Major Arts College Closes Suddenly: What Happened to University of the Arts in Philadelphia

The school went from planning its next semester to closing all of its facilities within a week, leaving students and faculty shocked.

By Michael Hein

The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania announced last week that it will be closing abruptly on Friday, June 7. The school has been open for nearly 150 years, and it is closing with virtually no warning, even leaving future students hanging. According to a report by CBS News, the only explanation given so far is an unexpected budgetary issue.

UArts President Kerry Walk and Chair of the Board of Trustees Judson Aaron sent a letter to students, faculty and alumni on Saturday announcing the abrupt closure. They said that declining enrollment and "significant, unanticipated expenses" had brought the school's plans to a grinding halt, adding: "The situation came to light very suddenly." Those issues led the Middle States Commission on Higher Education to withdraw UArts accreditation. Still, many people feel that there must be more the institution can do to uphold its promises and obligations.

Since the initial announcement, Walk resigned as president and some follow-up questions have been answered in statements, town halls and meetings. However, the details on the financial fallout are still scarce, and legal experts say there could be severe backlash. The school is partnering with other nearby universities to try and help students transfer in time for the upcoming semesters, while others are left scrambling.

Attorney Eric Lechtzin has filed lawsuits against UArts on behalf of nine university employees, and is currently seeking class action status. He told The Associated Press that this "truly is unprecedented. I take no pleasure in saying I think it reflects a complete failure of UArts leadership." He points out that the university violated federal law in some cases where employees were entitled to at least 60 days' notice of their termination.

Meanwhile, the vice president of the faculty's union, Bradley Philbert told CBS that employees still have little information on their futures. He said: "People are absolutely nervous and scared. As for when the paychecks are going to stop or when benefits are going to run out, we have a contract we are looking to enforce as a union but we will see what the university is in a position to do. We are going to fight them the whole way."

Students have been left in the lurch as well, with multiple people reporting that they had just paid their $500 deposit for the semester within days or even hours of the closure announcement. Students expressed frustration that they had turned down offers from other universities in favor of UArts only to be abandoned at this late stage. The closure is under investigation from multiple angles, so more details may be coming soon.

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