The abrupt closure of a 150-year-old arts and music university located in the heart of Philadelphia is prompting an investigation by Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry’s office.
The attorney general has the authority to investigate the alleged missteps and wrongdoings of nonprofit organizations, charities, or institutions, which includes the University of the Arts.
“We are very concerned by the sudden closure of University of the Arts, which has impacted students, staff, and the community,” a spokesman for Henry’s office said. “We are reviewing the circumstances of the closure and any transfer or loss of assets.”
This coincides with a June 6 Philadelphia City Council vote to hold hearings over the school’s abrupt closure.
The private institution closed its doors on June 7 due to its inability to meet its expenses. The University of the Arts did not make an official statement to its staff and students about its closure until May 31.
However, the university’s announcement of its closure came hours after the news was reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer at about 6 p.m. on May 31. An email from university President Kerry Walk and Board of Trustees Chairman Judson Aaron to faculty members and students came shortly before 8 p.m. The university had informed the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that it was closing on May 29. The Commission then released a press release on May 31 that said the university would be losing its accreditation by June 1.
In the university’s press release, Aaron and Walk said the “situation came to light very suddenly”
“We know that the news of UArts’ closure comes as a shock,” the letter reads. “Like you, we are struggling to make sense of the present moment. But like many institutions of higher learning, UArts has been in a fragile financial state, with many years of declining enrollments, declining revenues, and increasing expenses. We have worked hard this year alongside many of you to take steps that would secure the University’s sustainability. The progress we made together has been impressive”
In the past decade, the school’s enrollment has dropped by 44%.
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Students have received notification that they will be reimbursed for the summer and fall semesters. University officials said they will work to develop a “seamless transfer” pathway for students to finish degrees at neighboring universities such as Temple University, Drexel University, and Moore College of Art and Design.
In the meantime, 1,149 students and more than 600 faculty members are left in limbo.