Last Friday, The University of Arts announced it will be closing down for good. Unbeknownst to the public, the school was planning to close. Without a proper teach-out plan in play, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education revoked accreditation. The school will close June 7th, 2024. Originally founded in 1876, The University of Arts is one of the oldest art schools in America.
The University of Arts Announces Closure
The University of Arts was planning to close and no one knew. A proper plan was to be laid out for current university students. As of Friday May 31st, 2024, the school failed to reveal such plans to the accreditation agency. As a result, Friday, May 31st, 2024, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education withdrew its accreditation. Hours later, The University of Arts officially announced it will no longer be in operation beginning June 7th, 2024. The closure is permanent. In a letter to university President Kerr Walk, Middle States declared the university “failed to inform the commission of closure in a timely manner or to properly plan for closure with prior approval through substantive change.”
As a result of proper closure procedures, “the commission has determined that an immediate adverse action is necessary because the institution has not complied with the commission’s procedures, requests for written reports, teach-out plan, or other information.”
The news came as a sudden shock to current students, their parents, and university alums.
In a letter to the campus, the university made the following statement:
“To our University of the Arts students and families, alumni, faculty, staff, supporters, friends, and Philadelphia community:
With deepest sadness, we must confirm that University of the Arts will close on June 7, 2024. The Board of Trustees formally voted on June 1 to approve the closure. Under extraordinary circumstances, we diligently assessed the urgent crisis presented and pathways to keep the institution open. Despite our best efforts, we could not ultimately identify a viable path for the institution to remain open and in the service of its mission. With the priority of addressing the impact that 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 through this heartbreaking transition.”
President Walk attributes the closure to “a fragile financial state, with many years of declining enrollments, declining revenues, and increasing expenses.”
Markedly, the closure means all summer will be cancelled as well as any new enrollment in the future. Current students are left scrambling to deal with the closure and subsequently transfer to another institution with accreditation.
The Future of the Arts
Undoubtedly, the closure of The University of Arts is sad news for the city of Philadelphia.
It is the second art school in the city to close this year. Earlier this year, The Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts announced it would be ending its degree-granting BFA and MFA programs at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.
Moore College of Art will host an open house June 7th, 2024 and encourages The University of Art students to transfer and complete their degree seamlessly.