declining revenues and rising expenses.”

“Unfortunately, however, we were unable to overcome the biggest challenge we faced – a steadily declining cash balance and our inability to cover significant unexpected expenses,” they continued. “The situation suddenly became clear and, despite our swift response, we were unable to close the gap as necessary.”

Walke said the school was struggling with financial difficulties, facing rising costs from needed infrastructure repairs, lack of grants and donations and enrollment that was down by nearly half from what it was a decade ago.

The arts college had an operating loss of $12 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30 on total revenue of $63 million, according to audited financial statements reviewed by The Inquirer.

The closure adds to the financial stress facing similar art schools across the country. In Philadelphia, the nation’s oldest art school, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, announced earlier this year that it would close after next school year. Similarly, the historic San Francisco Art Institute announced it would close in 2022.