University of the Arts abruptly cancels info session amid questions over impending closure
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The University of the Arts in Philadelphia abruptly canceled a virtual information session Monday afternoon amid questions over the impending closure of the school.
"As the situation continues to unfold rapidly, we cannot adequately answer your questions today," the university said in a statement just minutes before a planned 4 p.m. session.
READ MORE: The University of the Arts in Philadelphia announces sudden closure
Those with questions are now being asked to fill out an online form. It's unclear if there will be another virtual meeting scheduled.
The university along South Broad Street says information and answers to frequently asked questions will be posted online in the next day.
The cancellation of the info session has added fuel to the fire for students who demonstrated Monday. They said they are not only devastated by the abrupt closure, but upset over the lack of warning and information.
"We just got a message to all the students they canceled our town meeting," said Roisin O'Bryan, a rising sophomore. "We're mad!"
"This is absurd. They refused to answer our questions in the first place. And now they're refusing to answer them after we begged, begged for answers," said Sarah McLeod, a rising junior.
University of the Arts will close for good on Friday. The closure comes amid financial challenges and declining enrollment, according to President Kerry Walk.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education told Action News it withdrew accreditation on June 1 because the university failed to provide timely notice of its closure or a required plan for students.
The commission said UArts notified the agency on May 29 that it was closing in just three days, on June 1, although it later announced a closing date of Friday, June 7.
"I want to say it's kind of evil that they would drop this on a giant community of people that just loves each other and they love what they do," said Chloe Pyle, a graduating senior.
Research from 6abc's data journalism team showed the school's enrollment has plummeted in the past decade going, down 38% from 2012 to 2022.
Upcoming summer courses will be canceled and the university will not enroll a new class in the fall.
The university says it will be helping current students by developing "seamless transfer pathways" to other Philadelphia schools, including Temple University, Drexel University, and Moore College of Art and Design.
Read the full statement released by the university on Monday:
"University of the Arts regrets to inform you that we must cancel our virtual information session scheduled for 4 p.m. We know you are heartbroken and frustrated about our impending closure on Friday, June 7. As the situation continues to unfold rapidly, we cannot adequately answer your questions today.
We want everyone to know that we exhausted every option to address the urgent crisis and find a pathway to keep the institution open. However, we could not identify a viable path for UArts to remain open and serve its mission.
Please share your questions through this Google Form so that we may provide follow-up communications to address your concerns to the best of our ability. We will be adding information and answers to frequently asked questions on the UArts webpage within the next day."
